I have several superstars on my team.
They each share one very special quality that I try to identify in every new hire:
Intrinsic motivation!
Intrinsic motivation comes from within. People with intrinsic motivation want to learn, take ownership of their responsibilities, and are driven by an internal desire to improve.
On the other hand, extrinsic motivation comes from the outside. Think of money, social approval, titles, and other forms of status.
Most successful people have both forms of motivation. They have an internal drive to improve constantly, and they land in a career that creates external motivations.
But internal motivation is much more powerful and lasting.
As leaders and employers, our job is to identify team members with intrinsic motivation and empower them by increasing their autonomy.
When people feel they have power over their own actions and outcomes, they’re much more likely to be intrinsically motivated to engage in them.
For workers, find a job that gives you autonomy. The extrinsic motivations (money, title, freedom) will come.
