Daniel: Hi, I’m Daniel Torres Dwyer and welcome to LS International’s Career Success Podcast. Motivating a team can be a challenge. As business leaders, we will have to get people of different origins, ages, nationalities, genders, functions and even industries to work together. As we’re coming into a more globalized and liquid world, it’s important to understand what buttons to press to get the most out of teams, to create a top performing and purpose driven culture. As this is a topic that comes up in many of our conversations, I have the pleasure to have Peter Hall here with me today to discuss this topic. Peter is currently the President for consumer brands at Dean & Deluca in New York. Born in Australia; he’s held executive positions at the likes of Diageo and Heineken before his current assignment being based in countries like the US, the UK, Mexico and Venezuela.
Hi Peter. Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us today.

Peter: Hey Daniel.

Daniel: So, talk about motivation and leadership. In your experience, what have you found to be the top factors that motivate you personally in the business world?

Peter: Well, everyone’s different of course but in my own case , the thing I find most motivating is the opportunity to build things that are going to last. That will endure. So for me, the greatest compliment is to see things growing and doing well after I have left the scene. To me, that that’s a real signal of success and achievement. And along with that, I would say and sort of part and parcel of it is really seeing people develop.I find that incredibly fulfilling and I look back at some of the companies I worked at and earlier in my career and people that I got to work with, I was lucky to have leadership positions, you know, from a pretty young age and then I look back and I see some of those, you know, even interns or entry-level roles.
And people who’ve gone on to do great things and lead companies is=== is I think a wonderful thing to… to see.

Daniel: Absolutely

Peter: And probably, the last sort of thing that I find motivating is of course to be recognized which everyone likes to be recognized and for me, it’s… it’s really originality or creativity of things that… that I would like to you know, be able to instil in the cultures and businesses that… that I have… that I have laid in trust

Daniel: mm-hmm. And as a leader of big teams as you said you’ve been managing people for a number of years, why do you think that people sometimes can lose motivation?

Peter: Unfortunately, bad leadership and leaders are the main cause. Obviously, leaders have a special responsibility and and we know that that does not you know, that is not always well executed. So you know, that sort of impact can be so devastating in an organization and obviously, you know leads to the the question of what you know, what constitutes poor leadership and… and why people become demotivated and obviously, the motive… the motivation can happen in good times and bad times. So, it’s not just about the circumstances that we’re going through. I do believe that it’s very much about keeping the vision fresh for people; keeping it compelling. That is to me, the thing that tends to be missing is when people are becoming demotivated, not knowing why they being ask to do, what they’re being asked to do and that comeback to a lack of vision.

Daniel: Okay. And in your experience, whenever you found in your team an executive that’s be motivated, how do you personally… what techniques, methods you have to help executives gain motivation?

Peter: Well, number-one: I think are you had to be there for your team. So, if you’re not present, there’s not much you’re going to be able to do. So, that’s a pretty easy one. Although, if you’ve got a dispersed team making sure that you’re available and therefore your team members is sometimes something that you need to you know, you need to make sure that it happens but of course you know. the most motivating thing I think is… is as a leader, is to paint the exciting vision. If you can do that and then secondarily, define their part in the plan so that you know, great… love the vision buy into that okay but what you know, what’s my part?
That’s the critical next step to motivation. Understand, buy into the vision and then you know, your part in the plan and that I think if you can do that, then you’ve gone some way to fulfilling your leadership obligations and to motivating your executives.

Daniel: And what advice to create this purposeless environment? What advice can you give to other… to our listeners, other leaders out there in the industry to create an environment that’s more purpose lead, so in order to avoid demotivation?

Peter: Right. Well, the critical thing about a purpose led organization is remember that the whole purpose led thinking is actually comes from books about faith, which means believing is critical. So, the purpose has to be really great. Obviously, it can’t be a mediocre thing. It’s got to be something that is incredibly compelling and well-crafted and so, I always say, remember these four things which make a purpose for the organization really… really compelling and those four things that the purpose needs to be unique.
So, it can’t be the same as what a another organization, particularly what another organization in your industry is
It needs to be insightful as firmness.
So, that means it needs to be true. It needs to be something that when you read it and when you hear it, you think yeah, that is right. It needs to be ambitious so that it causes us to grow, so you know, we don’t want a purpose that is something that’s just going to deliver business as usual. It needs to be ambitious enough to stretch it’s… and make us grow and then most important of all, it needs to be believable. So, you can’t have a purpose that is ambitious, that is insightful and unique but it’s just not capable of being connected with your organization. So, it’s got to be credible for this organization and if you have those four things in your purpose and you’re able to communicate it, you should be well on your way to creating a purpose lead environment.

Daniel: Okay, great. Now, that’s very good advice on motivation, purpose and I think that at the end, now Peter; it’s all about the leadership. Thanks so much for sharing your insights today in your knowledge.

Peter: Thanks Daniel

Daniel: And thanks to all our listeners and see you in the next edition of our podcast.