“It is the greatest folly to talk of motivating anybody,” said Patrick Emington. “The real key is to help others to unlock and direct their deepest motivators.”

Here’s a powerful question to ponder. What do my team members need right now? You might think this is an unreasonable question. Leaders often argue they supervise 15 or 20 people; so how in the world could they know what each person needs? Leadership is about personalization and individualization.  

Lou Holtz suggested, “Everyone is special. Everyone has special needs and desires. The one trick is to find out what those needs are. Then if you treat people special, if you help them get what they want, you can’t help but succeed.”  

Calf in the Barn

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a great poet, wonderful philosopher and noted historian. Unfortunately, he knew very little about getting a calf into the barn. One day he was actively engrossed in this endeavor.

His son, Edward, circled an arm around the neck of the calf and Emerson pushed from behind. The more they pushed and pulled, the more obstinate the heifer became. The calf locked his knees, dug his fit into the ground, and became immovable.

Frustrated, exhausted, and full of bovine smell, the great intellectual was on the verge of losing control.

An Irish peasant girl had been observing the ordeal from a distance and approached Mr. Emerson, “Could I be of assistance,” she offered. I can imagine Mr. Emerson was thinking, “If you think you can do anything, go ahead.” Smiling softly, she circled around the calf and thrust a finger in the calf’s mouth. The calf instinctively followed the girl into the barn.

Edward grinned. Emerson was stunned. After pondering what he had observed, Emerson recorded the incident in his journal followed by this declaration: “I like people who can do things!”

People are like that calf.  You can push them, prod them, pull them, yell at them, kick them but they aren’t going to move.

Why? 

Because people do things for their reasons, not your reasons. People do things because they want to, not because you think it would be a good idea.

Face it. It is easier to get people to do what they want to do than what you want them to do. If you want somebody to do something, you must give them a reason. . . one of their reasons for doing it. 

“A wise administrator,” suggested Lao Tsu, “does not lead people to set their hearts upon what they cannot have, but satisfies their inner needs.”

Questions to Ponder:

What do your people need to feel good about their ability to contribute to the team? 

What do your people need to feel good about their jobs?