Dr. Relly Nadler: Today, we want to zero in on Motivation to be Your Best, whether that is you or how to motivate people that you lead. We are really focusing on leaders in organizations, but that can also be leaders in your family. So, we are focusing on what top performers do in the moment, to be a top performer. We have this concept, in our new book, Emotionally Brilliance; what do you do in the moment to be your best? What do you summon? What do you bring forward? What do you lean on? And also, what kind of emotions do top performers experience?

And really, today, how do we best motivate our people to be their best in spite of all the emotions we are experiencing with the covid pandemic? About 42% of people are experiencing anxiety and/or depression. We have the vaccine, that is upon us. Now, people are more anxious about when their turn will come up.

Our goal is to really help you expand, improve, and select the best emotional competencies and strengths for you to master the moment.

Cathy, welcome to the show.

Dr. Cathy Greenberg: Thanks, Relly. It’s good to be here.

Looking at what’s going on in the world, as we are talking today, very soon I understand there is going to be a video or zoom blackout across some school districts who are very concerned – as most of us would be – about our children continuing to stay at home. We have a lot of parents who are in leadership roles, who are in team roles, and who are supporting their families. It must be so difficult and so challenging for everyone to find that right balance.

We look at so many of the statistics that are changing pretty rapidly, on a weekly basis. Overall, things are getting really complicated. As we’ve said in some of our prior shows, 93% of employees are more likely to stay with an employer who is more empathetic to them. There is a loyalty factor now. A lot of people who have been loyal have stayed loyal, mostly for job security. But employees who feel that their voices are being heard, at least in the workplace, are about five times more likely to feel empowered to perform at their best.

You see these complexities, currently, throughout our environment.

So, hopefully, today we’ll share some of our insights and some of the work that we’ve been doing through the Emotional Brilliance Academy and how to leverage emotional intelligence so that everybody can truly be their best.

Dr. Relly Nadler: One of the things, Cathy, that we zero in on is this metaphor of the difference between emotional intelligence and emotional brilliance. If you think about a target and the bull’s eye is really in the moment – like you’re talking about parent’s concerns. I hadn’t heard about the blackout on Zoom. But with so much going on, there is all this anxiety for them and then the same thing in organizations.

Everybody looks to the leader to be able to assess what’s going on. We like to talk about the leader as really the mind of the team. Is their mind calm? Are they calm, cool, collected, and resilient? Because everybody looks to them. Whether it’s in the family or on the team.

I think, Cathy, what we end up with a lot of folks that we talk about in organizations; most leaders underestimate their influence. They don’t realize that people are checking them out all the time and seeing how they are dealing with their anxiety.

We both have kids. You have that scene where your two-year-old falls and they fall flat on their face and knees. Then, they look at the parent. It’s almost like, “Am I okay?” Usually, with the first child, the parent is worried, “Oh, no!” They freak out. They run to them. As soon as the child sees the parent freaking out, they start crying.

The second child is usually a totally opposite story. The child falls, and they look at the parent; am I okay? The parent goes, “Oh, you’re alright. You’re fine.” Then they don’t cry.

Well, in a bigger picture, that’s what happens with leaders. Everybody looks at them to evaluate how they are doing.

I think that is important for leaders to realize. That’s why many of us underestimate just how much influence we have.

We are going to be talking a little bit more about some tools and tips about the motivation for yourself but also for others.

Dr. Cathy Greenberg: You know, it’s interesting when you hear about what people are doing these days, to keep themselves engaged and motivated. A large majority of people are stating that they do feel a sense of commitment. They do feel a sense of satisfaction in being able to work the job that they have. If they don’t have to commute, it certainly saves people a lot of time.

But, for those of us who are getting back on planes, and going back to the road, there seems to be an uptick here in how people are feeling about that travel.

I think what is going to be interesting in today’s show is to talk about what is it each of us can do to motivate ourselves and the people around us to do what they do best. Instead of having to tear themselves in two, or in three, or possibly even in four if they have not only a challenging environment in which they are working at home, but they could also be responsible for elder care. They could also be responsible for childcare, outside the home. Some daycare centers that are very specialized are still open. It used to be a difficult enough task to motivate yourself to get up and get your kids off to school and get yourself to work. Now, you have to get up and get the kids ready for their online school. If you have one that’s back in daycare, you’re driving them. And then, with elder care on top of that. Who knows how many times you are actually driving in a day to get resources, groceries, and medication to those people who you support?

So, this is a time for leaders to really think about what a leader needs to do in these challenging times to remain that individual who can truly motivate their people.

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