The Motive - Patrick Lencioni
Ep. 01

The Motive - Patrick Lencioni

Episode description

In this episode, we take a look at Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Motive.

The book explores the two distinct motives that drive leaders: reward-centered and responsibility-centered leadership.

By focusing on the contrasting stories of Shay and Liam, two CEOs in the same industry, Lencioni discusses how a leader’s motive can impact not only their own effectiveness but also the success of the organizations they serve.

Recommended For

  • Aspiring leaders looking to understand the core motives that drive effective leadership.
  • Experienced managers who may have lost sight of what true leadership entails.
  • Anyone interested in organizational success and creating a positive impact through leadership.

Engineered and hosted by Guy Martin.

Music by Aleksey Chistilin of Lexin Music (Pixabay)

© 2023 Neolux Communications / Neolux Consulting ApS

Download transcript (.srt)
0:01

Guy: Imagine two individuals vying for the role of president of the United States. The firstof president of the United States. The first

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viewed the presidency as the ultimate validation of their inherent greatness. Landing the highestof their inherent greatness. Landing the highest

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office in the land, they relish the accompanying status, influence and power, using these perksstatus, influence and power, using these perks

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primarily to enhance their own comfort and lifestyle. In contrast, the second candidatelifestyle. In contrast, the second candidate

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sees their election not as an end, but as the beginning of an extraordinary opportunity. Withbeginning of an extraordinary opportunity. With

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the same status influence and power at their fingertips, they feel a profound sense offingertips, they feel a profound sense of

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responsibility to use these resources for the collective good of the nation. While the firstcollective good of the nation. While the first

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candidate shirks responsibilities like reading briefings, understanding legislation, engagingbriefings, understanding legislation, engaging

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with constituents and seeking wise counsel, the second does the opposite. They actively pursuesecond does the opposite. They actively pursue

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these tasks, aiming to be the most well-informed and effective leader they can be, regardless ofand effective leader they can be, regardless of

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the political leanings of those they govern. So given only their motives, which of thesegiven only their motives, which of these

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candidates do you think would make a more effective leader? Now, imagine these individualseffective leader? Now, imagine these individuals

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were competing not to lead a country, but your organization or even your own team. Who wouldorganization or even your own team. Who would

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you prefer at the helm?

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Guy: Welcome to the Best Business Bookshelf, a podcast that summarizes the main takeaways frompodcast that summarizes the main takeaways from

1:13

the best business books I've read. I'm Guy Martin, and I've been collecting, reading andMartin, and I've been collecting, reading and

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listening to business and self-development books for over a decade, and I've discovered there arefor over a decade, and I've discovered there are

1:22

a few that I keep on recommending to friends and colleagues. Maybe you'll find something usefulcolleagues. Maybe you'll find something useful

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too. On today's episode, The Motive by Patrick Lencioni.Lencioni.

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Guy: Patrick Lencioni is widely recognized for his leadership fables, such as the Fivehis leadership fables, such as the Five

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Dysfunctions of a Team. Death by Meeting, and more recently, The Six Types of Working Genius.more recently, The Six Types of Working Genius.

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If you're unaware of Patrick's style, these books typically start with a fictional storybooks typically start with a fictional story

1:47

where the main characters learn the concepts at the core of the book through a narrative example.the core of the book through a narrative example.

1:51

This makes them more interesting and accessible than just dry business texts. With the storythan just dry business texts. With the story

1:56

drawing us in and making us care about what happens next, the second, and usually muchhappens next, the second, and usually much

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shorter part reviews the fable, teases out the relevant lessons and themes, and goes intorelevant lessons and themes, and goes into

2:06

analysis of the decisions of the characters in the fable. The motive, released in 2020,the fable. The motive, released in 2020,

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introduces us to Shay and Liam, two CEOs at the head of competing companies in the same industry.head of competing companies in the same industry.

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One Shay is struggling to turn around their company, and in a candid conversation with Liam,company, and in a candid conversation with Liam,

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who runs the more successful company, discovers there may be a fundamental difference in theirthere may be a fundamental difference in their

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respective approaches to what it means to be a leader. In other words, what their motives areleader. In other words, what their motives are

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for leading.

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Guy: The central takeaway of the motive is that there are two motives for becoming a leader.there are two motives for becoming a leader.

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There's reward centred leadership and responsibility centred leadership. Rewardresponsibility centred leadership. Reward

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centred leadership views the role of a leader as a reward for past accomplishments. They have thea reward for past accomplishments. They have the

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status, money, power and influence because they've worked hard and deserve to reap thosethey've worked hard and deserve to reap those

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benefits without enduring discomfort or doing anything they don't want to do. On the otheranything they don't want to do. On the other

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hand, responsibility centred leadership sees being a leader as a responsibility. They have abeing a leader as a responsibility. They have a

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desire to serve others and make a positive impact on the people and the organisation itself.impact on the people and the organisation itself.

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The hard work continues and the work may be and probably will be difficult and challenging.probably will be difficult and challenging.

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Lencioni acknowledges that few leaders embody either extreme exclusively or so. Someeither extreme exclusively or so. Some

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exceptions do come to mind. Still, there tends to be a more dominant motive, and this canto be a more dominant motive, and this can

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directly linked to the success of a leader and in turn, the success of the organisation theyin turn, the success of the organisation they

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serve. These attitudes towards leadership are not set in stone, though. Once we recognise ournot set in stone, though. Once we recognise our

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own motives, we can work to change our behaviours and beliefs and move from being abehaviours and beliefs and move from being a

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rewards centred to being a responsibility centred leader.centred leader.

