I recently retired after 40 years with the same company, all served as a manager in some capacity ... I often wondered if I was 'getting through' to people, and the comments from various and diversified sources at the end told me how much I had ... most dominant was the message that "no matter what we were going through, we always knew you cared about US" ... hearing that made me feel great ...
If your people know that you care for them, you are well on your way towards motivation ...
t.