Taught Me About Motivation.

The Leadership Insider network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question: How do you keep your team motivate d? is written b y Suri Suriyakumar, CEO of ARC Document Solutions.

The best leaders work to motivate themselves, as well as their employees, to achieve success. Once inspired, the clear articulation of a plan for the future – whether it’s for a quarterly operations goal or a multi-year strategic objective – isn’t easy. It takes preparation, perseverance, and a solid understanding of both what needs to be said and why it needs to be said in the first place. Here’s how to create a motivational workplace that will drive success:

Effective communicationTo motivate people, you must invest in them and enable their success. And if you want results, you must do more than just communicate -- you have to articulate your vision in a way that inspires others. You might have a good idea, but clearly communicating it is nearly as important as the idea itself. Only when you combine the two can you expect to overcome the fear of failure, inspire confidence, and build support in new possibilities.

Build trustI listen as much, if not more, than I talk. Your people’s insights are valuable, and their concerns show where motivation is most needed. By paying attention to the way I communicate, I establish credibility with my colleagues so that they hear, accept, and support our company's shared vision. Essentially, I’m building trust. With trust, the stories I tell of how we’ve succeeded in the past and how much we’ve accomplished resonate. They stand as reminders and provide proof of what’s possible. Then, when it’s time for a pep talk, I’ve got history on my side. My ideas aren’t just pie in the sky. What I describe is truly what we are capable of achieving, and it reinforces my staff that we are the best at what we do.