Business Week has at the back of every issue The Welchway where Jack and Suzy Welch dispense business advice. In a recent one they talk about how leaders motivate themselves. Here is their list.

  • Don’t abdicate your confidence – The minute you start doubting yourself, you run the risk of falling into a self-created vortex of defeat
  • Remember the organization’s mission – Leaders recharge by remembering where their companies have been, what they’ve done right, and where they are going
  • Stay connected – Your people—and your hopes for them—can only add to your determination to survive
  • Reframe problems as puzzles – envision challenges not as an intractable problem but as an exciting puzzle to be solved
  • Lean on someone – energize yourself by letting others inside, reach out to supportive friends and colleagues. Let their belief in your abilities feed your confidence and spirit

The above was all in the context of a recession, but they apply just as much to the good times as well. And for any number of motivation sapping situations like burnout, or (apparent) bad management, etc.