Motivating Club Creativity
Motivating Club Creativity
Jul 26, 2026
By Michelle Peticolas
Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because they want to do it." That's the essence of great leadership—not authority, but influence.
During a recent Toastmasters leadership project, I discovered three simple ways to motivate a volunteer team.
1. Communicate Clearly
People are more likely to help when they understand the goal. By sharing one simple objective—making our Toastmasters meetings more fun—our team quickly generated creative ideas that everyone supported.
2. Inspire Positive Emotions
People are motivated by how they feel. Instead of using fear or pressure, we focused on fun, creativity, and enthusiasm. The result was greater participation and energy.
3. Show Appreciation
Recognition is one of the most powerful leadership tools. Encouraging and acknowledging others' ideas builds confidence, strengthens teamwork, and inspires even better contributions.
Whether you're leading at work, in a volunteer organization, or in your community, these three leadership strategies can help you inspire others to take action.
Communicate clearly. Inspire positively. Appreciate generously. That's leadership.
Dr. Michelle Peticolas is an international best-selling author of Step Into Your Brilliance, award-winning filmmaker, and sought-after life transformation coach. For over two decades, she has empowered high-achieving, mid-life women to reclaim their power and purpose after major loss, guiding them to turn pain into possibility. Blending personal wisdom with practical tools, she shows audiences that even the deepest wounds can become the source of their greatest strength.
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