Creating Mindful Leaders

Chapter 16Boosting Motivation

I get to do what I like to do every single day of the year. I tap dance to work, and when I get there, I think I'm supposed to lie on my back and paint the ceiling. It's tremendous fun.

—Warren Buffett

I once had the pleasure of having dinner with Warren Buffett. He spoke to some 500 leaders at a Harvard Business School executive program. At dinner, he spent an hour talking and taking pictures pretending to whisper stock advice or holding his wallet out to offer people money. His passion for his craft and for humanity fit perfectly with his keynote remarks on the importance of enjoying your work.

As we continue to climb up the ladder in training EQ skills, the next step is understanding your motivation. Or as we say at Whil, “Where are you going and what will you create?”

If you're a fan of the movie classic, Office Space, the lead character, Peter, played by Jon Livingston, had a great quote. “It's not that I'm lazy. It's that I just don't care.” While the movie hilariously shared the downside of corporate life, the Gallup polls I shared earlier remind us that most professionals actually do go through life without a connection to the type of work they are doing, the company they're with, or why they are there.

A major benefit of developing EQ skills is living life with more intention. This helps us enjoy each moment and to be more aware of ...