These days, if you're a leader of any type, you can't simply order people
around and expect them to do what you want. They may follow your directions,
if you are watching, but once they're left on their own they'll go back to
doing what they think is important.

Leaders today, more than ever before, have to win people's cooperation. And
there are two main ways of doing so: motivation and inspiration. Although
the two words are often used interchangeably, they actually mean quite
different things - depending on what you want to achieve.

Motivation is about moving people to act in a way that achieves a specific
and immediate goal. When you're motivating people to do something they may
not necessarily want to do, you have to offer them something they want in
return.

When coaches give their teams a pep talk during halftime, they are using
motivation. They want their players to charge back onto the field or the
court with renewed energy and focus, even though they may be too tired or
disheartened to try. Their reward? Victory.

To motivate your people:

§ Tell people exactly what you want them to do. Motivation is all about
getting people to take action, so don't be vague. Avoid generalities like,
"I want everyone to do their best." Say, instead, "I need you to come in
over the weekend so we can get this project done on time."

§ Limit the amount of time or effort that you're asking for. It's easier to
ask people to work late work one night or even every night for a week than
to expect them to work late indefinitely. Set an end date.

§ Share in the sacrifice. Leaders don't ask people to do what they
themselves aren't willing to do. Don't tell your people to work over the
weekend if you've got plans for a spa day. Roll up your sleeves and share
the load.

§ Appeal to their emotions. Fear focuses people's attention and can be an
effective motivator. ("If we don't get this done right now, we'll all lose
our jobs.") But if you keep resorting to fear, you'll end up de-motivating
people. People are also motivated by-and prefer to be motivated by-positive
emotions like excitement, pride, a sense of belonging, and the thrill of
achievement.

§ Give people multiple reasons for doing what you want them to do. You can
give your own reason or the organization's reason for requesting the action.
"If we don't get this project completed on schedule, we'll lose the
contract." But the best reason of all is always personal. It would be nice
if you could give your people extra days off or even a bonus. Or you may
talk about something as intangible as the camaraderie that comes from having
achieved something important together. But things being what they are these
days, the best you may be able to offer is the hope that no one will lose a
job.

Inspiration, on the other hand, involves changing the way people think and
feel about themselves so that they want to take positive actions. It taps
into people's values and desires.

Commencement speakers-the best ones, at least-inspire their audiences. They
talk about the challenges the graduates will face, either personally or
collectively, and the possibilities of making a difference. Inspiration
appeals to the best aspirations of people, and its underlying, often
unspoken message is "You can become what you want to be." No reward is
promised, other than the reward that comes from within: the sense of
personal satisfaction.

As a leader anytime you talk about values, about identity (either the
corporate identity or each person's identity), and about long-term goals,
your intent-whether you know it or not-is to inspire.

To inspire your people:

§ Be the change you want to inspire. Your reputation, your character, your
behavior will inspire people more than anything else. The only way to call
the best out of others is to expect the best from yourself.

§ Tell a story. Stories don't tell people what to do. They engage people's
imaginations and emotions. They show people what they're capable of becoming
or of doing.

§ Appeal to people's value system. Ask them to act in a way that is
consistent with the values they themselves profess.

§ Trust people. When you're inspiring people, you're not telling them
exactly what to do or giving them precise directions. You're empowering them
to be their best, trusting that they will then do the right thing. And the
right thing they do may not be what you were expecting; it may be something
beyond your wildest expectations.

§ Challenge them. People aren't inspired by doing the ordinary or by meeting
expectations. They're inspired by the exertion, creativity, and sacrifice
needed to exceed what they themselves thought possible.

Motivation and inspiration aren't the sole province of professional speakers
and preachers. They're tools leaders use all the time-in one-on-one
conversations, in meetings, and in formal presentations-to bring out the
best in their people. It's just a matter of knowing the right time and the
right situation.

When there's an immediate, short-term, and specific goal that you want your
people to achieve, you need to motivate them. When you want to shape
people's identity and their long-term aspirations and commitments, you need
to inspire them.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the French aviator and author of The Little
Prince, wrote, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather
wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the
vast and endless sea." Sometimes you need to do both. You need to enlist and
organize people to do a specific task-to build a ship according to specs, on
time and on budget-and sometimes you need to activate people's desires and
stand aside. Who knows, you may be surprised by what they do.

As an executive speech coach with more than 25 years of professional
experience, Chris Witt is author of the newly released book, "Real Leaders
Don't Do PowerPoint," and founder of Witt Communications. He helps CEOs gain
board approval and company-wide support for initiatives. Chris also
empowers newly promoted managers and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses
through the power of effective speaking and presenting. In addition, he
works with technical experts to simplify their presentations to win
multi-million dollar contracts. For more information about his services,
call 619-295-8411 or visit www.wittcom.com.