Greatness is always considered to be in congruity with the ability to inspire and motivate people. Many great men like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela have led simple lives but were able to motivate the masses to the extent of giving up their lives for the sake of the nation. They have done matters of complexity in a simple way. The simple concept of "Satyagraha" spouted by Mahatma Gandhi could ward off the evils of the "British Raj" successfully. A simple walk to Dandi created a fracas in the British administration. These simple measures were far more effective than the superfluity of guns needed to win the battle and motivated the people to believe in themselves and in the strength of unity. By espousing the doctrines of resilience and an indomitable will to surpass any propensity towards failure, these great men have inspired, motivated and liberated millions of souls from agony to enduring freedom. They truly were masters of the Art of Motivation !
Motivation is an inner feeling, a desire and an inclination that compels a person to act or behave in a certain manner which propels him towards personal excellence. It is a myth that anyone can motivate anybody. Motivation is a feeling or a state of mind which is specific to the individual. The only thing we can do is to create an atmosphere to propitiate that feeling and invigorate his / her energy level to higher echelons. According to one hypothesis the word motivation comes from the Latin word "Movere" which means to set in motion. No movement takes place in a person until his motivation forces him to do so. An individual will remain in a state of inertia until he is motivated to do an act.
So what triggers motivation in an individual? In today's turbulent, often chaotic, environment, business success depends on employees using their full talents. Yet in spite of the myriad of available theories and practices, motivation is often viewed as something of a mystery. In part this is because individuals are motivated by different things and in different ways. Shaping a person's behavior is like painting. One needs to use different brush strokes for different medium. What motivates one may not motivate another. For some it is the space/ freedom that they get in their work place. For some others it is appreciation and an assurance that their work is being recognized. For many it may be monetary benefits and for many others it may be opportunities for augmenting their learning curve. In a nut shell motivation is simply getting somebody to carry out a task because he/she wants to do it whereas manipulation is expecting somebody to perform a task because you want him/her to do it.
There is an old saying that "you can take a horse to the pond but cannot make it drink". A horse wins the race for its master and helps his master to win many battles. However the same horse sometime kicks back and drinks only when it pleases. The same is the case with human beings. A motivated person or rather a motivated team is the secret for all successful businesses. By creating a positivistic milieu conducive for fostering motivation and appreciation, "we can not only take the horse to the pond, but can make it drink too".
"It is often said true that we get the best efforts from others, not by lighting a fire beneath them but by building a fire in them to strive towards personal excellence"
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