Motivation is important when it comes to effective leadership

8 hours agoLast Updated: November 3, 2025

0 9 minutes read

Motivation is important when it comes to effective leadership

By Moshe Engelberg | Published: 2025-11-01 16:00:00 | Source: Inc.com

Picture this: You’re a mountain biker riding your favorite trail when suddenly a black bear bursts from the trees and starts chasing you. Instead of pausing to think, you’re motivated to move your kicks big time. Your muscles tense, your heart races, and your vision narrows. You pedal with a focus you’ve never felt before. The bear pursues you at full speed, approaching until you move away, with a new rush of adrenaline, and descend safely into the mountain.

When motivation finds you…

Everyone has moments where they are not very excited until something external comes along. A competitor is attacking your domain. A large customer walks in. Your culture is cracked. Suddenly, your body and mind dramatically shift into extremely high stimulation mode.

“This is the time when your basic survival wiring lights up—your amygdala fires, adrenaline and dopamine surge, your focus narrows, and action accelerates. Your motivation is in high gear. You’re motivated.Â

The truth is that in modern leadership, a) people rarely have bears chasing them, and b) you don’t need a crisis to reach your highest level. The real leadership question is: How do you access this kind of powerful energy intentionally without the drive of danger? You simply need the right alignment of purpose, connection and clarity

Featured presentation from Inc.com

I played this at home with my kids. When they said they couldn’t finish their homework, I would ask them, “If I gave you a million dollars, would you do it?” They always said yes. It wasn’t the million that changed anything. It has been a shift in perceived value and urgency

Reflection questions

What would make you pedal faster – purpose, urgency, clarity, or pride?
What “bear” is slowing down your business or inside you right now: a missed opportunity, a declining culture, or a silent competitor?
How can you access that wave of motivation without waiting for something to chase you?

7 ways to push your motivation to its highest levels

Move first to get motivated. Take action even if the spark is weak. Movement often ignites motivation
Deeper name why. Before starting a task, ask, “Who or what will benefit from me doing this well?” I relate to that.
Simulated bets. Create an imagined bear survival scenario. Really see it and feel it. Get your other senses into the action too. Then act accordingly. Â
Use the million dollar test. Ask yourself or your team: “What would this task look like if it were worth a million (or billion)?” Then get to work.
Intrusion of microbursts. Set a short timer for 15 to 20 minutes, and commit to deep focus. Neuroscience research He’s proven that short victories work to your advantage
Lead from love, not fear. Fear can start the race. Love, purpose, and connection keep you in the race. Be in love.Â
Debrief your increases. After completing a high-intensity stretch, ask yourself: “What sparked this energy?” How can it be repeated without causing a crisis? Build this recipe

Team Talk: How to Increase Motivation

At your next team meeting, ask each person: When were you at your peak during a crisis? Without a crisis, when have you moved quickly because meaning and clarity drove you? Then, think of ways to replicate those conditions in your work rhythm moving forward

Your inspiring challenge

Your mind is equipped to save your life, and you can rewire it to revive your life. Don’t wait for fear to flip the switch. Instead, use love, purpose, and clarity to activate the same nervous energy. This is how you can summon the same amount of focus and clarity without panicking

Leadership full of love It turns intention into action and pressure into goal. So, when motivation feels out of reach and you feel discouraged, remember: you already have the potential to reach a higher level. The only thing you need to get over is your hesitation. Use your inner strength not just to escape danger, but to pursue what really matters

The opinions expressed by Inc.com columnists here are their own, not those of Inc.com.

(Tags for translation)Leadership

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