The art of leading and how to be productive

Before winning a gold medal, an athlete goes through countless lessons and experiences shaped by their coach, and that is what makes them deserving of the gold medal. But the most important thing is their motivation.

Motivation is what drives you to accomplish something; it's the push that propels you toward achieving your goal. And it doesn't develop unless there's a leader who ignites it.

For an athlete, the coach is that leader who sets the training guidelines for improving performance, and is also the one who creates a bond beyond physical effort, connecting with their pupil through inspiration.

So, the art of leading isn't just about demanding more effort from your team and making them sweat nonstop. The art of leading lies in motivation, in creating healthy contexts where win-win is the premise. You, as the business owner, will win if your employee is winning too.

And what greater gain than a work environment that makes room for conversation, the exchange of ideas, and listening—one where your team, seeing you arrive at the office, instead of tensing up, feels better because what has arrived is not a boss, but a collaborator who walks alongside them in the process.

There are those who work motivated only by their monthly paycheck, not caring whether the tasks they perform nourish them or not. But this happens because their work environment has become hostile, with coworkers who are apathetic about their jobs and a leader who has no intention of connecting with the team to find solutions.

If you, as a leader, are apathetic toward the people who make up your team and care little about what they think, want, or need, then all you'll get is a demotivated environment. But if you're like the athlete's coach, who sees through their pupil's eyes and longs for the medal as much as or more than the competitor themselves, you'll have a team hitting it out of the park every day.

A better leader is one who is always thinking about opening new paths, who looks past the immediate and seeks reinvention.

Become a motivating leader, but not the kind who says, "I believe in you, you can do it"—no, that's not enough. A true motivator is one who teaches their team why they should achieve things; it's the one who gives purpose to the work.

You motivate when your team understands where each guideline will take them, both professionally and personally. Motivation is tied to education. You become a teacher, and that makes you a leader.

So, you will be a better leader when you develop, and teach your team, these 4 habits:

• Being proactive.
• Understanding the why behind tasks.
• Setting priorities.
• Thinking win-win.

The art of leading starts with understanding that no one reaches the goal alone. You get there connected with professional allies to achieve your objectives—perhaps not faster, but certainly farther than you ever imagined when you started your company.

Every time you go to work, dress yourself in optimism. Don't see everything as dark; change the vision you have of yourself first, and then the vision you have of your team, and you'll see how productivity starts to grow.