by Garret Kramer
I am about to make a statement that may greatly surprise you: The best leaders never attempt to motivate their team, players, students, employees, or children.
I know, every day we hear differently. Just this morning, I watched as an ESPN sportscaster raved about what an outstanding leader Seattle Seahawk head coach Pete Carroll is. He said, “Just look at how Carroll is firing up his Seahawk players; this guy really knows how to get the guys going!” Well, I’m sorry to inform you, but Pete Carroll (or any coach) is only capable of getting himself going. It is absolutely impossible for him to light a fire under another human being.
Are you scratching your head? If so, just think about this: Who was at the creative center of your most inspiring and successful life moments? A coach, a parent, a teacher? I bet not. Enduring achievement can only originate from one place—deep within ourselves. The minute we look outside for inspiration or salvation is the minute the ability to compete with clarity starts to drift away.
Leadership is not about motivating a player; it’s showing the player that the ability to be motivated rests within him.
Don’t get me wrong, we all desire quality leadership. But because a great leader understands that followers will always seek external impetus, he demonstrates that one’s level of passion or intensity can only be determined by the individual himself. So, if Pete Carroll is truly an outstanding leader, what he will do every Sunday is solely regulate his own personal preparedness. In turn, his players will recognize the importance in doing the same.
Remember, a great teacher serves to bring out the inner wisdom in those he mentors—he knows better than to claim that his way will actually work for someone else.
As an illustration, one of my mentors, Sydney Banks must have given hundreds of seminars and lectures during his lifetime. Like clockwork before each talk, the audience would file in with notebooks or laptops in hand. While Syd was incredibly generous with his wisdom, he would always instruct those in attendance not to take one single note. His words were his alone—his interpretation of “truth,” he would say. He wanted the audience to develop their own insights and draw their own conclusions, not follow in his footsteps.
I believe that great leaders are those individuals who, like Syd, set great examples. Why can’t we simply leave leadership right there? Who ever came up with the belief that leaders must be motivators (of others) anyway? Like the title of this article suggests, we must recognize the difference between leadership and motivation because if we don’t—our teams, schools, companies, and even families will be overrun by followers who are incapable of lending an imaginative hand. Motivation is personal; leadership brings out personal potential for the benefit of the greater good. Take note of the difference; the sports world—actually the world, in general—can use more of both.