Motivation
GETTING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!
Instigating real experiences is part of Leigh’s repertoire of approaches to help leaders understand the importance of staying motivated in their role and to stimulate and inspire their employees.
For example, is there something missing from your presence such as a range of emotions you can use to communicate more effectively with staff? Ever take a class in improvisation? “I don’t need it,” you might say, “since I am totally in the moment.” Really, are you?
Leigh’s role as a college instructor is focused on preparing future leaders with real-life workplace experiences. Her regular requirements are to have students gain self-awareness by taking various assessments like the Big 5 Personality Test and during one class session to recite lines from Shakespeare on a real theatrical stage. On the first day in a typical class, Leigh goes through the syllabus and listens to responses to one session, “No, Professor, I’m not getting up on stage.” Well, halfway through the semester, they did. And, not surprisingly, they had a very rewarding experience of feeling a range of emotions, gaining confidence in front of an audience, bonding with their classmates, etc.
“Shakespeare in the Workplace” was a good exercise in helping the development of emotional intelligence. It made us speak with a range of emotions and then adapt them based on the emotions we received back from our partner. It taught us the importance of intonations and how putting the emphasis on just one word can change the meaning of an entire statement. This then ties in with the importance of being a good listener. A good listener is a person who captures those intonations and then interprets those changes correctly. Part of being a good leader is not only being able to speak and motivate others but also to be able to listen. – Henry Mota, Spring 2012 Undergraduate, Organizational Behavior, Zicklin School of Business.
Your self-motivated activity – or your motivational lecture to staff – is not a cut and dry experience. These activities should involve participants to move out of a comfort zone into the unknown. Whether Leigh is doing presentations for professional audiences, conducting professional workshops or meeting with her coaching clients, she encourages leaders not just to move out of their comfort zones but to be curious, to take a risk to improve their effectiveness, to develop innovative ideas to improve staff performance to improve the bottom line, to inspire employees, and, throughout their span of control, Instigate Real!
“Shakespeare in the Workplace” is not the only program – or topic – Leigh offers to corporations, professional groups, non-profits, colleges and universities, etc. Let’s talk! If you are ready to Instigate Real! you can reach Leigh by phone (646-373-4321) or e-mail (Leigh@LTR-NYC.com) to set up a complimentary half-hour appointment.
