Motivating Employees As A Leader

One of the main determinants of your success isn’t talent or intelligence. It's your tolerance for mundanity. When I played in the NBA, people saw the excitement of game night, but not the monotonous, seemingly endless drills prior. And it’s the same everywhere else – we celebrate the big, important moments of accomplishments while conveniently forgetting the THOUSANDS of boring, repetitive actions that made those moments possible. As we grow as leaders, we might admire the polished executive, but then overlook the tedious hours spent practicing difficult conversations and reviewing feedback. A lot of people give up not when things get too difficult, but when they get too dull. The unglamorous preparation, the meticulous review, the patient refinement — they’re all essential parts of the process. Great leaders understand this and help their teams connect daily tedium to meaningful purpose. They recognise that excellence isn't built through excitement but through disciplined routine. You have to make the mundane meaningful through clear purpose. Which mundane disciplines might be the missing link between your current performance and your potential excellence?

I’ve historically been skeptical of offsites. Too often they turn into PowerPoint slide dumps and bland updates where everyone goes around the room explaining what they’re working on. That’s not a good use of time. My goal is to make offsites truly impactful, and over time I’ve found what works for WHOOP. I now host offsites with my direct leadership team about every 6 months. Here are my rules: - Start with a problem. I structure offsites around a real problem or challenge in the business. It’s easy to talk about exciting initiatives. It’s much harder - and far more valuable - to come prepared with a problem that needs solving. - Use pre-reads and surveys. WHOOP is deeply data-driven, but offsites are expensive. This is not the moment to read charts together. I ask our teams to send data and context in advance so our time together is spent thinking, not consuming. - Make it 80% discussion. Slides can help clarify, but the goal is to maximize strategic conversation. The real value comes from intense debate and pressure-testing each other’s assumptions. - Leave with decisions. Offsites only matter if they lead to decisions and action. That’s always the frame. Many of our biggest moves at Whoop were made at offsites: becoming a membership, launching free trials, adding new membership tiers, becoming a medical device, expanding to 60 marketing, adding new core product features, and more. Not everyone always agrees, but we leave aligned and committed. What do you think makes a great offsite? #whoop #leadership #teamwork #culture #strategy

Stop guessing your next move—let a Personal Development Plan guide your progress. A while back, I mentored a professional named Rahul, who felt he was being repeatedly overlooked for promotions. We conducted a competency mapping session and discovered a key gap in his ability to work cross-functionally and lead diverse teams. 🧩 Rather than feeling discouraged, Rahul saw this as an opportunity. We built a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to close those gaps. By enrolling in relevant courses and taking on cross-departmental projects, Rahul not only improved his skills but also earned the promotion he had been aiming for. 👉 What is a Personal Development Plan (PDP)? A PDP is a roadmap for your career growth, detailing the specific skills you need to develop to advance in your role. Here are the Key Sections every PDP should include: 💢Self-Assessment: Identify your current strengths and areas for improvement based on feedback or a competency mapping session. 💢Goal Setting: Set clear, measurable goals for what you want to achieve in your career (e.g., leadership skills, cross-functional collaboration). 💢Action Plan: Outline the steps you’ll take to close the gaps, such as enrolling in courses, seeking mentorship, or participating in projects. 💢Timeline: Assign deadlines to each action item to track your progress and stay on course. 💢Evaluation: Regularly assess your progress through self-reflection or feedback from peers and supervisors. 💡 Key Action Points: ⚜️Use competency mapping to identify specific skill gaps. ⚜️Develop a Personal Development Plan to close those gaps. ⚜️Engage in practical experiences like cross-functional projects or targeted training. Feeling stuck in your career? Start building your personal development plan today and tackle those skill gaps head-on! #CareerDevelopment #SkillGaps #PersonalDevelopmentPlan #LeadershipSkills #CompetencyMapping #ProfessionalGrowth

The fastest way to demotivate your team? Pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn't. Most leaders think tough times call for relentless optimism. They avoid mentioning layoffs at other companies, skip over budget cuts, and respond to every concern with "Let's stay positive!" Your team sees right through this performance. They're adults navigating the same headlines you are. When you act like challenges don't exist, they don't think you're protecting them. They think you're either lying or completely out of touch. What actually motivates people during uncertainty isn't false comfort. It's knowing their hard work serves something meaningful. So stop sugarcoating reality. Instead, be direct about the constraints while connecting their daily tasks to real impact. ✔️ Show them the customer whose problem they solved last month. ✔️ Remind them of the project that prevented a major failure. ✔️ Help them see how their expertise directly improves lives beyond quarterly targets. People can push through difficulty when they understand why it matters. They can't perform their best work when treated like they need protection from the truth. The most resilient teams aren't shielded from challenges. They're armed with purpose that makes the challenges worth facing. ♻️ Share this with someone leading through uncertainty right now. ➡️ Follow Dorie Clark for more leadership insights that challenge the status quo.

