The Power of Intrinsic Motivation

How to Make Work Meaningful

Purpose   |   Autonomy   |   Mastery

 

Workers who understand how their job is connected to a larger mission or purpose tend to be much more motivated than those who feel no such connection. In this sense, government agencies have a significant advantage over profit-driven organizations because many government employees are drawn to public service by a desire to make a difference in the world. Connecting people to the mission does not happen on its own, however; managers need to keep their people focused on--and connected to--that larger mission. The page has resources to help managers learn to connect their employees to the mission as well as guidance to help all of us tap into our own public service motivation.

 

Articles

 

Books

Cover of Living, Leading and the American Dream

Living, Leading, and the American Dream

By John W. Gardner

John Gardner had a distinguished career as a leader in both government and civil society. He wrote widely about leadership and public service. Living, Leading and the American Dream is a compilation of many of his most inspiring writings about public service motivation. Includes essays on commitment and meaning, personal renewal, creativity, building and leading communities, and the link between motivation and talent. Read More...

Cover of Seeing is Believing

Seeing Is Believing: How the New Art of Visual Management Can Boost Performance Throughout Your Organization

By Stewart Liff and Pamela A. Posey

In Seeing is Believing, Stewart Liff and Pamela Posey explain “visual management,” a system that uses visual props and cues to help connect employees to the mission and the values of the organization. It can also keep them focused on performance targets and their progress in achieving goals. Includes many photos, examples, and case studies (many are from Liff's career as a Senior Executive at the Veterans Administration) that can give managers ideas on how to implement a visual management system. The system is intuitive and in some ways seems like common sense--but it’s surprisingly hard to do well in practice.  Read More...

Cover of Man's Search for Meaning

Man's Search for Meaning

By Viktor E. Frankl

This classic work provides a grim account of the more than three years that Viktor Frankl spent in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Dachau. A trained psychoanalyst, Frankl became a keen observer of why some prisoners maintained the will to live when others simply gave up. He found that those who had clarity about what they had to live for were far more likely to have the resilience needed to survive. One of the most influential books of the 20th Century.   Read more...

Cover of Crossed Lives--Crossed Purposes

Crossed Lives--Crossed Purposes

By Ray Blunt

Ray Blunt beautifully weaves together the lives of two of history's great men--William Wilberforce and Thomas Jefferson--and in doing so reveals compelling new insights about the importance of a leader's world view and how mentors influence that world view. This inspiring and thought-provoking story also teaches us much about the importance of a clear life mission and how a leader's allies can help him accomplish that mission.  Read More...

Cover of Hero for Humanity: A Biography of William Wilberforce

Hero for Humanity: A Biography of William Wilberforce

By Kevin Belmonte

One of the most brilliant British politicians of his era, William Wilberforce set aside personal ambition early in his career in order to pursue two goals: the abolition of the slave trade and the "reformation of manners."  In 1807, following a 20-year struggle, Wilberforce won approval for legislation banning the slave trade in the British Empire.  His efforts to end the slave trade were the subject of the 2006 movie Amazing Grace. Wilberforce is also widely credited with bringing about the "reformation of manners" that characterized the morality, attitudes, and social philanthropy of the Victorian era.  A deeply religious man, Wilberforce demonstrated how one individual with tremendous talent, moral courage, and perseverance can bring about major change.  Read More...



Video


Dr. Robert Quinn: How to Lead a Purpose-Driven Life


Viktor Frankl: Search for Meaning