The Motive

`Please, don’t be a leader, unless you’re doing it for the right reason, and you probably aren’t!` It may sound provocative, but Patrick Lencioni starts his book 'The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities' with this very idea. Released in 2020, this is one of his latest works where he challenges traditional views on leadership, exploring why individuals should choose to take on leadership roles.

The author defines two primary motives that drive leaders:

1️⃣ Reward: Leaders driven by rewards primarily seek personal gratification and enjoyment in their position. They avoid mundane tasks, focusing solely on activities that interest them. They actually dislike managerial tasks and would likely find greater satisfaction and effectiveness in other areas.

2️⃣ Responsibility: Leaders with a sense of responsibility prioritize the well-being and growth of their team. They take unpleasant tasks, recognizing their duty to their employees and organization.

While most individuals possess elements of both motives, Lencioni argues that one typically dominates, significantly influencing leadership effectiveness. According to him, responsibility-oriented leaders tend to achieve greater success.

Lencioni identifies five crucial activities that reward-oriented leaders tend to avoid:

1️⃣ Developing the leadership team: Taking personal accountability for the growth and development of team members.
2️⃣ Managing subordinates (and making them manage theirs): Providing guidance, sharing knowledge, and offering mentorship.
3️⃣ Having difficult and uncomfortable conversations: Addressing complex and uncomfortable issues promptly and effectively.
4️⃣ Running great team meetings: Facilitating productive discussions and decision-making.
5️⃣ Communicating constantly and repetitively to employees: Keeping the team informed about organizational vision, goals, decisions, and challenges.

For me, it was a valuable review that brought particular aspects into focus. After looking closely at how I lead, I realized that handling tough conversations (point 3) isn't my strongest skill. So, I marked it as an area to improve upon. But it's nice to know that this challenge isn't unique to me, as the book mentions 😉.

So, revise those unpleasant tasks, clarify your motives and be a good leader.

#management #leadership #booknook