What do you do if your team is resistant to your leadership and motivation efforts?

Bring the team together in a facilitated workshop (facilitated by someone outside of the team) to engage them is discussing the issues. This will set an example for them and show your willingness to be vulnerable and to learn. This will also help build trust.

Journaling is a powerful method to assess the problem and even solve it. Self awareness & self reflection can help you understand what is happening & why.

Here are my suggestions: Trust and Empathy: Recognize that resistance often stems from uncertainty or discomfort with change Inclusive Communication: Create a safe space for open dialogue Shared Vision and Goals: Ensure that your team understands the larger vision and how their work contributes to it Empowerment through Engagement: Involve your team in decision-making processes. This can increase their sense of ownership and reduce resistance to change Recognition and Reward: Acknowledge and celebrate small wins and contributions Continuous Learning: Foster an environment where learning and growth are prioritized over simply ‘winning’ Lead by Example: As a leader, model the behavior and attitude you want to see in your team

Have someone facilitate a workshop with your team to understand the causes and what to do. That will begin to build trust and set a good example.

It is important to dif deeper and find out why that is the case. Are you lackinh in communication and building consensus, is it possible that they don't understand your overall vision or expectations, or simply, maybe your ideas don't excite them . It is important to do the following. 1- create a compelling vision 2- enable inclusion and participations 3- credit and celebrate 4- support and celebrate.

I am a big fan of 'it's a two way thing' you have to build the trust to get them to open up to you. When you are having a 1-2-1 make sure you don't cancel. Give the team the time they need Communication is key if you are rejecting any request of theirs e.g. annual leave/pay rise/shift swap etc don't just say know give a reason why even if they don't like the outcome. They will respect you more

I find that trust is crucial in a team and to earn it means efforts needs to be exerted by everyone. I believe the inital effort has to be mine and I have done that in the past and will continue to do so. I trust, and there is risk in that. But I witnessed that my resolute determination to trust that my team will succeed, had earned me success.

If my team is resistant to my leadership and motivational efforts, I would first try to understand the root cause of their resistance by listening to their concerns and feedback. Then, I would adapt my approach, possibly by providing more clarity on goals, offering additional support, or seeking ways to build trust and rapport. It's essential to foster open communication and address any underlying issues to create a more cohesive and motivated team. If necessary, seeking external assistance or training in leadership and team dynamics could also be beneficial.

Communication is key, but it’s a two way street. Comms isn’t just about informing people. Help create a safe space for your team to communicate. Understanding your team also helps you create the best channels of communication. I once led a team through a major change project, and found some preferred to speak privately and some like the comfort of a group setting to ask more broad questions. I set up an anonymous page to ask pertinent questions, with answers posted in a timely manner. we also had weekly sessions, sharing thoughts which may be of benefit. Reaching out to experts within the business to share knowledge had fantastic results. This helped them to make informed decisions and also feel a little more confident

Effective leadership & empowering teams go hand in hand in achieving success in any project. As a leader, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of the skill set & motivations of team members. Understand their values, you understand their behaviour which determines the motivation or encouragement needed for buy-in. Every individual in a team has unique aspirations and goals. Some may be seeking personal growth opportunities, while others may be motivated by the prospect of a wage promotion. There might be team members who are interested in transitioning into roles, or retirement and training or coaching is beneficial. Some may feel threatened by the project and will seek control. Recognise and nurture. What’s in it, for them!

In complex organisations, the stakeholders can be spread across multiple tiers and domains, often exerting invisible influence over other teams and thereby introducing a possibility of diluting direct motivation and leadership efforts. It's important to get a lay of the land and understand these additional influences. This can be used to adjust your style/approach and ensure any contradictions are well understood and resolved.

These are not mutually exclusive. All are intertwined. A leader must be trustworthy. Trustworthiness depends on our "savoir-faire" and "walk-the-talk" align to general principles or values. Then, a leader must deliver what promised treating people fairly, with respect, being assertive, with empathy, and so on. All of these requires self-awareness, good listening skills, resilience, adaptability, leading by example, systemic vision, etc. Leader is someone I decide to follow towards a common goal, thus, when I do not consider someone as a good leader, generally is because there are flaws not in just one thing, but several of the above. We need to stop seeing things as black or white; they are much more complex.

If your team is resistant to your leadership and motivation efforts, consider shaking things up. Instead of traditional team meetings, try organizing a team-building activity outside of the office to foster a different kind of connection. Encourage team members to share their hobbies or interests and find ways to incorporate them into the work environment. Allow for flexibility in work schedules or projects to cater to individual preferences and strengths. Consider bringing in an outside facilitator or coach to provide a fresh perspective and help team members break out of their comfort zones.