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In one of the more recent and influential books on motivation, New York Times best-selling author Daniel H. Pink argues against traditional convention. He outlines an interesting divide between what science has revealed and how organizations operate, pointing out that the traditional approach to incentives (raises, bonuses, etc.) has become outdated. Pink offers a new model focusing on the intrinsic components of motivation, including mastery, autonomy, and purpose.

Other authors, such as former White House Fellow Charles P. Garcia, have made a compelling case for the connection between the intrinsic model of motivation and leadership. Helping people to find meaning in their work—to feel like they make a difference and that they bring value—is a growing trend. 3M and Google, for instance, have each dedicated a percentage of time every week during which employees can feel free to do what they want. Without this incentivizing approach, the world may never have known about Scotch Tape or Gmail.

Within this paradigm shift, experienced leaders will recognize that extrinsic motivation still has a place. There should be a balanced incentives system, and that only happens with a combination of both approaches. The use of awards, promotions, and other external rewards is more ingrained in the business culture. Here are three items to consider from the other side of the coin:

  1. Offer a self-motivation template for others to emulate

Leaders must find ways to motivate themselves if they want to motivate others. Putting this into practice, however, is not always so clear cut. Motivation requires a special level of commitment and resolve. Each day should start with a renewed commitment to the big picture and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done on any given day. Self-motivated leaders keep their eye on the future.

Of course, not all of this drive needs to come from within. Some leaders benefit from finding a motivational quote and putting it in a prominent place. Perhaps that quote reminds you of a long-term objective—one that will take years to achieve—or maybe the phrase is just enough to inspire your efforts throughout the rest of the week. Either way, take advantage of external sources of inspiration.

Another great way to look outward is to find an accountability partner. This person might be your colleague, significant other, or a friend from your school days, but what is most important is that this person provides positive peer pressure.

Regular exercise will also help you to develop self-motivation. Maintaining an active routine with a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day will pay significant dividends. This type of activity affects your body chemistry, which can improve your mood and, by extension, your overall daily motivation.

  1. Observe individual behavior and thought patterns

Technology has made it possible for people to communicate from any distance, and this is one of the reasons why face-to-face meetings occur less frequently. Adopting a system of intrinsic rewards necessitates an opposite trend. Such meetings could take place between a leader and an employee or between an teamemployee and a consumer. Research shows that seeing how one’s efforts affect another person increases motivation and productivity.

Along with seeing firsthand results, face-to-face meetings open up opportunities to get to know others in ways that are not afforded by technology. Personal interactions can reveal all sorts of information about other individuals, such as how they think and what they value. For one personality type, seeing a role in tangible progress (such as numbers and graphs) will increase motivation, while another personality type might benefit most from having a voice in the mix of decision-making conversations. Others may not be so worried about public attention, and they may simply need the occasional compliment from a supervisor.

It may not be feasible for executive leaders to meet with every team member or employee one on one, in which case a manager could easily substitute and gain the same insights. From these meetings, leaders can develop an incentive plan to help employees find greater purpose in their day-to-day activities.

  1. Experiment with unconventional approaches, such as free pizza

Dan Ariely, another author on the subject of motivation, discussed a study completed at an Intel factory in Israel. In the study, a group of employees received three different incentive options: money, a compliment, or free pizza. Each employee chose a reward, and if they completed their daily tasks, they received the reward.

In comparison with a control group, which had no incentives, productivity initially increased the most with the free pizza offer (6.7 percent). Those who chose the money demonstrated decreased in productivity by roughly the same percentage in the long run. Overall, the greatest motivator proved to be the compliment.

In addition to unconventional research, leaders might consider experimenting with the unconventional advice of Oliver Burkeman: just give up. The British journalist uses this line of argument to point out the natural fact that expecting to be motivated at all times of the day is not realistic—and that’s fine. Trying to force it, he writes, can actually prove counterproductive. Burkeman thus advocates for staying active even in the absence of motivation, trusting that it will come with time.