As part of a new guest column series for Prolific North, Kathy Brooke, co-founder and coach of Be Your Own Coach, takes a closer look at why leaders can’t simply “motivate” their teams — and what really drives engagement and energy at work.
It’s a shock to the system, isn’t it?!
And I don’t mean back to work, the early starts, or the dark nights…
Without fail, every single public holiday I glide around the Manchester roads, cruising along carefree, only to be routinely perplexed one week later when I find myself wedged on the A56, playing my part in the rolling procession of 10-mph commuters, grumbling about the ‘blooming traffic’ (or words to that effect).
2026 is in full swing and I hope you enjoyed last week’s column and found the time and space to double down on your identity for the year: the actions and behaviours required, and the daily habits you can enlist to pave the way towards your goals.
READ MORE: Prolific Mindset: Your 2026 goals aren’t the problem — your identity is
We started to touch on how you can use these principles to engage, energise and invigorate your team members – and that’s exactly what we’re going to double down on this week.
But, let me start by calling out the elephant in the room.
Motivation.
‘Motivate your team members’, ‘be motivating’, ‘provide motivation’
These phrases regularly pop up in job descriptions and role requirements. Over the years, I’ve worked with many leaders and managers who have wrestled with this concept, often unfairly blaming themselves for being unable to motivate their teams.
Motivation, at its core, is the fundamental force fuelled by an individual’s desire or drive to take action.
Now, unless there is some new AI or Elon-style tech wizardry I’m yet to know about, we cannot manipulate or control another individual’s inner drive and desires. Therefore, this concept of ‘motivating others’ is somewhat flawed. To truly motivate someone, we would need to intercept their mind, rewire their identity, and rewrite their thoughts, values and personality. I’m not sure about you, but I think HR might have something to say about that!
What I believe is actually meant by this phrase is having the ability to understand an individual and create a connection that resonates, engages and inspires them to explore the breadth of their capabilities. Probably a bit long-winded for an Indeed job advert though, right?
So… how on earth do we do this?
Management and leadership are often seen as action-based sports: implement systems and structures, bring new ideas to the table, point and direct. And yes, these elements can all be part of the gig. However, all of these layers can only be added once we have a solid understanding of the foundations on which we’re building.
This is the part where I’d love to introduce you to a fancy technique or some kind of psychological phenomenon, but I’m afraid the key to understanding and engaging your teams is actually a pretty basic one:
Asking questions and listening to the response.
Not jumping in with ideas and solutions, but giving the individual the time and space to express themselves: their desires, what makes them tick, their passions within their career, and their values.
Now, this doesn’t mean arranging Alan Sugar-style meetings first thing tomorrow, armed with a list of rapid-fire questions in the hope that by the end of the day you’ll have created individual ‘user manuals’ for each of your team members. No – this is all part of the long game of management and leadership. It’s done through open, authentic conversations, held frequently, to build trust and honesty.
Regularly catching up with your team, seeing how they are in and outside of work, learning which projects excite them and which give them the biggest headaches, being genuinely curious about their hobbies, interests and ambitions in life … this is what creates incredible relationships within teams, built on fairness, communication, authenticity and respect.
I recently worked with a small tech company, 18 team members, all of whom had been with the business for at least three years, with most celebrating seven-plus years.
It was just an average Wednesday, yet there was an indescribable buzz of energy in the office. Each team member was passionately typing away, popping up for air to share an internal joke or ask a question – usually met with a resounding chorus of answers and ideas.
Watching from the sidelines, I noticed an interesting and seemingly natural rhythm to the managers’ and leaders’ interactions:
Human first. Business second.
“Hey mate, did you check out that new jacket potato van I mentioned for lunch? Epic, isn’t it?”
“How are you finding the new project? Need a hand with that new ticket? I know it’s a bit of an awkward one.”
And…
“Hey, it’s great to see you. Did your daughter have a nice birthday?”
“I’m looking forward to our 1-to-1 later – feel free to send over anything that’s at the forefront of your mind.”
As I type this out, I realise the words don’t quite do justice to what I was witnessing… and maybe that’s exactly the point.
Motivation in leadership isn’t something you can quantify through tasks.
It lives in the small, everyday behaviours that create connection, enabling leaders to engage with each team member’s individual perspective of the world – inspiring and challenging them accordingly.
So let’s take this right back to the start.
If you want to ‘motivate’ your teams, start by investing in them. Your time. Your attention. Your energy. Get to know them. Build trust, authenticity and vulnerability. Allow them to share what engages and excites them – their values and their drives.
From here, together, you can set exciting goals and challenges rooted in personal accountability, inspiring your teams to succeed and building a culture of passion and pride.
