Human Resources Needs Effective Leadership

Posted on October 17, 2008
Filed Under HR Effectiveness |

I have talked a lot in this blog about motivation and influencing, because no leader - no matter what their position - can be truly effective without the ability to motivate others and influence change. As I wrote in a recent white paper on creating organizational change:

“Have you had great ideas to improve your organization that you were sure would be immediately embraced by all employees? Were you left wondering why the idea withered on the vine lacking the enthusiasm and support you had anticipated?

“You’re not alone. Whatever the change initiative was, based on industry experience, chances are less than 50/50 that it was implemented as planned and that you attained the expected results. The ability of any organization to adapt may be its only sustainable competitive advantage.

“Despite this, organizations experience resistance to important initiatives and a growing inertia. This lack of action undermines implementation and slows business results.”

One of the keys in any leadership role is the ability to motivate employees and get them committed to the same goals for personal and business performance. Without this ability, no effective organizational change can be instigated or completed. A recent article I read commented the following about employee motivation:

“A person’s motivation is combination of desire and energy directed at achieving a goal. Influencing someone’s motivation means getting him or her to want to do what you know must be done.

“People can be motivated by beliefs, values, interests, fear, worthy causes, and other such forces. Some of these forces are internal, such as needs, interests, and beliefs. Others are external, such as danger, the environment, or pressure from a loved one. There is no simple formula for motivation — you must keep an open viewpoint on human nature. There is a complex array of forces steering the direction of each person and these forces cannot always be seen or studied. Also, if the same forces are steering two different people, each on will act differently. Knowing that different people react to different needs will guide your decisions and actions in certain situations.

“As a leader you have the power to influence motivation. The following guidelines form the basic view of motivation. They will guide you in your decision making process towards influencing motivation.”

This article goes on to list some helpful tips to keep in mind when working towards increasing your influence and motivating those around you. Read the full article: “Effective Leadership to Influence Motivation.”

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