Are you on fire, or just burned out What top leaders do to stay motivated at work

Are you on fire, or just burned out What top leaders do to stay motivated at workAre you on fire, or just burned out What top leaders do to stay motivated at workIt happens to all of us at some point a slight dip in motivation, a troubling ripple that makes you question how eager you are to do your job, let alone excel in it. And yet, when you look around, theres always someone on fire for their job. Someone who never seems to question, or doubt, either their performance or their dedication.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSo how do they do it? How do some leadersstay motivated and engagedat work while others fizzle and burn out before ever reaching their full potential? To find out, I surveyed ten leaders from the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, asking them what motivates you at work and what demotivates you.While I had expected to hear some varying answers, I was floor ed by the response.Motivating People With Other PeopleIn answer to What motivates you? 9 out of the 10 mentioned a particularly common theme, which had something to do with those they work with. The answers I got included moving forward as a gruppe, achieving as a team, helping my team, watching my team achieve success, and helping people achieve their best.This was a revelation. Before asking this question, I had assumed that the traditional motivators ofpromotion, increased responsibility, expanding skill sets,professional challengesand even monetary gain might have some weight. But the overwhelming responses indicated thatother peoplewere the real motivating factor for nine out of the ten leaders I polled.But despite all of that motivation, there were times when these leaders could occasionally feel less than motivated. Heres whyDemotivating People With Other PeopleIn answer to What demotivates you? not a single person mentioned being demotivated by the demands of their job, tas ks, to-do lists or business conditions. Mirroring what motivated them, for this particular group of executives, it was ALL to do with peoplePoor communicationMicro-managingNaysayersOffice politicsNitpickingComplainingNegativityLack of understanding and appreciationLack of consideration for other team membersMaking demands without taking time to listenSo heres what I learned from this simple surveyIf youre looking for ways to stay motivated and engaged when you come to work every day, look no further than to those around you. And always be mindful that your actions have a direct impact on the motivation of those you work with.This article first appeared on Be Leaderly.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from kleine Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people