I have learned to put everything into perspective. Depending on the situation, I have to look at what that person is dealing with or what they are trying to accomplish before I decide how I'm going to proceed.
Jeff,
Great point. How do you suppose an employee could find the motivation again?
Dr. Jean Norris
Absolutely. If a leader (at any level of the organization) is willing to put forth ideas and input to their supervisor and are shut down, their desire to "step up" and lead in the future will not be there.
Authoritative or Coercive leaders/managers run the risk of quashing the talent of their human capital this way.
Kevin,
Excellent and creative example! Well done!
Dr. Jean Norris
Dr. Do you remember the movie "Lean on Me" the story of Joe Clark, Eastside High school principal in Patterson New Jersey?
In this case the environment of the school was a sham and most likely at rock bottom where previous leadership failed miserably. Mr. Clark was able to bring the school not only back, but to a level of a recognized school.
Great leaders have that ability to find a tiny ember and ignite motivation in others to achieve greatness. The true leader realizes they cannot do it alone and must change the culture one convert at a time.
Hi Kevin! I love your conviction! Can you give a specific example of how environment effects motivation to lead?
Dr. Jean Norris
Hello Dr. Norris,
Without a doubt the answer is yes. All leaders are human and require basic needs. I think that likeminded people need to know that what they do makes a difference, most specifically in education.
Mark,
Excellent point and well stated! Thank you for sharing.
Dr. Jean Norris
Absolutely, I believe that it is necessary to get a feel for the team that you are going to be leading. Different groups of individuals often require different forms of motivation. Knowing what type of motivation it takes to lead your team is similar to understanding the different learning styles necessary to teach your students.
Lauren,
This is a great point. How do you manage the impact your leader has on you with your leadership style?
Dr. Jean Norris
I agree, however, when there are multiple levels of leaders in an organization, how you lead can be impacted by your leader.
I think the communication skills, especially listening is a BIG piece of that. Thank you for the follow-up post, Heather!
Dr. Jean Norris
It all starts with clear expectations and sound communication skills. Even as a new leader going into a toxic environment you can turn things around fairly quickly with those two areas of focus.
Ah, I didn't see this post until after I replied to your earlier post. Based on your observation about the possible adverse effect, what can you do to prevent a toxic environment?
Dr. Jean Norris
So it sounds like you are describing a positive environment that motivates the team to want to succeed. How do you deal with challenges that may impact the environment?
Dr. Jean Norris
I wanted to add a second reply with the adverse effect. If the environment is one that lacks good communication and there is a lack of trust between the leader and the team then the environment is one that can become toxic and lead to turnover as well as other problems.
Absolutely. If I lead a team that has trust in me to make good decisions, to listen to their feedback and to recognize their accomplishments then the environment is one that motivates me as the leader and in turn motivates the team to do well.
Thank you very much for your thoughts Augie. The mind is a very powerful 'tool' and as you noted, we can feed and train our mind to be positive and stay motivated. Stay positive!
Dr. Jean Norris
Our environment may impact us in many ways: biologically (health), socially (relationships), and psychologically (the way we think). We must be see (be aware), own (the change of our environment can only come through us), solve (develop a way to change it) and do it (yes we must take action).
I renew my mind every day with the word of God. It may not work for others but it works for me.
Our mind is our most powerful weapon (U.S. Army and Mindsight/Dan Siegel, M.D.).
The word of God says: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.†Isaiah 26:3 I meditate on the word of God and it sets me free.
In my mind I can stand up even when I am told to sit down. I can block out pain and choose to be courageous when I am afraid. In my mind I can smile at death when death smiles at me.
With a properly trained and fed mind I can stop automatic negative thoughts. With my mind I can expand my sphere of influence and eventually come to exercise some control over my environment.
In summary, out mind is our most powerful weapon if we train it to work for us. The will to win is paramount; the will to train is indispensable. Thank you.
Augie
Congratulations Agustin and good luck with your goal, I admire your focus and your desire to help your students! Thank you for your contribution to this forum.
Dr. Jean Norris
