The Ultimate Motivation
Motivation plays a crucial role in our leadership. It’s the driving force that fuels our actions and decisions, and it’s also the tool we use to inspire and propel our team toward achieving common goals. Here’s how motivation factors into leadership:
Motivation provides a sense of direction. A motivated leader has clear goals and objectives, guiding their actions and decisions. This clarity can help the entire team stay focused and aligned.
Motivation boosts performance. Leaders who are highly motivated tend to be more productive and efficient. They set high standards for themselves and their teams, leading to better overall performance.
Motivated leaders inspire their team. They communicate their enthusiasm and commitment to the team’s goals, thus inspiring team members to put forth their best effort.
Motivation fuels persistence. Even when faced with challenges or setbacks, motivated leaders remain committed to their goals. This resilience can help the team stay motivated in the face of adversity.
Motivation is key to building a strong team. Leaders who are good at motivating others can build cohesive teams where each member is committed to the team’s success.
In essence, our motivation influences not only our own actions, but also the performance, morale, and success of our team. As Christian leaders, we understand there is something more to being motivated by success for success’s sake, however. We know we can do the right things the right way for the wrong reasons, and that’s when things can go sideways. There’s something greater we have that we need to keep as the primary motivation for all we do.
The Impact of a Spiritually Motivated Leader
Christian leaders should possess a higher motivation. It’s a spiritual motivation, and it can significantly impact our team. As spiritually motivated leaders, we have a broader perspective and a deeper sense of purpose that goes beyond ordinary business objectives. We tend to be driven by our Christian values and principles that we adhere to, which can inspire team members to strive for the same. We often lead by example, demonstrating qualities like integrity, compassion, humility, and resilience. This can foster an environment of trust and mutual respect within our team, motivating individuals to contribute their best efforts.
As spiritually motivated leaders, we can help cultivate a team culture that is more empathetic, understanding, kind, and supportive. We are likely to encourage personal growth and development among our team members, recognizing that everyone has unique, God-given strengths and potentials. This can lead to higher levels of job satisfaction and employee engagement. Also, we may show a high degree of emotional intelligence, being aware of and caring about the feelings and well-being of our team members. This can lead to a more harmonious work environment, with reduced conflict and increased collaboration.
What Is the Spiritual Motivation of a Christian Leader?
Put simply, our spiritual or “ultimate” motivation should be the glory of God. It should be the driving force and inspiration for all we do. The apostle Paul commanded the Christians in Corinth, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV). God’s glory, then, ought to be our highest and greatest motivation and passion.
When we talk about the glory of God, it’s interesting to note that God put His glory in us. It’s beautiful, in fact. Think about that. It’s the hope of glory, Christ in us (Colossians 1:27). We carry His glory within, but here’s what’s dangerous. In business or ministry, if we lose track of why we do what we do, we can hijack and hold hostage the glory of God. We can then become motivated by the pursuit of our own glory. That can create a toxic work environment, discouraging growth and development of team members as well as introducing more infighting and disrupting teamwork. Worse yet, it could lead to our own spiritual destruction or demise.
Satan offered Jesus the glory of the nations in the temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:1–12). When Satan tempted Jesus, he basically said, “Bow down and worship me, and I’ll give you all the nations of the earth. I’ll give You the glory of the nations.” In that moment, all Jesus had to do was shift His motivation from obedience to the Father, which would glorify the Father, to self-satisfaction. But what would Jesus have received? The glory of the nations. And what would He have lost? The glory of God the Father.
We must be careful to keep the glory of God as our number-one aim and motivation in everything we do. Christian leaders don’t start out with the intention of becoming corrupt or going down a pathway that leads to self-glorification. We don’t walk around thinking, I’m going to steal the glory from God. It’s over the course of time that this shift happens. We can forget the why behind the what. We can begin to use the world’s idea of success to drive and motivate us and our team. And we can begin to use the world’s metrics as a measure for our success. It’s only through intentional and continued self-examination that we recalibrate our hearts and mindsets to our primary pursuit. We must examine the motivational force driving what we do as leaders. Is it money? Position? Fame? Power? Or are we motivated by what motivated Jesus—the glory of His Father?
We each have been blessed of God with certain abilities, strengths, and gifts. We want to steward them well, and we want our team to learn how to do the same. We want to find success in whatever goal we are working to achieve, and the ultimate way to do this is to keep the main thing, the main thing—to keep the glory of God as our motivation. As the apostle Peter said:
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10–11 ESV).
