Small change: ‘shareholder value’ motivates no-one

Being able to motivate others — and keep them motivated — is vital for any leader. This is particularly true in change, when the road will tend towards the long and winding. Understanding the psychological and emotional drivers of motivation is therefore a necessary leadership skill.

There are any number of motivational drivers you might consider: doing enjoyable work; the satisfaction that comes from reaching a milestone that looked impossible at the outset; paying the mortgage; getting a shot at promotion; seeing your ideas alive in the world… the list goes on. But, with the possible exception of a few psychopaths, this list will not include “creating shareholder value”.

This points to a bigger truth: too often leaders draw upon business language in the hope that it will negate the need to understand the human needs that influence all our workplaces. It doesn’t. Start your own boycott of business BS today, and watch your team’s performance soar.

Something to consider: how is the language we use failing to serve us?

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