Leaders inspire accomplishment. But not all leaders inspire equally; whichever one you are depends on how you engage people.
Let’s start with Simon Sinek. Sinek observes that some leaders inspire action while others do not. He illustrates his point with the golden circle, that moves us through three concentric circles from what, to how, and finally to why people act. His TED Talk on the subject has been seen over 36 million times.
Catherine Greener believes you must create a bond of empathy with people before inspiring action. Greener was hired by the auto industry to motivate employees to recycle. She walked through the shop and saw mostly candy and gum wrappers in the recycling bins. How did she inspire the auto workers to start recycling? By appealing directly to the employees’ personal priorities. She placed a sign over the recycling bins that read:
- Aluminum cans are recycled into engine blocks, and
- Those engine blocks cost less than blocks manufactured from mined aluminum, and
- That lowers the price of cars, and
- That means more people buy cars, and
- That means greater job security.
The result? Recycling bins overflowing with aluminum cans.
The third motivator for action is the hornet. Hornets are large wasps with complex behaviors. They live in highly organized colonies in an intricate nest; a wonderful feat of engineering which is both lightweight and strong.
Most hornets are not aggressive until they are disturbed. Having a hornet in the room is a great way to motivate people to leave – most do so willingly.
Which type of motivator are you? Sinek, Greener or hornet.
The road is easier together,
Linda