Leader in You Part 3: Get Motivated

"The pursuit of mastering leadership is a lifelong process and requires motivation, ability, and support" (Reichard & Walker, 2016). In our Leader in You series, we are providing support to help you improve your leader development and abilities. However, because motivation is a key part of making change in the leadership development process, we decided to focus our third article on motivation. We will define the concept, provide how it works, and give you some tips to foster your own motivation.

What Is Motivation?

Ryan and Deci define motivation as "being moved to do something" (p. 54, 2000). Essentially, understanding what motivates helps us to understand why we do what we do in work and life. Ryan and Deci (2000) explained differences between the two major types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Here are the major differences:

Intrinsic motivation involves doing something out of internal motivation (i.e. you enjoy it, you feel "called" to do it, you feel a passion toward it, etc.).

Extrinsic motivation involves doing something due to an external motivator (i.e. your spouse told you to, you want to impress your teacher, you are being paid to do it, etc.)

Related to the work environment, Amabile (1993) explained that when individuals are intrinsically motivated, they seek enjoyment, interest, a satisfaction of curiosity, self-expression, or personal challenge in their work; extrinsically motivated individuals engage in the work to obtain something that is apart from the work itself. (p. 186)

Dan Pink (2016) shared a study via his TED talk that identified three major elements needed for motivation: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. The study found that people need the following elements for personal motivation and organizational success:

• to feel connected to a larger purpose in the organization, without being overly focused on profit,
• to be able to direct themselves, and
• to feel like they are learning and growing in a job.

The following science-based tips will help you enhance your motivation as part of your intrapersonal leader development. Understanding why you are motivated and what drives you is a key component of self-awareness, which we discussed in our last article. Understanding your own motivations can help you motivate others in your work and life as well.

Science-Based Tips for Motivating Yourself

• Find your passion. What do you really care about and enjoy doing? Make a list of your top three passions. Consider whether or not you are able to apply them in your work or day-to-day tasks. Research shows that out of all work motivators, passion is the one that leads most people to do what they do best (Amabile & Fisher, 2000).
• Determine your talents. What are you good at? Developing skills that you are already inherently good at will help you to find jobs and activities that you will be more motivated to participate in. Make a list of your top 3 talents. Consider whether or not you are able to apply them in your work or day-to-day tasks.
• What if my passions or talents aren't involved in my job or daily tasks? The reality is not all of us are in or able to be financially supported by jobs that fully utilize our passions and talents. If this is the case, find a volunteer opportunity, community group, or side job that provides you with an outlet to use these strengths. You will feel more fulfilled and may make a connection that will lead to the job you want, as people who volunteer are more likely to get a job (Collamer, 2013).
• Determine your calling. What do you think is your life's purpose? Research shows that working toward meaningful life goals can improve your quality of life, your life expectancy, and your mental and physical health (McKnight & Kashdan, 2009). Happier and healthier people also tend to have increased mental well-being and motivation (Fox, 1999; Haase, Poulin, M. J., & Heckhausen, 2012).
• Are you learning and growing? Are you in a job or community involvement that allows you to learn new things? Mastering a new skill can give you confidence, which can also help boost motivation.
• Determine what drives you. The tips up until this point have been focusing on internal motivators, but what are your external motivators? Do you work to provide for your family? Are you trying to set an example for young people in your life? Think about how you may be able to positively impact someone else by taking charge of your intrapersonal leader development.

Moving Forward

We hope these tips will help you to better foster motivation within yourself. Check back soon for our next article in the Leader in You Series--Self Mastery: How to Thrive, Not Just Survive.

References

Amabile, T. M. (1993). Motivational synergy: Toward new conceptualizations of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the workplace. Human resource management review, 3(3), 185-201.

Amabile, T. M., & Fisher, C. M. (2000). Stimulate creativity by fueling passion. Handbook of principles of organizational behavior, 331, 341.

Collamer, N. (2013, June 24). Proof that volunteering pays off for job hunters.

Fox, K. R. (1999). The influence of physical activity on mental well-being. Public health nutrition, 2(3a), 411-418.

Haase, C. M., Poulin, M. J., & Heckhausen, J. (2012). Happiness as a motivator: Positive affect predicts primary control striving for career and educational goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38(8), 1093-1104.

McKnight, P. E., & Kashdan, T. B. (2009). Purpose in life as a system that creates and sustains health and well-being: An integrative, testable theory. Review of General Psychology, 13(3), 242-251.

Pink, D. (2009). The puzzle of motivation. Video

Reichard, R. J., & Walker, D. O. (2016). In pursuit: Mastering leadership through leader developmental readiness. New directions for student leadership, 2016(149), 15-25.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 25(1), 54-67.