3 Big Motivational Needs as Leaders

What are your Motivational Needs-- they reflects how we think and what we want. David McClelland, a psychologist proposes 3 primary needs that success seekers will try to satisfy, namely "power", "Achievement", and "Affiliation".

#1. Power
This motivation reflects one's need to be influential and able to control and sway others. It is "leadership" in essence.

#2. Achievement
This motivation reflects the drive to excel, and accomplish. One will take challenge and even risk to meet the goals. Some traits for the people motivated by achievement

• care about achievement more than material reward, status, and security
• constantly try to improve
• like flexible job that can set own goals
• love feedback that are accurate
• set realistic goals

3. Affiliation

This motivation reflects the desire for cooperative relationship and alliances with others that are of same interests and understanding. You love a great team with you!

Implication:

1. Knowing your motivation helps you understand how you think, why you do the things you do, and why is might be different from others

2. You could also understand other's motivations and their behavior and adjust and adapt yours accordingly to achieve bigger win

Personally, I am dominantly "Achievement" motivated. I love to improve things and methods, and set targets that I would achieve otherwise feeling down. I appreciate honest feedback, and providing  honest feedback to others to help them gain perspectives.


In an organization of course there will be mixtures of personalities with different personality needs, and being able to see where others are coming from, and how are you motivated, can help you to adapt to successful communication and working dynamics.

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