As leaders, we often believe we can inspire motivation from the top down, setting values, driving behaviors, and expecting alignment. But I'm afraid I have to disagree. Motivation doesn’t come from the outside; it starts within, at the very core of our engineers, radiating outward. And if we want to truly inspire and unlock their potential, we must dig deeper.
Why Motivation Starts Within
Leadership isn’t about imposing values; it’s about uncovering the unique drivers that already exist within our engineers. Every individual has layers, like a dragon guarding a treasure trove, and each layer holds insights into what drives their actions, passions, and purpose.
Here’s how I see it:
1. Behaviors: These are the outward actions we see: how engineers communicate, solve problems, and collaborate.
2. Convictions: Beneath behaviors lie the beliefs and guiding principles influencing decisions and priorities.
3. Values: These are the non-negotiables engineers need to thrive, such as autonomy, purpose, or mastery.
4. Personality: The stable traits that shape how someone approaches the world. While personality doesn’t change, growth and leveling up are possible (think tools like the Enneagram).
5. Core: This is where the dragons live: the place of innate talents, dreams, visions, and motivators that define who they are at their essence.
The Leader’s Role: Digging Through the Layers
To truly motivate, leaders must go beyond surface-level behaviors and dig into the core of their team members.
Here’s how:
1. Discover Their Dragons
💚 Ask Questions: What excites them? What are their innate talents? What kind of life do they envision for themselves?
💚 Listen Deeply: Motivation comes from being seen and understood at their core.
2. Teach Goal-Setting from the Inside Out
Help engineers set worthwhile goals:
❤️🔥 Stimulating: Goals that challenge their curiosity and intellect.
🌍 Significant: Goals that align with their personal values and purpose.
🌱 Stretching: Goals that push their growth while respecting their limits.
Show them how their goals map to business value (commercial, market, customer, efficiency, future, [sustainability]), creating a clear connection between their inner drivers and the external impact they can have.
3. Connect the Core to Business Value
When engineers see how their motivations align with business outcomes, something magical happens. Their sense of purpose fuels their actions, creating extraordinary results.
💪🏿🐲 Example: An engineer motivated by efficiency and problem-solving thrives when working on automation projects that save time and resources.
💪🏿🐲 Example: An engineer driven by creativity and innovation shines when brainstorming new features that delight customers and create market value.
From Core to Impact
🐉 Motivation isn’t something leaders give to engineers; it’s something we uncover and nurture. By taking the time to dig into their layers, we help them align their personal goals, talents, and values with the business impact they create. And when that alignment happens? Their inner dragon awakens, and the results are breathtaking. 🔥🔥🔥🐉
This is what my book is all about:
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The jump from expert engineer to influential leader can feel like navigating a labyrinth of unknowns until now.
Authored by myself, a seasoned leadership coach and former engineer with over 20 years of experience as a software engineer and 15 years as a leader, this book is packed with:
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This isn’t just a leadership manual: it’s a trusted companion for navigating the challenges, celebrating the wins, and becoming the kind of leader you’ve always admired. Ready to embrace the leader within?
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Want to learn to master this even sooner?
My leadership course, which begins on January 7, teaches exactly this: helping leaders uncover and nurture motivation by starting from the core and moving outward.
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