Last week, I was in Delhi for a consulting assignment. Packed days, tight schedules. The usual.
Then came Sunday.
For a change, I had time.
I messaged my school friends: Free hoon aaj. Within minutes, the plan was fixed. Dinner.
No coordination. No calendar. Just connection. That’s what real friends do.
A Joke That Wasn’t Just a Joke
During dinner, someone introduced me:
“Arshad, motivational speaker.”
Before I could react, Waseem jumped in:
“And I’m Waseem… demotivational speaker.”
The table burst out laughing.
I did too.
But that line stayed.
Because He Wasn’t Wrong
The more I thought about it, the more it hit me:
Every organisation has demotivational speakers.
Not on stage.
But in meetings. In conversations. In everyday behavior.
You’ve Met Them Too
The one who says, “Yeh kaam nahi hoga.” The one who takes credit but avoids responsibility The one who only points out flaws The one who never acknowledges effort
They don’t shout. They don’t announce themselves.
But slowly, they drain energy.
Motivation Doesn’t Die in Events
Companies hire speakers, run programs, celebrate culture.
But motivation is not lost in big moments.
It is lost in small, repeated interactions.
One comment. One ignored effort. One unfair comparison.
Again and again.
What That Dinner Taught Me
At that table, nobody was motivating anyone.
No advice. No speeches.
Yet everyone felt lighter.
Why?
Because there was no judgment. No hierarchy. No pressure.
Just authenticity.
The Real Insight
People don’t need motivation.
They need oxygen.
And in organisations, oxygen is:
Respect, Recognition, Trust, Fairness
Remove these, and you don’t need a demotivational speaker.
The system itself becomes one.
One Question for Leaders
Before trying to motivate people, ask yourself:
Am I unknowingly demotivating them?
Because sometimes, the biggest shift doesn’t come from adding motivation.
It comes from removing demotivation.
And yes, Waseem cracked a joke.
But he also held up a mirror.
