Top 3 de-motivators used by poor leaders

There are those who think that the whole “manager versus leader” discussion is just current buzz-talk—some temporary fad with no meaning.

Those people are dead wrong!

There are many leaders who are not managers, and there are more managers who are not leaders.

True leaders use positives to show respect for the team, and they motivate the team as a byproduct.

Managers who are not leaders use negatives that bring down morale and consequently de-motivate the team.

The following three words are the de-motivators most commonly used by these managers: “Can’t”, “Only”, and “Easy”.

• Can’t

Manager's approach: “Joe, you can’t take off at noon on Fridays any longer.”

Leader’s approach: “Joe, I need your help on Friday afternoons, because…”

This is more than an example of catching more flies with honey than vinegar. This is an example of how mutual respect boosts morale and fosters teamwork.

• Easy

Manager's approach: “That’s easy. You guys can knock that out in a couple of hours.”

Leader’s approach: “Take some time and look into this. I need your expertise to tell me if it is doable and if so, how long it will take to complete.”

The word “easy” is such a de-motivator and morale deflator for my team at Decade Software that I purchased an “Easy Button” from Staples that the team uses as a stress reliever when folks outside of our team use the word.

If the task is not yours, it is disrespectful to assume that you know what is involved and how long it will take.

To do so is to say to someone, “This should take you two hours. If you tell me it will take longer, I’ll think you’re incompetent.”

The result is that the tasked person will cut corners, deliver a less than desirable product, have much rework to do, and experience a decrease in both morale and respect for leadership.

• Only

Manager's approach: “…but you only need to do this.”

Leader's approach: "Tell me about the problems you're facing..."

This word is bad for all the reasons the previous word was bad.

Leaders must challenge teams to think and find resolutions to problems themselves. They do not make assumptions about the workload. Leaders express concerns and goals, asking questions that may lead the team to consider solutions, but telling them how to do their jobs only as a last resort.

Of course, there are other words that decrease morale, but understanding these three and how they decrease morale will reveal the big picture, allowing you—as a leader—to develop a subconscious list of your own.

Leaders who can see this big picture will keep morale up, and keep teams motivated, as teams are allowed to prove they are more than just minions doing management’s bidding.

Once that happens, team players want to come to work, and they are motivated to excel on the job.

They will be proud to tell people where they work, and they will be happy to call you their leader.