Becoming a Motivating Leader

Name: Becoming a Motivating Leader
Author: Diane Martin

Learn best practices for becoming a motivational leader.

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 5 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

(gentle music) So what can you do in a position of leadership to motivate employees to do their best? In these lessons you'll learn how to leverage your leadership, use SMART goals to commit your team to excellence, and cultivate positive working relationships. Each of us is a unique individual. Whether you are an executive, manager, or supervisor, you have your own way of getting things done. There isn't a single style that you must emulate to succeed. There are common attributes that many effective leaders share. Incorporating these characteristics into your managing style can ensure that your employees understand the organization's goals and values and produce the results needed to achieve organizational objectives. So how do successful executives lead in a way that helps them attain an advantage over the competition? It all begins with a vision. Creating a corporate vision is important because it summarizes what the organization is all about and where it's going. It cements the organization's identity and where it is in the marketplace. Successful leaders know how important it is for employees to understand who their company is, who their competitors are, and how to plan to maintain their competitive advantage. Take time to promote and refresh the organizational vision early and often. You can do this at town hall meetings, sales meetings, or monthly briefings. Regularly reinforce the vision so employees don't lose sight of what your organization is all about. If you are a manager or supervisor, it can also be critically important to establish team values. Setting up expectations for how you and your employees should relate to one another can improve the employee experience. For example, IBM has long been known for its commitment to respect in the workplace. They earned this reputation by implementing policies that encourage employees to treat each other with dignity. While it may seem obvious, it's important that employees understand they're expected to treat each other with dignity and respect. To reinforce this idea, act as a model for your team. The most successful leaders adopt a leadership style that inspires employees to do their best. They build trust, share information, coach, and plan effectively. Successful leaders understand that some of the best workplace environments are driven by internal feedback systems that encompass the entire organization, not just employees and managers. They establish employee appreciation programs to engage and motivate employees. And they've recognized that employees benefit from training and development opportunities.

Advanced Provider : Diane Martin 5 Lessons · 14m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Urdu, Chinese

Course Description

Leadership is about more than just being able to direct other people’s efforts. Often, it’s about creating a shared and common purpose among managers, supervisors, and their employees. In the best-managed and most successful organizations, leaders are often working to create the kind of workplace culture that values all employees’ particular capabilities and contributions. But it’s up to you to put your best foot forward and become a motivating leader to create a productive, healthy environment for your employees.

In these lessons on Becoming a Motivating Leader, you’ll learn best practices for inspiring your employees to do their best. You’ll also discover how you can best leverage your leadership by providing an inspiring vision for your employees to strive toward, and how that links with establishing concrete, measurable goals. Then you’ll learn about how you can cultivate healthy relationships, and how you can work with employees to increase their own efficiency.

What You'll Learn

Make leadership a concrete, repeatable practice
Motivate employees by collaborating in the goal-setting process
Cultivate healthy working relationships with your team
Engage employees in streamlining rules and procedures
Foster employee participation while emphasizing process
Apply the principles of managing by objectives

Key Takeaways

Leadership involves creating a shared and common purpose among managers, supervisors, and their employees, not just directing others' efforts.
The best-managed organizations build a workplace culture that values all employees' particular capabilities and contributions.
Leaders can leverage their influence by providing an inspiring vision and linking it with concrete, measurable goals.
Cultivating healthy relationships and working with employees helps increase their efficiency and creates a productive, healthy environment.
Minimizing rules, emphasizing process, and fostering participation are part of becoming a motivating leader.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn in this course?

You'll learn best practices for inspiring employees to do their best, how to provide an inspiring vision linked to concrete and measurable goals, how to cultivate healthy relationships, and how to work with employees to increase their efficiency.

Who is this course for?

It is intended for leaders, managers, and supervisors who want to motivate their employees and create a productive, healthy work environment.

What topics or lessons does the course cover?

The course covers Leadership, Style, and Practice; Committing to Team Excellence; Cultivating Healthy Relationships; Minimizing Rules and Emphasizing Process, and Fostering Participation; and a Test Your Knowledge lesson.

What skills will I gain from this course?

The course develops skills in being goal-oriented, employee motivation, infrastructure management, and program development.

What does it mean to manage by objectives in this course?

One of the learning objectives is to learn what it means to manage by objectives, which the course teaches as part of making leadership a concrete practice.