Understanding Motivation for Effective Leadership

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Recommended: Aalyse how theories of motivation may be applied in the practice of leadership

Motivation can make or break an organization. Consequently, a prudent leader will seek to understand how to motivate his team for sustained success. Motivation aims to bring out the best in a person. Furthermore, motivational principles seek to develop people in order to reach their fullest potential. By understanding the types of motivation, a leader is better equipped to inspire his subordinates for high performance.
Motivation is crucial to any organization. Consequently, many leaders have attempted to describe the essence of motivation. Dr. Bartel (2016) describes motivation as, “The human force that initiates, guides and sustains goal-oriented behaviors. It is what causes humankind to act to fulfill desired goals.” In other words, motivation is the force within a person that compels …show more content…

Extrinsic motivation comes from outside forces that move the individual to perform the task for “reward, because of the threat of punishment or as a result of competition” (Bartel, 2016). Extrinsic motivation derives its influence from outside components, such as, compensation or retribution that works upon the individual to complete the assignment. Dr. Beckwith (2016) contends “Salary, working conditions, benefits, and environment” are tools that leaders can employ that to motivate employees for high performance within an organization. Furthermore, Dr. Bartel (2016), among his Strategies for Motivation, suggests, “Positive reinforcement, effective discipline, treating people fairly, and satisfying employees needs” are effective ways a leader can motivate his employees to excel in the workplace. The strength of extrinsic motivation is that it creates an atmosphere for individuals to achieve set goals. When used properly, extrinsic motivation is powerful to draw out the best in team members. Further, extrinsic motivation finds its potency when it is combined with an individual’s intrinsic

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