A sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have.  – Pat Summit

How do you inspire and empower your team or organization? What are you doing to get them on-board to grow results and make them feel they are valued contributors?

The late Pat Summit was a highly successful female basketball coach and a motivational speaker. She shared that successful coaches and leaders require 2 major skills:

  • The ability to convey practical information in a clear and concise way that enables others to learn quickly
  • The knack of motivating your team to put in the necessary effort to achieve successShe also shared the following tips:

For successful motivation, you need to transmit your passion, enthusiasm, and attitude.  “It’s the ability to see in other people more than they see in themselves, and to bring it out of them.”

Learn about the backgrounds and families of your team members. Discover what precisely makes them tick.  This will help you understand what motivates them, and fosters an openness that may pinpoint reasons for under performance.

Be approachable and demonstrate empathy.  This is needed in order for your team to better listen, learn and develop. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”.

Transfer responsibility.  Personal responsibility and accountability increase enthusiasm, drive, and lead to more effective performance.  Act as a guide and mentor your team but remember you can’t do the job for them.

Surround yourself with bright, talented people with creative minds that will challenge you.   Listen closely to their ideas and methods; they’re likely to provide options you have not explored yourself.

Evaluate yourself before you evaluate others.  It’s possible you as a leader failed; be honest about what you could have done better.

Which of the tips do you practice consistently?  Do any of your behaviors need to change so you can better inspire and empower others?

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To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. –Tony Dorsett