“Dave, my goal is to do your job someday.” Debbie confidently stated.

My response was one word:  “Why?”

Too many people look at moving into leadership and moving up the chain of command as the definition of success at work.  I wanted to be clear to Debbie that climbing the career ladder for climbing sake is not success!

Leadership is not for everyone.  If someone moves into leadership, and they are not right for the job, they hurt themselves and others.

The Big Question:

“Debbie, what gets you out of bed each morning?  What drives/motivates you?”

To me, this is the big question for people aspiring to be in leadership.  I’ve seen good people move into leadership and flounder because they realize what motivates them is in short supply for leaders.

If It’s Recognition- Stay Put!

As a leader, recognition from above and from below is rare.  If I thrive on “atta boys” and “thank yous”, being a leader may not be fulfilling.

As a leader there are fewer people above me to praise me.  Plus the things I get praised for at my current position are common expectations in leadership.  The demands on time for the people above me will preclude them from praising me for common accomplishments.

At the same time, the people I lead rarely think to thank their boss for the effort I put in on their behalf.  Most of the time they are unaware of the things I do daily to help them.  To be happy in leadership, I need to be okay with that.

Besides, Leaders of Character have the Humility deflect praise to the individual members of the team.  As a leader, the individuals I lead are accomplishing the tasks.  I am only directing them.  When things go well, a Leader of Character shouldn’t take credit.  But when they go poorly, a Leader of Character must shoulder the blame.  To be happy in leadership, I need to be okay with this dynamic as well.

If It’s Helping Others Succeed- Step Up!

The most satisfaction I get being a leader is knowing I had a hand in one of my team member’s success.   The recognition comes internally not externally.

Trust me, I am not some martyr or someone who believes my way is the only way to lead.  But, I have witnessed too many talented people be really unhappy in leadership.  They wanted the external recognition they had always gotten.  But, as a leader, the internal recognition needs to be enough.

The Bottom Line:

The motivation to lead can not be generated from outside of the leader.  It can not be based on rewards or thank you’s.

I told Debbie that being motivated by these things does not make her wrong or a bad person.  What motivated her made her great at her job.  But, she needed to truly evaluate her desire to move up the career ladder.

Whether I am motivated by external recognition or internal recognition does not make me right or wrong.  But it may determine whether I will be truly happy leading others.

Question:

When have you seen people promoted and become less satisfied when leading others?

Dave Anderson is coauthor of the Amazon Best-Seller Becoming a Leader of Character – Six Habits that Make or Break a Leader at Work and at Home with his father General James L. Anderson (USA Retired).

You can order Becoming a Leader of Character on Amazon by clicking here.

You can also find Becoming a Leader of Character at Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million and other retailers.