February 2021 Leadership Lunch and Learn Synopsis

by Lisa Davis - March 2, 2021

As a leader, how do you motivate and engage others?

“Be willing to do anything you would ask others to do. Prove it. Practice it,” said J. J. Pitman, LeadAR Class 14 alum and director of the Arkansas 4-H Center.

Pitman shared this and other insights on motivating and engaging others during the Leadership Lunch and Learn held Feb. 24, 2021.

Other keys to successfully engaging employees include:  

• Having an open dialogue about performance,
• Listening and paying attention, and
• Acting on it.

Pitman included a quote from Dr. Henry Cloud during his talk: “People who achieve things don’t rely on motivation to do so (because motivation will eventually run out), rather they rely on commitment.”

He suggested that focusing on mission of the organization, or the driving force for your overall goal, is key to establishing commitment.

One pitfall to avoid is being a cynic. He said a leader’s outlook is contagious and suggested the leader highly influences the work atmosphere.

Lastly, Pitman expressed one simple way to motivate others is to recognize their efforts. He said to brag on employees — it’s free.

Leadership Lunch and Learn is a new professional development series for LeadAR alumni and University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture employees. Emails with an invitation to register for the program will be sent every month. For more information about LeadAR visit the website or contact Dr. Julie Robinson, jrobinson@uada.edu or Lisa Davis, ldavis@uada.edu.