Stuck in the Motivation Trap? Here's How to Break Free and Fuel Your Organisation's Success

Why External Motivation Isn't Enough for Long-Term Success...

You know exactly what your organisation wants to achieve.

The plan is in place, the steps are outlined, and everyone is moving forward.

But there are days (maybe more than you'd like) when motivation just isn’t there.

You find yourselves feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or questioning if this is really going to work.

And here’s the thing: It’s not that you don’t want to achieve your goals. It’s just that external motivation—whether it’s rewards, deadlines, or pressure—can only push you so far.

It's temporary.

The Four Drivers of Motivation: What’s Really Fueling Your Organisation’s Success?

Motivation is at the heart of every thriving organisation. It's what drives not only leaders but also teams to reach their potential, overcome challenges, and achieve goals.

But it’s not just about rewards or deadlines—there are four distinct drivers that shape how your team performs, reacts, and thrives.

External Negative. People are motivated by fear of loss of a job or relationship, insufficient respect from others, and financial and social pressures

Internal Negative. People are motivated by threat, fear of failure, inadequacy and insecurity.

External Positive. Inside organisations this means having a reward system in place. People are motivated by promotions, recognitions and rewards such as a pay raise. Having this driver can also mean having a great culture inside your organisation where friendship, bonding and appreciation are valued.

Internal Positive. People are motivated by challenge, desire, passion, satisfaction and self-validation.

At work, external motivators fulfil some of our core needs, such as significance, growth, money, and prestige.

You can be motivated by fear and reward, but they are just temporary.

The only permanent kind of motivation is what comes from ourselves.

Self-motivation is about relying more on your internal world to do the driving.

Your ability to motivate yourself will depend on your determination to break habits and patterns that no longer serve you, identify your strengths, and build healthy habits.

It may be challenging and uncomfortable, but the rewards are worth it because motivation impacts everything.

Unlocking Sustainable Success for Your Organisation

When organisations shift from relying solely on external motivators to fostering internal motivation, the impact is transformative. By focusing on self-driven motivation—where individuals are driven by passion, challenge, and personal satisfaction—organisations create an environment of lasting engagement and innovation.

When employees and leaders alike are motivated by a deeper sense of purpose, the entire organisation thrives.

Cheers,

Linda

If you found this helpful and want to learn more about how we can incorporate the right strategies to enhance your?team's?performance and?organisation’s?culture to reach greater heights, here are 4 ways I can help:

• Take the FREE Organisational Culture Assessment.?This assessment tool?is designed?to evaluate?various aspects of your?organisational?culture?including?employee engagement, performance, and mental?wellbeing. There are no right or wrong answers, just your opinion and assessment based on your experience and observation. It is for you to gain awareness of where your teams &?organisation?are?at,?and explore the best strategies to create the?high performing?culture you desire.?Click here to start the assessment.
• Book your FREE 30-Minute Leadership Strategy Session.?Every month, I open?up?my calendar for a handful of leaders to have a 1:1 session with me. On our call, we dive into actionable strategies?on how?to overcome the challenges that get in the way of your?team’s?self-leadership so you can cultivate, inspire?and?influence high performance within your teams.?There’s?only a limited number of spots, so?go?check if there are available spaces left —?Click?here
• Join our Self-Leadership Mastery Program and help your team learn?at their own pace.?The key to success, no matter what stage you are at in the leadership life cycle, is your?own?self-leadership. This program is designed for all – whether you are a long-term team leader or an emerging leader. If you have newly onboarded team leaders in your?organisation?who are new to self-leadership, this is the right course?to have.?Click here to find out more.
• Work with me privately.?If?you’d?like to work directly with?me and my team?to craft an?individualised?strategy for you so you can accelerate your?team’s?effectiveness...?just?send me a message with the word‘ACCELERATE’... introduce yourself, your career or business?and?your #1 roadblock when it comes to leading your team or?organisation, and?I’ll?get you all the details.