What an honor to be among motivational speakers to present about Team investment and inclusion during the Atlas Corps Global Leadership Lab Immersion. When I was putting down my thoughts, I asked myself why I wanted to give that particular presentation. All I could offer was 13 years of experience in my professional journey. What I realized is that professional and personal growth is a never-ending journey. As we grow professionally, the ability to reflect on the past and self-awareness is critical to becoming a better person.
Team investment and inclusion is a way to engage and energize people. To stretch and inspire them to give their best and to excel. A good team should have great people who can build a succession plan for leaders.

Does motivation, values and inclusive leadership play a role in team investment and inclusion?

Motivation

We’ve all been in places where leaders have served as role models. When working with such leaders—we are engaged, energized, willing to give our all, to be challenged, improve, achieve above and beyond what we imagine is possible.
(Quote from the School of Management – CaseWestern Reserve University)

Motivation can be a factor that stimulates desire and energy in people to be continually interested and committed to making an effort to attain a goal. These factors can be either internal or external factor that allows a team to act in a certain way. Motivation is a key part of a supervisor’s role because through motivation a supervisor can inspire a team and make them perform activities that lead to achieving the organization’s goals.

Values

We all have worked in a great environment, surrounded by people who have made us better. A supervisor’s values can be very different from those of their team, and the values of an organization as a whole.
We want to work in places where our values align with that of an organization. A supervisor should learn and understand the values of their team and ensure they share good values that motivate and encourage employees.
Some values shared by our supervisors can shape an employee and make them better in their professional or personal journey. such values include: accountability, reliability, meeting deadlines, team player, etc

Inclusive leadership

Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others
“Quote – Jack Welch”

Something I experience every day is someone talking about their success or waiting to be glorified. Why not….It is right to feel that way, you deserve it. As good as it is, this does not accomplish the true objective of being an inclusive leader and a team player, which is to make others better. 

For example, your team has delivered an exceptional presentation to investors and your company has secured funding, do you consider your employees who put a lot of effort into that particular project. Sometimes such employees never get credit but instead, they celebrate your accomplishment. There is no best way to lead and motivate a team, but if you recognize and reward their effort, they will feel a sense of belonging.

Either you have a company or leading a team, consider team investment and inclusion as the start-up of your career.
Important principals to emulate:

  • Identify and build the success of other people in your team.
  • By knowing your brand as a leader you can understand who you are and the attributes you possess.
  • Engaging your team in decision making and build trust.
  • It is important to understand your team’s goal, weakness and allow them to have a voice.

We all have unique values let’s use that to make an impact in our small way.