Leaders often seek ways to empower others for a task but then find themselves frustrated when their followers appear to lack zeal for the cause.  I can relate.  I can’t recall how many times I’ve felt this same frustration, so I started reflecting on the disconnect experienced by so many leaders, teams, and organizations.

As leaders and facilitators of teams, we need to learn to stir the passions of those in our teams and communities.  Too often we plug someone into a program, but it doesn’t match the passions and zeal of the person that we put into that position.  Ever committed this crime?  I certainly have, but not on purpose.  We think we know how someone fits and we plug them in.  However, what if we instead attempt to identify what generates excitement among the people with whom we’re working and attempt to discover how their passions can compliment the overall vision?

Lately, I’ve been realizing that this can actually be a very simple process.  In a phrase… body language.  What makes them sit up in their seat? We can save a lot of guess work when we learn to read body language.  When I’m talking with someone, I may be listening to someone in a relaxed posture or with a professional presentation, but when the conversation turns to something that really stirs my excitment, I sit up, learn forward, speak faster, lock eyes.  After paying careful attention to others’ body language in team meetings, I picked up on the same pattern.

Next time you’re attempting to discover what motivates others, pay attention to body language.  When you’re a team meeting, ask yourself: What makes them sit up in their seat?  What gets their attention or generates excitement?  As leaders, that’s where our overall vision and their greatest productivity meet.  That intersection is where sparks fly and synergy becomes possible.

-Jared Looney (347-678-2977)