Excerpt from the Course
Intrinsic motivation
We act in an intrinsically motivated way when we find the endeavour a challenge, of inherent interest, and enjoyable. We do it for its own sake. We act in an extrinsically motivated way when we want something — money, promotion, candy — not in the endeavour itself. This distinction leads to the “over justification”: too much incentive and pressure from outside an activity can undermine the enjoyment it induces by itself. We soon find the pleasure of eating tasty food becomes work if we accept money for it. Extrinsic motivation replaces its intrinsic cousin.
Intrinsic motivation is internal motivation: motivation that comes from stimuli within the athlete. It is derived and supported by the satisfaction that comes from participation in activities such as exercise or sporting events. Motivation will, for example, increase for an athlete completing their first event, or winning their first trophy. Their perception of “what is success” will be important. One athlete may derive success from completing a marathon, while another may not. This may be because one perceives success as finishing the marathon, whereas the other may perceive it as winning or doing very well. The result of the race is not the stimuli – the attitude within the athlete is the stimuli.
Intangible rewards are those that we cannot be given, but that arise from within the person as feelings or values.
Extrinsic motivation
This is motivation that comes from external stimuli, primarily influenced by events or rewards outside of the person (not primarily influenced by any internal stimuli such as attitude).Tangible rewards can be important motivators. If a member of staff knows that if they do their job well, they will receive certain rewards; it can act as a powerful reinforcer. Tangible rewards include money, benefits, services and goods, winning a match, receiving a sponsorship deal and so on.
THINK ABOUT THE SUBTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION.
For some people, motivation seems to come easy. Maybe somewhere along the line, they learned to value achievement, and their central role in gaining it. Perhaps motivation, and the desire for increased productivity or success that drives it, have become internalised, so that their motivating ‘motor’ on always on. Many others, however, continually strive to become more motivated, to sustain their initial level of motivation as it wanes, or to motivate others. They might think of the obvious rewards (for example, improved health from stopping smoking; a promotion for working hard and being creative), but unless they have a good idea of what actually motives individuals, and what might de-motivate them, their approach to motivation will be based on stereotypes, assumptions and a lot of wishful thinking.
The key ingredient for successful motivation is awareness. This includes learning to become aware of what motivates a particular individual (including yourself), what de-motivates them, or inhibits their motivation, what environmental factors may be affecting motivation, the individual’s general attitude and beliefs about success and achievement, and other factors. In other words, to motivate others, you need to take a learning and enquiry approach to finding what works, and what doesn’t. Awareness also includes knowing why the task is worth doing well (or quickly and well), where it fits into the realisation of business, workplace, study or other goals, and what difference the motivation will make.
EBook to compliment this Course
An invaluable guide to the theories and practicalities of leadership – this fascinating in-depth guide helps to explain what makes a good leader and how the skill can be developed.
by the Staff of ACS
Leadership eBook course online. What makes a good leader? Is it an innate personality trait or a skill that can be aquired? This book is an excellent guide to the theories and practice of leadership. It is full of interesting facts about social dynamics and examples of leadership styles. For those who are curious or in need of some leadership skills, this book will provide both entertainment and advice.
Leadership is a two-way relationship and it is important to recognise this. If there are no followers, there is no leader. Leadership therefore involves the obedience and willingness of followers. Leadership is also based on good will and cooperation. Leadership can exist through force and threat, but a leader will not usually maintain this relationship for long. Leadership can also be specific to a certain situation.
There are differences between leadership and power.
Where leadership generally suggests that following the leader is optional, power suggests an ability to control or command others, where the person does not have the option to follow – they are either forced to follow, or are so overwhelmed by the power that they follow without thinking. When we think of historical leaders, we generally think of people that inspired others to greatness, such as Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi. If we think of people in history with a lot of power, we think of political dictators, or people such as Adolf Hitler, who had control over people without them necessarily having a choice. Power, of course, does not have to be a bad thing. In combination with high integrity, a leader with power can create the extraordinary.
In the home environment, the difference between power and leadership can be demonstrated in a different way – a baby has the power to change the behaviour of his/her parents, but this influence is not the same as leadership in the family.
Is there a specific personality that demonstrates that a person is a “great leader”? Whilst some personality traits lead to a natural inclination to be a leader, personality traits will not necessarily determine a person’s leadership aptitude.
A leader may also have other qualities such as superior tact, superior intelligence, superior strength, superior knowledge, superior oratory skills, or superior power. Some or all or none of these can lead to attaining leadership. These things may be important, but they are not necessarily essential. It is also the ability to set new goals and reach new expectations for themselves and for the group they influence.
CHAPTER 1 NATURE, SCOPE & SCALE OF MODERN LEADERSHIP
- What is leadership?
- The nature of leadership
- Leadership and group behaviour
- The roles of leaders
- Functions of leadership
- Leadership and motivation
CHAPTER 2 LEADERSHIP TOOLS
- Leadership training
- Personal skills
CHAPTER 3 LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS
- Introduction
- Modern contingency approach
- Leadership expectations
- Managing group values
CHAPTER 4 PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
- Introduction
- Group dynamics
- Problem solving
- Case study
CHAPTER 5 RECENT HISTORY OF LEADERSHIP
- Leadership styles
- Situational factors
- Decision making
- Conclusion
CHAPTER 6 CHOOSING A LEADER & LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
- Leadership selection criteria
- Types of leaders
- How people become a leader
- Risk factors
- Leadership opportunities
CHAPTER 7 CASE STUDIES
- Specific cases
- The dark side of leadership
- World leaders
Iona Lister
Leadership