Leaders Cannot Dictate Emotion

Often, I hear leaders exclaim, “Be motivated! Get excited! Act with Passion! Trust me!” They are visibly disappointed when I tell them that they can’t say those things.  I explain, these are emotions, and you cannot dictate emotion. What a leader can do is create an environment where motivation thrives, excitement is generated, passion is ignited, and trust is earned. The key term here is “create”, and the key implication, is “organizational culture”. Culture is the energy that moves people to act. Culture is a key input that defines how an organization works. And, more than anyone group, leaders define organizational culture. In what ways would you as a leader create a culture characterized by motivation, excitement, passion and trust?