How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Tania Cook
Tania.cook195@myci.csuci.edu

April 21, 2014

 How Great Leaders Inspire Action
• What is motivation?
– It is the intention of achieving a goal
– Also includes ability and skill

• Common Misconceptions about what motivates

employees
– Salary, Benefits and job security

• Fredrick Herzberg
– Regarded as one of the great original thinkers in
management and motivational theory
– Herzberg's motivation and hygiene factor
 How Great Leaders Inspire Action
• Herzberg's research identified that true
motivators were other completely different
factors, notably:

• Achievement
• Recognition
• Work itself
• Responsibility
• Advancement
 How Great Leaders Inspire Action
• 8 Steps to Motivate Employees to enhance
employee engagement in your company:
– Select employees who are predisposed to
engagement.
– Provide training opportunities.
– Provide mechanisms for self-checking work and
receiving feedback.
– Provide opportunities for recognition/appreciation.
– Address problems quickly.
– Conduct regular employee surveys.
– Create communication opportunities with senior
executives.
– Remember that it is an on-going process.
 How Great Leaders Inspire Action
• Herzberg's 'hygiene' needs in the workplace
are:
– policy
– relationship with supervisor
– work conditions
– salary
– company car
– status
– security
– relationship with subordinates
– personal life
How Great Leaders Inspire Action
 How Great Leaders Inspire Action
• Jon Gordon
– Believes motivational speeches don't work
for today's employees

– Leaders who have the ability to motivate can

rally teams through challenging times
 How Great Leaders Inspire Action
• Gordon offers six strategies for motivating
employees:
– 1. Don't be too busy to communicate.
– 2. Lead with optimism.
– 3. Share the vision.
– 4. Develop relationships that build real
motivation.
– 5. Create purpose-driven goals.
– 6. Nourish the team.
 Reference
• Amabile, T. and Kramer, S. (2011), The Progress
Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement,
and Creativity at Work, Harvard Business School
Publishing, Boston, MA.

• BlessingWhite, Inc. (2011), Employee Engagement

Report, BlessingWhite, Inc., Princeton, NJ.

• Hamori, M., Cao, J. and Koyuncu, B. (2012), "Why top

young managers are in a nonstop job hunt", Harvard
Business Review, Vol. 90 Nos 7/8, p. 28.

• Herzberg, F. (1968), "One more time: how do you

motivate employees?", Harvard Business Review, Vol.
46 No. 1 , pp. 53-62.
 Two Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who is considered to be one of the first motivational
great thinkers?
A. Fredrick Herzberg
B. Jon Gordon
C. Minder Chen
D. Fredrick Hook

2. Which one of the following is not one of Jon Gordon’s

strategies for motivating employees?
A. Share the vision
B. Nourish the team
C. Conduct regular employee surveys
D. Don't be too busy to communicate