Motivation alone doesn't get anyone anywhere
It was Edgar Allan Poe's birthday recently. Not a name you would immediately associate with leadership - and yet someone with a remarkably keen sense of the human condition.
The American writer Edgar Allan Poe dealt with inner tensions and what happens when something is not completed. One of his sentences came back to my mind:
«The true genius shudders at incompleteness.»
(«The true genius shudders at incompleteness.»)
That sounds literary. However, when applied to leadership, it takes on a very practical meaning.
Incompleteness costs energy. Not because there is a lack of goals. In most cases, it is clear what is important. Strategic thrusts have been defined, initiatives launched, expectations formulated. The ambition is right. And yet in everyday life there is often a gap between what you have set out to do and what is actually implemented.
This gap rarely has anything to do with competence. And it has surprisingly little to do with motivation. Motivation feels good when it is there, but it is not a stable driver. It fluctuates with the mood of the day, with deadline pressure or with the mood in the environment. Those who rely exclusively on motivation make their impact dependent on chance. Reliable impact arises where behavior becomes stable regardless of mood. Where you do something because it is right - not because it just feels good.
Many managers underestimate how much mental capacity is tied up by unresolved issues: a conversation that should have been held long ago, a decision that is postponed, a project that has not been properly completed. It is not the size of a task that is a burden, but its open status.
A clearly defined, completed step, on the other hand, creates immediate relief. It strengthens your self-management and at the same time sends a signal to the team: this is not just planning, this is implementation.
This consistency is crucial, especially if you have a lot of responsibility. Your behavior sets standards - even without big words.
Some questions for reflection:
- What specific step would advance your key topic if you implemented it consistently - even on challenging days?
- On which topic are you postponing implementation even though you know it would have an impact? And what is the real reason for this?
- What decision would be long overdue - and how would your energy change if you made it?
Incompleteness binds strength. A clear conclusion releases strength. This is precisely where the relevance of Poe's thoughts lies - and perhaps a silent benchmark for professional leadership.
To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch
