I was linked to a very interesting blog post, via Twitter, about Five Defining Characteristics of a Great CEO, and it really made me think about the ways I lead the Tridea team. Now even though I, 100%, agree with the 5 characteristics (personal insight, resourcefulness, courage, willingness to look at risk, and foresight), I think one key factor could be added, and that is motivation.

One thing that I’ve always noticed about great leaders, is that they are very motivating. They keep their team pumped with confidence. The team trusts their leader to keep them inspired to do great things. It doesn’t stop in business. The best example of this might be in sports. You can’t look at a championship team without assessing how the coach (the team motivator) got them there. Coaches have tons of different motivation tactics to get their team excited about going out to compete.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” - Jim Rohn

It’s an excellent cycle that works wonders. When you can motivate your team, they become inspired. When they’re inspired, they become excited about doing great work. I believe that any leader of a team needs to know how to motivate their team. If you are unsure how to do that, at least Google it to get started. You’d be surprised on how enthusiastic your team can be with the right motivation.