A common interview question I’ve heard throughout my career is, “how do you motivate others?” This is something that stumped me for many years early in my career. Am I cheerleader? Do I need to give everyone treats? The idea felt very vague and unattainable to me: how could I possibly motivate anyone?

As I have progressed further in my career and had the opportunity to manage direct reports for the past 6 years, I feel I have a deeper understanding of what it means to motivate and inspire my team. There’s no one thing, it’s a recipe of many things that together, make an impact.

Recently I spearheaded a project that would hopefully be transformational for our team and our website. We had a problem, we brainstormed, we came up with a solution, and then I needed to sell the project to the team (including my peers, not just direct reports) to get everyone on board.

This experience made me reflect on what it means to inspire and motivate others.

Here’s a few ideas on how I believe I have motivated and inspired my team over the years, based on their feedback:

Be authentic: don’t underestimate being true to yourself and being honest. I wear my heart on my sleeve and especially during the pandemic, I share when I’m struggling and frequently check in on everyone’s wellbeing.
Actively listen: I’ve heard a saying “listen to understand instead of listening to respond” and I couldn’t think of better advice. Be present. Remove distractions. Respond and support during check-ins and whenever you connect.
Lead by example: I think this one goes without explanation. Exemplify the behaviors you are hoping to see in your team.
Express passion: I think it’s easiest to get buy-in when you are inspired by the work yourself. Share your passion with others, don’t hold it back.
Provide feedback: provide positive feedback whenever warranted and be direct and timely with constructive feedback.

I think all of these actions come together to form a strategy to inspire and motivate your team.