People have five basic needs: To have, to be, to do, to love and to grow. A person’s activities are motivated by his or her desire to satisfy these needs. A team leader must understand them and provide targets and opportunities built on those needs. If I as a leader know what’s in a person’s heart for their future then I can motivate them by creating growth prospects that will help them to reach their goals and dreams.

1. Be interested in them and their future. Sit down and discuss their future—what they want to do, be and have. Help them to discover and fulfill their destiny.

2. Expect the best from them. Help them to believe in themselves. Let them know you have faith in them and be willing to take a calculated risk on them.

3. Set high standards and encourage them to always go for the gold.

4. Help them through failures. Help them get up, learn from their mistakes, make the necessary adjustments and move forward.

5. Help them to establish SMART goals. Goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.

6. Encourage success through models. Point them to successful people and methods to realize their goals.

7. Recognize and applaud achievement. A little acknowledgement goes a long way.

8. Use a combination of positive and negative feedback. The benefits of being positive are obvious, but some never learn until they are confronted or experience the negative, allowing them to correct harmful choices and behaviors.

9. Appeal sparingly to the competitive urge. “I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority” (2 Corinthians 9:2).

10. Place a premium on communication, cooperation, collaboration and the celebration of wins. Good leaders know that teamwork fosters success.

11. Deal with the troublemakers. Nip them in the bud, phone them up, get together with them, pull them aside and deal with the issues.

12. Take steps to keep your own motivation high. Stay enthusiastic, excited and positive, it rubs off on others.

13. Communicate strength and not weakness. Fear and despair will not motivate, they sow seeds of distrust, because they show you’re not in control.

14. Emphasize results and benefits. Tell them what the person gets that kills the giant.

15. Provide on-going teaching and training. Never let them think they know it all. Once you stop renewing your mind, your ministry gets stale. Feed on good books and teachings.

16. Make sure they know what the big picture is, and what their part is in the big picture. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team. And teams win, when everyone understands and plays their part.

Yours for the Motivation and Mobilization of the Army of God,

Dr George Hill President and Founder of VCI