The director of BYU Women's Services, LaNae Valentine, spoke to us last Wednesday about motivating others. This is key to becoming a leader: not only motivating yourself, but also being able to motivate the people you are leading and serving to do what needs to be done.
We talked about the motivational qualities of various leaders in history. Perhaps the most effective method used by these leaders was that of inspiration. Inspiring those you lead is key to motivating them. But how do we inspire people?
Abe Lincoln and Captain Moroni are excellent examples of how we can inspire people. Both of these leaders had a cause that they were passionate about, that they felt was morally right, and that other people could believe in as well. President Lincoln believed in abolishing slavery; Captain Moroni had the Title of Liberty that stated, "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children" (Alma 46:12). Both inspired people to these causes not just because of the cause, but also because of the kinds of people they were.
Think of the leaders in your life. Chances are they are people of integrity, people who serve, trustworthy, perhaps even good friends. In order to effectively motivate people, a leader must be a person of good character that others look up to. In a clip from the film "Henry V," King Henry gives a speech just before the Battle of Agincourt. In his speech, the king makes several references to the unity of his "band of brothers." By not letting pride get in the way, King Henry places himself on the same level as the other soldiers and can therefore inspire them to his cause. A leader's character is key to motivating; as David McCullough said, "Personality is often the determining factor in why things turn out the way they do."
Sister Valentine spent part of the lecture motivating us to support "Voices for Courage," a group that works to create a non-violent environment, particularly when it comes to abuse. Throughout the lecture, I could easily tell that she believed in this cause; her passion came through her stories, facts, and her questions to us about how to deal with certain situations. Another thing she did was inform us about the problem so we could see the purpose in her cause. Being informed about the issue made her lecture more persuasive as I could now see a problem that needed to be resolved instead of just being told to support a cause that I couldn't see a purpose to. Sister Valentine also brought it to our level by asking if we knew people who had suffered from abuse and how we helped them. Despite it being BYU, I was kind of surprised at the number of people who could speak about the subject. It helped me to realize that this really is an issue that should have come to my attention long ago and that can happen even in the BYU bubble. Before the lecture, the professor gave an introduction to Sister Valentine that made me have greater trust and know her a little better before she even began to speak. Knowing her character also helped her to motivate us more effectively.