The ultimate guide to creating transformational workshop experiences (Even if you're not a natural facilitator) Ever had that gut-punch moment after a workshop where you just know it didn’t land? I’ve been there. Back then, I thought great workshops were all about cramming in as much content as possible. You know what I mean: - Slides with inspirational quotes. - The theory behind the frameworks. - More activities than a summer camp schedule… Subconsciously I believed that: The more I shared, the more people would see me as an expert. The more I shared, the more valuable the workshop. And participants would surely walk away transformed. Spoiler: they didn’t. They were hit-and-miss. But then on a leadership retreat in 2016, I stumbled onto something that changed everything. Something so obvious it's almost easy to miss. But when you intentionally use them, it took my workshops from "meh" to "mind-blowing": Three simple principles: 1️⃣ Context-based Learning People don't show up as blank slates. They bring their own experiences, challenges, and goals. When I started anchoring my content in their reality, things clicked. Suddenly, what I was sharing felt relevant and useful — like I was talking with them instead of at them. 2️⃣ Experiential Learning Turns out, people don’t learn by being told. They learn by doing (duh). When I shifted to creating experiences, the room came alive. And participants actually remembered what they’d learned. Experiences like roleplays, discussions, real-world scenarios, the odd game... 3️⃣ Evocative Facilitation This one was a game-changer. The best workshops aren’t just informative — they’re emotional. The experiences we run spark thoughts and reactions. And it's our job to ask powerful questions to invite reflection. Guiding participants to their own "aha!" moments to use in the real world. (yup, workshops aren't the real world) ... When I started being intentional with these three principles, something clicked. Participants started coming up to me after sessions, saying things like: "That’s exactly what I needed." "I feel like you were speaking directly to me." "I’ve never felt so seen in a workshop before." And best of all? Those workshops led to repeat bookings, referrals, and clients who couldn’t wait to work with me again. Is this the missing piece to your expertise? - If so, design experiences around context. •Facilitate experiences that evoke reactions •Unpack reactions to land the learning ♻️ Share if you found this useful ✍️ Do you use any principles to design your workshops?

Nothing kills motivation faster than a leader who behaves like an employee’s effort doesn’t matter. Teams receiving regular, genuine recognition are significantly more likely to stay engaged and productive than those left unacknowledged. Giving meaningful feedback rather than only criticism consistently improves performance over time. Empowerment, autonomy, and opportunity for growth strongly correlate with higher job satisfaction and better retention. 6 Leadership Moves That Actually Motivate a Team 1. Listen & Encourage Feedback Encourage open feedback and ideas, then act on them. When voices are heard and valued, people feel respected and included. This builds trust and welcomes fresh thinking. 2. Recognise Good Work Publicly Make it a habit to call out achievements. Recognition boosts morale and tells people their effort matters. Teams receiving frequent praise show far higher motivation levels. 3. Challenge for Growth With Support Give meaningful tasks and stretch goals. Push the team to learn, grow and step out of comfort zones. But stay there to support them when they need it. Growth paired with guidance fuels confidence and drive. 4. Show You See the Human, Not Just the Work Caring about the person behind the role matters. Recognise that each team member has ambitions, fears, and strengths. When leaders show empathy and humanity, loyalty and trust deepen. 5. Help Build Their Career Path Learn what they aspire to. Offer opportunities to grow, learn, or lead. Make their ambitions part of the bigger vision. When work links with personal growth, engagement and long-term commitment rise. 6. Trust, Empower and Stand Behind Them Give autonomy. Let them take ownership. Trust in their abilities. Empowerment and not micromanagement build responsibility, creativity, and ownership. Employees grow stronger when they’re heard, valued, supported, trusted and empowered. Agree?

"Where do you see yourself in six months?" Your manager asks you out of the blue. You freeze. That feeling of being caught unprepared hit me particularly hard in my early 20's. I'd ramble about wanting "more responsibility" or "growth opportunities." My managers would nod politely. Nothing would really change. I was making a crucial mistake, waiting for my manager to outline my career paths for me. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱: 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲. When I joined Dropbox in 2015, I discovered a simple career planning framework that helped me map out my direction. It broke down into four core components: 🎯 Personal brand - What do you want to be known for? 📅 Short-term goals - What do you want in 3-6 months? 🚀 Long-term goals - What do you want in 1-3 years? 💪 Key strengths - What are your superpowers? But having the framework wasn't enough. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀. Last week, I was talking to my friend about pitching their manager about a role that doesn't exist yet. Here's how I'd prepare: • Identify the skills gaps • Build a plan to acquire these skills • Identify people who can support me • Craft a business case connecting my goal to value But now we also have fancy AI tools! So recently, I've leveled up the process by using an AI career copilot (inspired by Tal Raviv). I set up a Claude Project with my career growth plan and company context. Then I ask it to challenge my thinking, identify blind spots, and help me role-play difficult conversations. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀. It suggests daily actions for my short-term goals. It helps coach me through career conversations. It makes the whole process less dreary and more strategic. Here's how to try this out yourself: 1. Have a career chat with your manager or mentor. 2. Setup Tal Raviv's prompt (link in comments). 3. Adapt and use your AI copilot to prep for the chat. Own your career development instead of waiting for others to drive it. The reality is that no one will care about your career as much as you do. Have you tried leveraging AI copilots in your own career growth?

