Theories Of Motivation In Leadership And Management

Analyse how theories of motivation may be applied in the practice of leadership

Many different motivation theories have been created and dissected over the past century in an attempt to understand human behaviour and answer the question: “what creates the force needed to do things we want to do?”

Wikipedia defines motivation as, “The general desire or willingness of someone to do something.” Motivation is a need within us that inspires us to take action. In leadership, motivation theories play a key part in organisational behaviour and creating team success. It forms the centre of influence and therefore effective and inspirational leadership.

To be in a position to motivate people, it is key to understand what actually motivates them in

Organisations can no longer choose if they want to engage with stakeholders or not; the only decision they need to take is when and how successfully to engage.

Stakeholder engagement is relevant to any type of organisation: business, public or civil society. It is particularly important in the context of running an organisation responsibly and is integral to the concept of Corporate Responsibility.

Stakeholder engagement is crucially different from stakeholder management: stakeholder engagement implies a willingness to listen; to discuss issues of interest to stakeholders of the organisation; and, critically, the organisation has to be prepared to consider changing what it aims to achieve and how it operates, as a result of stakeholder engagement.

Successful management is the art of optimising long-term benefits for the organisation based on reconciling sometimes disparate stakeholders’ wants and needs (investors, employees, customers, suppliers

This is appropriate for work involving serious safety risks or with large sums of money. Bureaucratic leadership is also useful for managing employees who perform routine tasks.

This style is much less effective in teams and organisations that rely on flexibility, creativity or innovation.

Charismatic leadership

Charismatic leadership resembles transformational leadership, both types of leaders inspire and motivate their team members.

The difference lies in their intent. Leaders who rely on charisma often focus on themselves and their own ambitions, and they may not want to change anything.

This feeling of invincibility can severely damage a team or an organisation.

Servant leadership

A servant leader is someone, regardless of level, who leads simply by meeting the needs of the team.

These people often lead by example. they have high integrity and lead with generosity. Their approach can create a positive corporate culture, and it can lead to high morale among team