Owning your inner fire: the intrinsic motivations of change leaders
Erika Behl
Empowering leaders to create change from within | Change Leadership Coach and Speaker | Personal Growth Podcast Host
Because you CARE
I was talking to my boss in London one afternoon from a conference room in Singapore, looking out over the central business district. We were discussing my proposals to transform the team and I was emphatically outlining the benefits of investing in a Customer Success digital platform to leverage the team into higher-value activities than the low-value manual ones they were mired in. I went on and on.
Finally, my boss interrupted me and said 'Erika, I get it. But this may not be the top priority for us right now.' Which propelled me into an even more impassioned, data-driven argument for the project.
After a while, he smiled and asked why I was so passionate about this.
I paused. Why would I NOT be passionate about this? This had the potential to transform our team and add huge (quantifiable) value. People who'd been complaining about the administrative burden of their jobs would be empowered to take on the roles they truly desired.
I slumped back in my chair, threw my hands up, and said "Because I CARE".
Something you learn as you climb the corporate ladder is that there are some people in leadership positions whose primary objective is self-preservation.
This is not meant to be an insult :) Senior leadership can be a minefield and once you're at a level where you are subject to political ebbs and flows, self-preservation is a required skill.
[Sidebar: in the 2.5 years I was leading a global team, the person in my boss's role changed 5 times]
Or, they have different motivations.
So, your passion is something that colleagues may not always understand or identify with.
Your job is to harness this inner fire so that it works for you--sustaining your resilience in the face of setbacks, and underpinning your authentic leadership.
But before we talk about mastering your behaviors, you need to KNOW yourself. Where does your fire originate?
Understanding your unique intrinsic motivation
Not all change leaders operate from the same set of values. There is power in understanding yours. If you've not yet explored your core values and leadership purpose, consider these archetypes as a guide.
Do you identify with one of these archetypes more strongly than the others?
What drives you gives meaning to what you do, beyond the cause you care about, or the people you so deeply want to help. And what you're willing to take a risk for.
Recognizing the challenges and complexities of self-awareness and congruence in leadership, I'm thrilled to announce a new group program tailored specifically for change leaders. This initiative is designed to offer a supportive community for you to explore your intrinsic motivations, articulate your leadership purpose, and learn how to align your actions with your values, ensuring your leadership is as impactful and authentic as possible.
Stay tuned for more details, and if you're interested, reply with 'Tell me more' to get early access information as soon as it's available.
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Self-awareness is a first step, but it's a big one
What are the benefits of understanding your unique motivation?
Once you identify with your source of inner fire, own it.
Your values drive your conscious and unconscious actions. If you are consciously matching your behaviors and decisions with your intent (your inner fire), other people can easily deduce your values and anticipate your actions, which builds trust.
A person has integrity when there is no gap between intent and behavior…when he or she is whole, seamless, the same—inside and out. I call this “congruence.” And it is congruence—not compliance—that will ultimately create credibility and trust. Stephen M. R. Covey
As a change leader, you are constantly being observed not only in what you say or do in planned moments but also by your off-the-cuff response to situations, setbacks, and other unscripted moments.
Mimicking other leadership styles is a draining game, especially because there are so many other variables that are outside your control: namely, other people's motivations, agendas, and purposes.
One of the most profound things I learned as a change leader was that apart from your self-awareness and regulation, there is nothing else you control.
Everything else you merely influence.
Building trust by matching your actions with your motivations is completely within your control, and is a massive boost to your leadership efficacy.
Bonus: just because they don't understand you doesn't make them the enemy
Back to the situation above, with my boss somewhat bemused by my passion, there is a second important lesson. Even though you may know exactly why you care, you cannot assume that someone who disagrees with you is trying to sabotage you.
See the derailers for each change leader archetype in the infographic above. With passion comes pitfalls. We can get wrapped up in our vision and neglect to see other stakeholders' points of view. Or fail to understand why people just aren't as excited as you are.
Take a beat. As unique as you are, your peers, stakeholders, and team members each have their motivations, and passion is not going to budge them. Let's control the controllable; there are other, smarter ways to influence others.
Questions for you
What do you think?
With intention,
Erika
Change Leadership Facilitation and Training | Keynote Speaking | Every Moment is a Choice Podcast