As a true leader of people, how much is it your responsibility to motivate the team for which you are the responsible manager?

One is often told to go out and motivate the team to work harder and be more productive, or else. However, it is a hard fact of nature that true motivation has as its source an inner awakening of energy. It cannot be forced upon people from the outside by snapping fingers and spewing threatening words.

People have to motivate themselves, no one else can do that for them. If that inner source is missing no amount of ranting, raving or showering of inspirational words of wisdom will make the slightest difference in the world.

So what is the true leader of people supposed to do? Remove obstacles, open up the road ahead, give a clear vision of which direction to go, and foster a sincere conviction that each individual's sense of belonging and intellectual creativity will greatly influence the world around him or her.

It's all about working toward a common end result of which everyone can be proud. The prouder the better, true motivation leads to satisfaction, to be part of a proud group of top-notch experts.

The team is composed of a collection of unique personalities and expertise areas, working dynamically together, to motivate and thereby achieve so-called impossible goals.

That's what motivation is all about.