Leading Self-Motivation:

Bringing the Best Out of

Yourself and Others
E. Scott Geller, Ph.D.
Senior Partner, Safety Performance Solutions
Alumni Distinguished Professor, Virginia Tech
Director, Center for Applied Behavior Systems
esgeller@vt.edu
Image Source:
http://cultblender.files.

wordpress.com/2008/
07/bfskinner.jpg
“One can picture a good life
by analyzing one’s feelings,
but one can achieve it only
by arranging environmental
contingencies.”
-B.F. Skinner
“There’s no substitute
for knowledge.”

— W. Edwards Deming

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Leadership Lesson 1:

What you do when no

one’s holding you
accountable is
self-motivated.

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“The best kind of pride
is that which compels
people to do their very
best work, even if no one
is watching.”
— Unknown
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◉ Choice
◉ Competence
◉ Community
Leadership Lesson 2:
People feel empowered when they
answer “yes” to three
questions:
1. Can I do it?
2. Will it work?
3. Is it worth it?
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 “A prescription without
diagnosis is malpractice.”

— Socrates

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 Self - Response -
Efficacy Efficacy
“I can do “It will work”
it”

Outcome -
Expectancy
“It is worth it”
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Leadership Lesson 3:
Transactional leaders hold
people accountable;
Transformational leaders
inspire people to be
self-accountable or
self-motivated
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◉ SelfMotivation is Defined by
Self-Directive Behavior.
◉ The More Outside Control,
the Less Inside Control.
◉ The More Obvious the External Control,
the Less the Self-Motivation.
◉ Mild Threats Influence More
Self-Motivation.
◉ Large Incentives Can Hinder
Self-Motivation.
◉ Perceived Choice Enhances

Self-Motivation.
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◉ Self Motivation is Defined by Self-Directive
Behavior.
◉ The More Outside Control, the Less Inside
Control.
◉ The More Obvious the External Control, the Less
the Self-Motivation.
◉ Mild Threats Influence More Self-Motivation.
◉ Large Incentives Can Hinder Self-Motivation.
◉ Perceived Choice Enhances Self-Motivation.
◉ Perceived Choice is Greater When Working to
Achieve Success than When Working to Avoid
Failure.
 Do You Seek Success?
No Yes

Failure Success
No
Accepter
SSeeeekkeerr
Do You Avoid
Failure?

Yes Failure
Overstriver
Avoide
r
Leadership Lesson 4:
Employees feel included and self-
motivated when they believe they:
1) Are Heard
2) Contribute
3) Belong
4) Achieve
5) Choose
6) Are Appreciated
7) Feel Empowered
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Leadership Lesson 5:

A community spirit extends

beyond one’s work team to
the organizational system as
a whole.

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“Don’t blame people
for problems
created by the
system.”
— W. Edwards Deming

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Leadership Lesson 6:
Interpersonal communication
comes in five distinct forms:
1) Relationship
2) Possibility
3) Action
4) Opportunity
5) Follow-up
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 Follow-up
Opportunity
Action
Possibility
Relationship
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Leadership Lesson 7:

Authentic inclusion occurs

when input for important
decisions are solicited from
all relevant participants.

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Leadership Lesson 8:
A financial bonus
based on
organizational
performance can become an
entitlement and have no
impact on what people do.

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Leadership Lesson 9:

Performance appraisals
improve behavior when they
occur periodically and include
goal setting and feedback
customized for the individual.

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Leadership Lesson 10:
When the values of
organizations and
individuals align, relevant
behavior is predisposed
to be self-motivated.
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Personal Personal
Values Behaviors

Self-Motivated
Behavior
Cultural Cultural
Values
BBeehh
 “You can’t measure
everything. Sometimes you
just do it because it’s the right
thing to do.”
— W. Edwards Deming

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 Individuals come to “know”
their own attitudes, emotions,
and other internal states by
inferring them from
observations of their own overt
behavior and/or the
circumstances in which this
behavior occurs.
-Bem, 1972
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“If external contingencies seem
sufficient to account for the
behavior, then the individual will
not be led into using the behavior
as a source of evidence for
self-attributions.”

