The differences between motivating a team versus inspiring a team can be gigantic. The best leaders find ways to use both to make their teams better. The best teams, & individuals that comprise those teams, also use both as tools to make themselves better.
What are the differences, what are the similarities, & how do both leaders & teams use both motivation & inspiration to come out of the process better than before?
Motivation, for me, is a little more “short-term” than inspiration is. The term “short-term” is not necessarily a negative thing in this context, it’s just a simple part of the differences. Motivation gets you going. It’s a way of using outside factors in a goal-oriented setting to push a team’s players or employees to achieve a tangible goal:
- Our team goal for the season is to win the Conference Championship
- Our company’s goal for the quarter is to increase profitability from the last quarter.
In both of these examples the team leader will use a goal (Conference Championship) as a motivating factor to drive their team. Many times this goal will constantly be revisited – in this case the team coach may reference back to the Conference Championship during off-season workouts, pre-season practices, regular season games, etc. It becomes an easy sentence to fall back on when teams aren’t performing as well as they could be. Leaders & Coaches will use this not only during tough moments (a lackadaisical workout or sloppy practice), but can also use this during triumphant moments (a big road win over a Conference opponent). Further, the motivation can clearly be defined for clarity as the goal has a set definition:
- Our team goal was to win the Conference Championship, not just to advance to the Championship game.
Inspiration, on the other hand, has a little more long-lasting effect. The longer-lasting effect from inspiration often comes from keeping you going at times when you might need a little push or kickstart. It’s a way of using internal drive, determination, grit, & resilience to live up or to achieve a standard:
- To win a Conference Championship we’re going to have to live up to a standard of selflessness that is second to none
- To increase our company’s profitability this quarter we will need to improve upon our day-to-day operations with an emphasis on customer service like we’ve never done before
In these examples the leader will lean on reaching standards as the motivating factor to drive their team, which the leader believes will need to happen for the team to reach a certain level (Conference Championship). Rather than refer back to the Inspiration as examples, the team leader will paint with a broader stroke encouraging team members to aspire to live up to the standards. Rather than the leader referring back to the form of Inspiration instead the team members are encouraged to reference back themselves. This can come in many forms, but a common one in a team setting may look like:
- I’m having a particularly poor practice today, so I need to focus my effort on getting back to setting the standard as being the most unselfish team mate possible. If I focus on this, then the results of my practice will take care of itself. If the results of my practice takes care of itself then the standard of selflessness will be second to none.
Inspiration & motivation can be intertwined (& they should be), but they are very different things. Unfortunately too many leaders fall into the trap of using motivation too much when inspiration would help the team achieve more & better results.
Similar but different
Any good leader will recognize the difference between motivating their teams from inspiring their teams. A quick pregame pep-talk can rev the players engines, & maybe at best-case can motivate a quick, spirited start to that day’s game. The pre-game pep talk rarely, if ever, wins the game though.
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An inspirational message, on the other hand, can have a long-lasting impact that the team & players can continually draw back on when needed. There will be many times throughout the course of a season where team players will need the inspiration: the baseball team that can’t seem to buy a hit may need to reach back for the inspiration to play up to a certain standard just like the track sprinter may need to lean on his inspiration on the days when the motivation to work out doesn’t quite get it done (the pep talk to work out may be a quick fix, but the inspiration to uplift yourself by working out will serve the athlete better in the long run.)
Some players (employees if this fits your team better) will need to be motivated. Others will need to be inspired. There is nothing wrong with either, but leaders must acknowledge & embrace that there is a difference. While the player’s job is to perform to the best of their ability, it is the leader’s job to position the player properly to be able to do this. For some, a quick, spirited pep talk may do the trick. But for others the quick pep-talk may go in one ear & immediately out the other. As a leader you must pay careful attention to your people, & which style works best for them as individuals. Once that happens (not an easy task), the leader must then encapsulate what is best for the team with a mix of motivating & inspiring. Knowing that a team cannot be 100% reliant on their leader’s motivation all the time is part of the process of growing your team or organization.
Those who need motivation more than inspiration respond positively when they are coerced to do something. Sometimes they just need a call to action that uses heavy language or imagery (possibly the most basic form of motivation).
The ones who need the inspiration more than the motivation respond positively when a fire, or burn, is ignited underneath them. Usually in most cases for these players they will take off with the inspirational message & never look back!
For most though, the combination of inspiration & motivation is best. Inspire with a vision for greatness, but then motivate them with quick-action messages that step-by-step will build towards the standard desired:
- The best teams are inspired by a vision for what the process leads to, but they are motivated by daily tasks that are achievable & attainable
The lucky ones don’t really need either; they are fulfilling their dreams & goals on their own. For some this process allows them the opportunity to compete in something that they truly love. They love the process. They love the outcomes. They love the ability to participate in the objective at hand. A select few treat their professions in this manner. They never work a day in their life because their job doesn’t feel like work! Even then, there will be times that these folks will need a little inspiration every now & again just to maintain the course.
Learn, grow, evolve
The best at their craft aren’t one-dimensional. The best learn, grow, & constantly evolve. The same is true in leadership. It’s a skill that takes time to learn, hone, & practice. One can always get better (learn, grow, evolve) in their leadership journey.
Very important for the leader – they need to know what each individual on the team needs & provide the proper inspiration or motivation accordingly.
Get In Touch With JP
Prior to his time with Kashbox, JP spent 28 years as an NCAA Lacrosse Coach (22 years as a Head Coach). During that span, JP had the opportunity to coach with & against some of the top lacrosse coaches in the country.
The top leaders will constantly work on their craft – always looking to get better. In the case of providing inspiration or motivation the top leaders will constantly check-in with their people, & will strive to get to know them. Strive to learn about them. Strive to figure out what works for them. & once they figure out what works for each individual they will cater a plan to fit the needs of each person, because not everyone is the same, & not everyone responds well to the same type of coaching or leadership.
If you don’t know, as a leader, what your team needs then how can you lead them best?
Find out what they need by constantly checking in on them, & constantly updating your list of who needs what.
Finally, the best leaders will always recognize how important they themselves are in this whole process. They won’t ignore themselves, although they do put the members of their team first. They will constantly realize that for themselves to be the best leader possible for their teams that they will need to constantly focus on their own growth & knowledge so that they can show up every day for their team.
Team first!
Many good leaders have mastered the art of motivation. Dangle a carrot out in front of your team, then find a way to make them chase it.
More good leaders inspire their teams to chase greatness. Hit the beach on the East Coast most mornings & witness the sunrise; it’ll be hard not to be inspired by the sheer power & beauty.
However, the best leaders can use both motivation & inspiration for their teams. Better yet, they combine both. Inspiring a team provides the big picture, while motivating day-to-day tasks can help the team move along the right path forward. At the end of the day that’s what every great leader wants for his or her team.
Along with his responsibilities as an NCAA Coach, JP has also been a small-business owner for the past 22 years. He founded & built a successful lacrosse camp business that, in addition to camps, expanded into travel teams, clinics, lessons, & consultations.
In both of his careers as an NCAA Coach & small-business owner, JP has helped to teach, coach, mentor, & develop hundreds of players & coaches.
