(Rather than fear)

Growing up in Vancouver, Canada, I learned many life lessons while attending summer camp on a small island off the west coast.

I still remember, almost 50 year later, my cabin leader gathering us kids together and sharing a truth about motivation. He said, “there are only two sources of motivation…fear and desire…and you need to choose which one in going to dominate your life.”

I have reminded myself many times during challenging times to choose desire rather than fear. That takes intentionality as we can all attest that fear is so much easier to adopt during a struggle.

Desire is positive; being drawn to something. Fear is negative; trying to flee something.

The study of the brain also reveals that desire creates positivity chemicals (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphin), which allow the brain to function better and think more creatively and with great clarity. Fear on the other hand causes the body to produce a hormone called cortisol, which causes the brain to shut down and causes the body to go into fight, flight, or freeze mode.

Fear has value in very limited circumstances and for short periods of time…like escaping danger…but causes us to work in “battery mode.” Eventually the battery runs out, which does not make for a good long term strategy.

The better strategy involves positivity and desire, which allow us to regenerate our power sources in “plugged-in  mode.”

While I have had the privilege to meet Alan Mulally on two occasions, what has left a greater impact are the principles that he shared and lived. I will never forget his approach when others said, or acted out in such a way that suggested, they did not want to do something he wanted them to do.

One such story I often share with clients involves a senior executive who was baulking the culture Alan was trying to instill at Ford. When the senior executive stated that he did notwant to attend the mandatory weekly Business Plan Review meetings Alan calmly responded, ”it’s ok if you don’t want to attend the meetings. Not wanting to attend does not make you a bad person. But you will need to make a choice if you want to stay on the team.”

Great leaders understand that desire naturally generates within a team that is aligned around a common vision, mission, set of values, goals and objectives. Great leaders further understand that fear, intimidation, coercion, and policing ultimately erode desire along with the vision, mission, and performance of the organization.

Great leaders recognize that their greatest power resides in their ability to influence and align a team, to give them choices, not to use that power to boss people around.

Herb Mast is Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.