One of the biggest challenges you will face as a leader is staying motivated and motivating others.  People often believe that there is some magic potion around motivation but the reality is that it can be tough.

Self Motivation

Self motivation is key as a leader, so how might you do it:

1. Set yourself personal goals for each day
2. Stay in a positive frame of mind
3. Try to avoid long discussions with people who are negative
4. Get use to looking at different perspectives
5. Celebrate successes – you could even record these

Being self motivated is not about wandering about with a huge smile on your face but having the determination to keep pushing on even when times are tough.

Motivating Others

If you think that cracking the whip is the way to motivating then you are way off the mark.  Some of the simplest things are the most powerful:

1. Make time to interact with others
2. Listen to their concerns
3. Help them to explore different perspectives
4. Acknowledge a job done well
5. Say thank you!

A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself how you would like to be treated as this will often guide you in difficult times.

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