How does a person in a leadership position motivate followers to achieve strategic goals. These goals are long term and very easy to lose sight of in the day-to-day press of job and life.

The simple answer is that a leader cannot motivate followers. I know this statement flies in the face of the current writing trends and wisdom, but it is truer today than it has ever been. The only real motivation comes from within; the follower decides what has value to him or her and acts accordingly. What? I'm forgetting about things like money and praise, which are usually considered forms of external motivation? No I'm not. In order for money or praise or other "external" motivators to work they have to be valuable to me internally. Even brute force coersion as a motivator has limits if the person being coerced internally values something more than the coercer's goal. Don't believe me ... think of martyrs and those who suffer for any goal.

So if a leader cannot directly motivate a follower or tagger-along, what can he or she do. The answer lies in the in-group image I've mentioned before. By understanding the in-group image the leader can design communications that will appeal to the in-group image and lead to self-motivation in followers. Desired action types will follow.

I'll revisit this idea in the future will some cases that will develop the point and suggest courses or action for leaders stuck in the motivation dilemma.