-Bem, 1972
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“He who complies against
his will,Is of the same
opinion still.”

-Samuel Butler

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Leadership Lesson 11:

People with empathy don’t

judge others until they
understand the other person’s
perceptions and intentions.

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Ignore
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Selective
Pretend
Ignore
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 “Ha ha ha.
Biff.
Guess
what? After
we go to the
drugstore
and the post
office, I’m
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Performance to theInc.
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vet’s to get
Empathi
A
c ttentive
Selective
Pretend

Ignore
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Leadership Lesson 12:

Process goals are set for

behaviors needed to
accomplish an outcome
goal and are SMARTS.

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S pecific

M otivational
A chievable
rackable
T
R elevant
hared
Safety
Perfor 57
mance
Solutio
 “A
numerical
goal without
a method is
nonsense.”
— W. Edwards Deming

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Leadership Lesson 13:

When people believe they

are competent at
worthwhile tasks, they are
more self-motivated.

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 “Best efforts
you are
have tonot
know what to
do.”
enough;
— W. Edwards Deming

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 “People are not
successful because
they are
motivated; they
are motivated
because they are
successful.”
— Paul Chance
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Leadership Lesson 14:

Equity in a relationship
occurs when each person
perceives the participants’
input/output ratios are
equivalent.

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 “Whoever thinks
marriage is a 50/50
proposition doesn’t know
the half of it.”
— Franklin P. Jones

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Are the input/output ratios balanced?
Is it fair?
Am I satisfied?
Leadership Lesson 15:

Self-motivation occurs
when the natural or
intrinsic consequences of
an action are
reinforcing.
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Leadership Lesson 16:
Continuous self-improvement
starts with a behavior-based
commitment, then noticing
opportunities to perform the
target behavior, self-
congratulating occurrences of
that behavior, and then reflecting
on relevant success and room for 71
“He who understands
his limitations becomes
more andmore
useful.”
— W. Edwards Deming

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Leadership Lesson 17:

A ranking system that

promoteswin/lose
over win/win thinking
and acting does more
harm than good.

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 “Ranking people,
teams or divisions
induces conflict,
destroys morale, and
prevents optimization.”
— W. Edwards Deming

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 Interdependen
ce
Safety Achievement

Independen
ce Leading

Dependenc
e Improving

Beginning

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Leadership Lesson 18:

Effective leaders have the

courage to ask for candid
feedback and the humility to
accept and apply suggestions
for reasonable change.

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 “It may
be that
the so-called the
good people.”
greates
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
t
traged
y of
◉ Physical Courage
◉ Moral Courage
◉ Psychological Courage
“Where there is fear
you get wrong
numbers.”
- W. Edwards Deming
High
Degree of Courage

Low
Family Degree of Non-Belongingness Stranger
 Courage
+
Compassion
Actively Caring
Personal Control Optimism
“I am in control” “I expect the
Self- best”
Actively
Effic
Caring
acy
“I can do
Self-Esteem it” Belongingness
“I care about myself” “I care about my team”
 Activel
(Self--TTrraannsscceennddeennccyy))
y
Optimism Caring
(Self--AAccttuuaalliizzaattiioonn))

Self--EEsstteeeemm
(Self-Esteem Needs)
Belongingness
(Acceptance Needs)
Personal Control
(Safety and Security Needs)
Self--EEffffiiccaaccyy

(Physiological NeSeaadffsee)ty PPeerrfoorrmmaannccee SSoolluuttioonns, 99

44
IInncc.
Leadership Lesson 19:

Continuous improvement
requires the courage and
humility to change even
when things are going well.

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Leadership Lesson 20:
Resolve crucial
interpersonal conflicts,
apologize, and give thanks
as soon as possible,
because you might lose the
opportunity later.

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 Our
Safety Performance
Solutions
Team