Digging further into the 2025 LinkedIn Workplace Learning report, especially around the concept of “𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬” - Organizations that prioritize career-driven learning and outperform their peers. But becoming a career development champion doesn't just mean just a program, or an initiative, but rather, a systemic approach to career development that includes integrated activities across the employee experience, and grounded in a development philosophy that reinforces when you grow your people you can grow your business. This means ensuring all employees have the career skills so that they can grow their career in a self-sustaining way. And it means ensuring that developing people is a critical behavior/responsibility of all managers, and that they are taught, goaled, and rewarded for developing the talent and careers of their people. For more insights from the report, and other great ideas around how organizations are building this systemic approach to career development check out the report (link in comments)

In the last 9 years of training and facilitating professional groups, I’ve learnt that delivering a workshop is not just about sharing knowledge — it’s about orchestrating an experience for the participants which open up avenues for them to draw insights for themselves. Each moment calls for a different hat, and knowing which hat to wear and when is what transforms a session from good to great. I swiftly change my hats when in a workshop, these are some of the roles that I take up often- The Storyteller — When concepts feel abstract, stories bring them to life. A personal anecdote, a metaphor, or a well-timed parable can make ideas unforgettable. Stories ignite emotions, and emotions drive transformation. The Subject Matter Expert (SME) — There are moments when authority is essential. As the SME, I distill complex ideas into simple, relatable insights. Here, precision, clarity, and confidence reign supreme. The Energizer — Energy dips are inevitable, but as the energizer, I inject the room with enthusiasm. It might be an icebreaker, a playful activity, or simply a shift in tone. Momentum matters. The Actor (Theatre in Training) — Embodying a persona makes the experience visceral for participants, encouraging them to confront and solve real-world challenges. The Coach — Not every insight can be taught; some must be discovered. Here, I shift to a coach’s hat — listening deeply, asking probing questions, and letting participants arrive at their own 'aha' moments. This is where ownership of learning happens. The Mindfulness Guide — In moments of overwhelm or tension, I pause and guide participants to reconnect with presence and calm. Silence, breathing exercises, or reflection time are more powerful than many realize. The Detective — Every group is different. I watch for non-verbal cues, unspoken tensions, and subtle resistance. Identifying these dynamics early allows me to tailor the approach on the fly. The Facilitator of Dialogue — No trainer is the sage on the stage, it is essential to harness the group's wisdom. The Challenger — Growth doesn’t happen in comfort zones. As the challenger, I nudge participants to step beyond their limits, question assumptions and see new perspectives. The Motivator — At the end of the day, every participant needs to leave inspired. I remind them of their potential, highlight their wins, and leave them with a sense of possibility. Each of these roles is a hat I wear with intention, but to serve the participants' growth. Essence is not in wearing every hat at once; it’s about knowing which one to wear at the right time. #CorporateTraining #MasterFacilitator #Storytelling #LeadershipDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment #Coaching #FacilitationSkills #HumanToHuman #facilitation #workshop #session #softskills #BehaviouralTraining #Training Women's Web LinkedIn for Learning

We’ve done five offsites with the whole awork team now, and one thing has become very clear: A good offsite does not mean an empty calendar. Our schedule is actually quite packed. What matters is finding the right balance between achieving something meaningful together and leaving enough slack time to connect on a human level. What has made the biggest difference for us is being deliberate about the whole week. The offsite has a clear goal, a theme, and a design that ties it all together. That applies to the agenda, the sessions, and even the materials we provide on-site to make the experience smooth and enjoyable, like a themed online agenda and a venue map. I’m sharing the agenda format we’ve used across our last five offsites, plus some of the content we give attendees during the week. None of it is overly fancy, but it creates clarity, reduces friction, and helps the whole experience feel focused without turning into a meeting marathon. A few things that have consistently made a difference for us: 1. Start with the goal   Before we plan a single session, we decide what the week is for. Is it strategy and alignment? Better cross-team collaboration? Kickstarting a big initiative? This decision shapes the entire offsite. 2. Give everything a reason to be there   The week has a clear goal, a theme, and a design that carries through the whole experience. That makes it easier for people to understand why they are there and what the time together is meant to achieve. 3. Be ambitious, but realistic   We do put a lot into the calendar. But we try not to overload people with back-to-back sessions all day. Even great workshops lose energy when there’s no room to breathe. So we plan focused content blocks and protect breaks in between. 4. Mix formats on purpose   For a hybrid team, this combination tends to be especially effective: - leadership updates - small group workshops - deep-dive collaboration sessions - informal activities and dinners 5. Leave room for the unplanned moments   Some of the best conversations happen between sessions, on walks, over coffee, or late at dinner. If every minute is scheduled, those moments never happen, and those are often where trust really grows. For me, the best offsites are the ones where you get both: real progress as a team and real time together as people. That’s how we plan offsites that actually work. How do you structure offsites for real collaboration without turning them into pure meeting marathons? #offsite #hybridwork #teamculture #futureofwork #remotework