What really motivates you? We all know we need motivation to do almost anything in life. As clinched as it sounds but we all follow someone, look up to someone and want to be like someone - sometimes we want to be everything but like the ones we know! That too counts as motivation by the way
As much as it’s a much talked about and much needed concept, I am not after it today. I have been thinking about the peripheral concepts or the sidebars if you will. I believe motivation is the first cousin of happiness. The way you approach happiness in life is going to be more or less the way in which you would approach motivation.
Not to simplify that happy people are motivated and motivated people are happy but it wouldn’t hurt to connect the dots.
The first peripheral concept is our expectation from every leader in our life to be the reason for your motivation. Now not everyone who is in a leadership role is actually a leader. Needless to say they may not be in that place where they are able to motivate others, at times even themselves. Basically our expectation is that every one in a significant position would have attained self actualization. So these people have a more efficient perception of reality, are more accepting of themselves and others, appreciate life and our guided by their inner goals and are able to uplift the others around them - sounds familiar - self motivated & able to motivate others around them :)
So now i have added a third concept that i am saying are synonymous - happiness, motivation & self actualization.
Think about the leader who influences you the most. Do you think they are able to motivate you, they bring out the best in you, you wish you could be like them some day and thats all that would make you successful and happy! It’s all connected - you believe that your success - derived by motivation and your happiness through this self actualization is all that you work for, all that your desire and deserve…
Now also think about a similarly significant leader who you expected to have motivated you, help you “arrive” in your career or maybe even your life that would bring happiness - none of that happens. You feel betrayed, you expected this leader to be super happy in life and have achieved all they could and are now to guide and mentor people like you - well same logic, just because they are in that leadership role doesn’t mean they are really leaders.
The concept is just like the quote - “you want to be happy - then be” - You wanna be motivated - then be, you want to rise above and beyond where you are, then do it. It’s in your hands and your control and not in your current leader or anyone else’s. However, we like to complicate it - we like to have expectations and then proceed with disappointments - thats quite a side effect.
The good news is there is no preset rule that your supervisor needs to be self actualized before you do… !
The leader in you is nurtured by the influence and impact you create, the passion you bring to the table and is not confined by the boundaries of your designation or title. The way you define yourself as a leader is by the standard you set for yourself, how motivated you are and how happy you feel doing what you do.
Yet again, i have added another term that i believe joins the gang with being a synonym here - passion.
If you do what are passionate about you are happy, when you do something that makes you happy, you are motivated to do more of it, when you do more and more of something & stay happy while you do it, you attain self actualization - then all that remains is to go beyond your self and guide mentor and groom others - motivate others.
The difference is very simple - those who are meagre leaders like to be the most knowledgeable in the room, those who are self actualized would know if they are the most knowledgeable person in the room - they are in the wrong room.
My take don’t limit your vision for leaders around those with titles look for them in those who impact, influence and make it happen.
