https://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylrobinson/2025/02/04/identifying-motivating-vs-demotivating-words-that-define-great-leadership/
Motivating Vs. Demotivating Phrases That Define Great Leadership
What makes employees fully engaged and motivated at work? It’s not just salary, perks, or job titles. It’s the feeling of being valued and heard. Employees who feel their contributions are valued by leadership are significantly more likely to take the initiative and perform at their highest potential. With only 30% of employees worldwide engaged at work, there remains a substantial opportunity for improvement.
To create this culture of engagement, leaders must be intentional in their communication, ensuring that every word they use reinforces trust and motivation. What separates effective leadership communication from everyday conversation is linguistic precision—the deliberate use of language to create motivation and clarity.
Leadership Language
Words create mental frames that shape how people interpret situations. Positive, confident and action-oriented language leads to higher engagement, while vague, negative or passive phrases create confusion or disengagement.
Consider these two statements from a leader to their team:
- “We have a problem, and I don’t know how we’re going to fix it.”
- “We have a challenge, and I’m confident we’ll find a solution together.”
Both acknowledge the difficulty, but the second statement conveys optimism and a belief in the team’s capabilities, making it more likely to inspire action.
Demotivating Phrases
Certain phrases—whether intentional or not—discourage employees. Here are some common demotivating phrases and why they should be avoided:
- “You should have known better.” This Instills blame rather than problem-solving, making employees fearful of making mistakes instead of learning from them.
- “That’s not how we do things here.” This one phrase instantly shuts down creativity and discourages innovation by implying that new ideas are unwelcome.
- “This is out of your scope.” Leaders create a limiting belief in capability, stifling ambition and willingness to take initiative.
- “Just do what I say.” A common phrase by micro-managers, this sentence leads to disengagement.
- “You’re overthinking it.” Using this is a quick way to invalidate employees’ thought processes, making them less likely to contribute ideas in the future.
- “I don’t have time for this right now.” This makes employees feel their concerns or contributions are unimportant.
Motivating Phrases
The right words encourage problem-solving. When leaders use empowering language, they reduce stress, creating a positive work culture. Here are some phrases that enhance trust:
- “I trust you to handle this.” This phrase signals confidence in the person’s abilities, reinforcing their autonomy and decision-making skills.
- “I appreciate your effort.” With the right tone of voice, this sentence strengthens recognition and value, making employees feel seen and appreciated.
- “Let’s figure this out together.” By saying this, leaders prevent isolation.
- “Your insights are valuable.” This phrase affirms an employee’s contributions, boosting confidence and willingness to share ideas.
- “I know you’re capable of tackling this challenge.” Mindful leaders instill self-belief and motivation by boosting the employee’s competence.
- “How can I support you in this?” This question positions the leader as a partner rather than just a director.
- “Great work! Here’s how we can build on it.” This combination of intentional words provides positive reinforcement while encouraging continuous growth.
How To Strengthen Leadership Communication
- Use “we” more than “I” in messages. For instance, instead of “I need you to do this,” say, “We’ll succeed by doing this.” Also acceptable, instead of “I think this is best,” say, “Together, we’ve decided this is the best course.”
- Turn negative feedback into constructive guidance. Rephrase, “This report isn’t good enough,” to “This report has strong points, and here’s how we can refine it.” Or instead of “You missed the deadline,” say, “Let’s discuss how we can improve time management.”
- Replace hesitant language with certainty. For example, reframe “I feel like this might work” to “I’m confident this approach will be effective.” Make it a habit of changing “I think you could lead this project” to “You are ready to lead this project.”
Leaders who master empowering language create a loyal work culture. By being intentional with their linguistic choices, leaders transform their influence from transactional to transformational.
Dr. Cheryl Robinson is a New York-based contributor who covers leadership, focusing on the art of pivoting and career changes since 2017. She has covered how individuals can successfully pivot in their careers. She's interviewed influential leaders, including Maria Sharapova, Bobbi Brown, Diane Von Furstenberg and Kathleen Kennedy.
The founder graduated with a doctoral degree in organizational leadership, where she leveraged her dissertation to dive deeper into how leaders successfully pivot personally and professionally. Additionally, she published the children's book series The Happy Habits Club, which helps kids develop their happy habits foundation. Previously, she worked in sports and entertainment, including the Super Bowl.
She also writes for Woman’s World & First For Women.
Follow Dr. Robinson for continued coverage of inspirational leaders across generations, how to pivot in your career successfully and the ever-changing landscape of new career options.
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