{"id":76900,"date":"2024-09-17T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talogy.com\/?p=76900"},"modified":"2025-11-06T16:15:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T16:15:43","slug":"why-every-leader-needs-to-understand-intrinsic-motivation-and-how-to-build-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en\/blog\/why-every-leader-needs-to-understand-intrinsic-motivation-and-how-to-build-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Why every leader should understand how to build intrinsic motivation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Leaders in today\u2019s world of work are facing a rapid pace of change involving complex and unpredictable challenges. Digital disruptions such as generative AI<\/a> and other advanced technologies are changing the playing field for many organizations. This certainly doesn\u2019t make things easy for leaders who need to find ways to energize their teams to navigate these challenges with agility and creativity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how can leaders best do this and set their organizations up for sustainable success? \u00a0One answer is intrinsic motivation. Understanding intrinsic motivation and how to build it lies in having a deeper understanding of the science of motivation and shifting the focus towards more human-centered leadership<\/a> \u2013 a core theme that emerged from our international research study<\/a> regarding the future of leadership. Leading through change<\/a> effectively requires leaders to foster the intrinsic motivation and drive that comes from within employees, rather than relying on extrinsic rewards, incentives, threats, or punishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding different types of motivation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Extensive research<\/a> into the psychology of motivation shows that employees experience different types of motivation at work. These types of motivation exist on a quality continuum shown below. It is worth noting that at different times and in relation to different work activities and goals, it is common for people to move between various points on this motivation continuum.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Talogy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the lower end of motivational quality are various levels of controlled motivation<\/em>, where people feel they must perform an activity or deliver a goal because of extrinsic factors. They could feel compelled to comply because of tangible rewards being offered, such as pay and incentives, or threats or punishments. It might also be partially internalized, where employees feel pressure to achieve goals because they want to gain approval or avoid disapproval from their leader or colleagues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, high quality, autonomous motivation is characterized by people feeling a sense of choice and embracing goals because they find them personally meaningful and aligned to their values. At the very top end of this motivation continuum is intrinsic motivation<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is intrinsic motivation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Intrinsic motivation<\/a> is an innate desire we feel to complete a task because we find it interesting or enjoyable. It\u2019s a point where we are fully engaged and absorbed in an activity because we like doing it, not out of any sort of obligation to perform. Understanding intrinsic motivation in the workplace is important because it fuels employees’ passion, satisfaction, and commitment, leading to higher productivity and creativity.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why should leaders care about intrinsic motivation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Intrinsic motivation is important for leaders to understand because decades of research studies indicate that more autonomous, intrinsically motivated employees tend to demonstrate greater job performance and productivity. They are often more persistent, focused, and engaged in their work. Moreover, employees fueled by intrinsic motivators tend to deal with change better, show more initiative and innovative behavior, and feel greater commitment to the organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a personal level, intrinsically motivated employees also report experiencing greater well-being and happiness with lower levels of burnout. So, if leaders create a climate that supports intrinsic needs, the result should lead to both productive and happy workers \u2013 the ideal mix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not to say that rewards and incentives don\u2019t have their place at work \u2013 of course they do. However, leaders should recognize these are not the motivators needed to build high quality intrinsic motivation within their teams. In certain situations, emphasizing external rewards, or extrinsic motivators, can even have a negative impact as they can narrow someone\u2019s focus, reduce creativity, and encourage more counter-productive behaviors at work, such as a lack of collaboration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do employees need to become more intrinsically motivated?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Intrinsic motivation is fueled by three basic psychological needs<\/a> that everyone shares. These are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n