This document discusses effective leadership and how to motivate high-performing teams. It argues that directive leadership is not effective in the modern business world and that employees need to feel their work has purpose in order for an organization to succeed. It recommends that leaders get to know each employee to understand what motivates them, create opportunities for personal development, and establish a positive work culture where tasks feel meaningful. The document also suggests holding regular one-on-one meetings, team building activities, cross-cultural training, walking meetings, and participative decision-making to engage employees and keep teams motivated. Effective leaders are adaptable to different situations and lead by example, walking the talk.

1. All Talk or Do you Really Live it?
by Michelle Sullivan
Leadership is a topic that has been studied and debated for centuries, and simply one definition
of leadership would not be adequate. There are distinguishing differences between a manager,
leader, and an effective leader, but they not mutually exclusive. Over time, leadership styles
have changed to adapt from a stability model to change and crisis leadership; some willingly and
some hesitantly. The greatest leaders are high influencers, relationship builders at all levels, and
are highly adaptable to diverse situations and personalities and can be extroverted or
introverted. Effective leaders exhibit an advanced level of emotional and contextual intelligence,
and encompass both management and leadership competencies. To lead high-performing teams,
you must first create a motivated team. Many managers do not realize that directive and
authoritative leadership is not effective in the modern business world and is counter-productive.
I believe that we are people, not workers, or simply a number, and in order for an organization
to be profitable and competitive, it needs to be high performing. In the long-term, leading out of
fear in an environment of low morale will not prevail. Employees need to be motivated to be high
performing, and in order to accomplish this, the organization needs to employ effective leaders -
leaders who “lead by example, who walk the talk.”
Effective leaders know how to adapt to each employee and understand if intrinsic or extrinsic
rewards motivate them. One employee may be motivated by an increase in salary whereas other
employees may be motivated by recognition for a job well done. Once the motivating factors are
determined based on dialogue with your employees, you need to create a personal development
plan, which should include incremental goals. The key is to create a “great place to work” where
everyone looks forward to coming to work, feeling their work has a sense of purpose and
meaning. Once there is a positive work culture, even menial tasks are not looked upon as
loathsome.
I have been in situations where morale has been exceptionally low due to several factors such as
previous poor leadership, mistrust, downsizing (“do more with less”), bureaucracy, unethical
business practices, etc., and I have introduced several methods that were effective. Team
building is one of the first steps to creating a motivated
workforce. Depending on the team location and culture,
determine an exercise that will take the employees offsite, out of
their comfort zone, and engaged in interactive activities. In the
case where there may be teammates who are known to have
interpersonal issues between each other, I suggest pairing them
together for a fun activity. It is amazing what an impact
icebreakers can have on easing the tension. This allows
individuals to view each other in a positive perspective that they
perhaps never had up until this point. In my experience, if there
are issues in the future, they will be more mindful and not as
emotionally reactive; they will become better team players.
In instances where teams consist of varying cultures, it is
important to provide cross-cultural training. This helps reduce
misunderstandings and how to effectively work with other cultures. For example, as an American
working with China, I know that in a meeting, I will have to directly engage with individuals who
are below me in position or if their manager is in the meeting. Their culture is not to be forthright
even if there is an issue, so I know that I cannot expect them to openly discuss an issue or
debate with a superior.
I also established 1:1’s where I would meet regularly with people on my team to have an open
discussion in addition to setting and tracking goals and development plans. As a follower, this

2. was tremendously beneficial for me to have with my managers. Depending on the team and
employee, I suggest meeting weekly or bi-weekly
for 30 minutes to an hour at set times to ensure
they do occur. I also encourage you to get creative.
Think about taking a “walking meeting.” Not only is
this a healthy option, it creates a more informal
setting that may foster deeper and more creative
discussions.
To keep the team engaged, either creating or
revisiting the mission and as a team through
participative decision-making is optimal, and having
regular team building sessions (quarterly or bi-
annually depending on the situation) will ensure
this is executed. This is in addition to regularly scheduled team meetings, which should be held
weekly or bi-weekly.
In summary, ask yourself, are you an effective leader who is capable of being adaptable, open-
minded, and willing to change? Are you truly leading by example? You have more influence than
you may realize.