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Guy: The story of Shay and Liam -. The two CEOs of competing companies obviously show theof competing companies obviously show the

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contrasting motives of being a leader. It isn't just a description of how things are, though. Asjust a description of how things are, though. As

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the story progresses, we see lamb responsibilities ended, guiding Shay, the rewardresponsibilities ended, guiding Shay, the reward

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centered leader, to a different way of seeing things. Based on five themes that Lencionithings. Based on five themes that Lencioni

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frames as the five emissions of reward centered leaders, The great thing about the fable is thatleaders, The great thing about the fable is that

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we get to see a natural resistance from Shay's character that may not be too far removed from acharacter that may not be too far removed from a

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real reaction to some of the ideas. For example, the first theme that reward centered leadersthe first theme that reward centered leaders

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tend not to do is developing the leadership team. Many leaders will talk about building theMany leaders will talk about building the

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executive team, but when it comes to actually doing this, they'll delegate to H.R. or not evendoing this, they'll delegate to H.R. or not even

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do it at all. In the fable, Liam mentions that not everyone in these team are perfect, but it'snot everyone in these team are perfect, but it's

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his job as a leader to help them get better. Shay rebuts this with an argument I've heardShay rebuts this with an argument I've heard

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from actual leaders. "I hire adults. I hire competent people. I shouldn't have to coach them.competent people. I shouldn't have to coach them.

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I can't afford to spend all my time babysitting". To which Liam responds, "It's not babysitting.To which Liam responds, "It's not babysitting.

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It's management. And it's your job." The fable is like a role play of the principles Lencioniis like a role play of the principles Lencioni

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is proposing. It applies the theory in a practical, albeit fictional, situation. And wepractical, albeit fictional, situation. And we

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can inject ourselves or those we're coaching more easily in the lessons section about thismore easily in the lessons section about this

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theme. He offers some reflection and a call to action on what your motives are concerning thisaction on what your motives are concerning this

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idea. Each of the other formations are handled in the same way, pulling out the lessons fromin the same way, pulling out the lessons from

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the fable and then showing how to address this in an actionable way. Now, I don't want to spoilin an actionable way. Now, I don't want to spoil

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the book because it is an enjoyable read, but if you're anything like me, your curiosity isyou're anything like me, your curiosity is

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burning for these other formations. So first, as we already looked at, is developing thewe already looked at, is developing the

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leadership team. Number two is managing subordinates and making them manage this.subordinates and making them manage this.

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Lencioni says this is one of the most overlooked responsibilities of many leaders, ensuring thoseresponsibilities of many leaders, ensuring those

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subordinates that are people managers are actively managing their people. Sometimes thisactively managing their people. Sometimes this

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can lead to the third mission of reward centered leaders having difficult and uncomfortableleaders having difficult and uncomfortable

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conversations.

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Here we're treated to a few real life anecdotes of people Lencioni has worked with in the past.of people Lencioni has worked with in the past.

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Fourth on the list is running great team meetings. This could be surprising coming frommeetings. This could be surprising coming from

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the author of a book called Death by Meeting. But the problem isn't meetings themselves. It'sBut the problem isn't meetings themselves. It's

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bad meetings. Meetings that are tests of endurance rather than effective and engaging.endurance rather than effective and engaging.

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What's missed is that those with the power to transform a meeting are often the greatesttransform a meeting are often the greatest

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complainers about them. The analogy is made that leaders who view their meetings as a grind areleaders who view their meetings as a grind are

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similar to a doctor who sees surgery that way, or a teacher who considers class lessons a chore.or a teacher who considers class lessons a chore.

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Number five is communicating constantly and repetitively to employees. Lencioni suggestsrepetitively to employees. Lencioni suggests

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that the best leaders can see themselves as Chief Reminding Officers, they see redundancy inChief Reminding Officers, they see redundancy in

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their messages as far better than having employees that are uninformed. They remind ofemployees that are uninformed. They remind of

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the vision and the mission and the values of the organization to ensure there is alignment acrossorganization to ensure there is alignment across

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the organization.

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Guy: So why do I recommend this book? Lencioni stated that out of all his books, this is thestated that out of all his books, this is the

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one he recommends people read first as it covers the why of being a leader before even looking atthe why of being a leader before even looking at

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the how. If your reason for being a leader is for the rewards that may come with you will notfor the rewards that may come with you will not

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be a good or effective leader and will do a disservice to the organization. I've come acrossdisservice to the organization. I've come across

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plenty of people in my career where the rewards dominate the responsibilities. And for many,dominate the responsibilities. And for many,

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it's not that they're bad people. They just lost sight of why they ended up there. It's for thosesight of why they ended up there. It's for those

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people and for those that may be new to people management that I recommend this book to. We'remanagement that I recommend this book to. We're

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seeing more and more examples of leaders in the world with business leaders, political leadersworld with business leaders, political leaders

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or otherwise that are reward centered where the personality of the leaders outshines, andpersonality of the leaders outshines, and

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usually not in a positive way the organization they are leading CEO pay compared to the averagethey are leading CEO pay compared to the average

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salary of organizations they lead has skyrocketed in orders of magnitude, andskyrocketed in orders of magnitude, and

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politicians embroiled in corruption scandals on a daily basis. And we're getting numb to it all.a daily basis. And we're getting numb to it all.

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We're almost expecting and accepting our leaders are reward centered, and this is a problem. Weare reward centered, and this is a problem. We

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need more leaders like George Washington or Marcus Aurelius, leaders who willinglyMarcus Aurelius, leaders who willingly

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relinquished power to better serve their people.

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Guy: The former US ambassador to the UK, Matthew Barzun, knows this. And in the next episodeBarzun, knows this. And in the next episode

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we'll take a look at his work on the best Business bookshelf The Power of Giving AwayBusiness bookshelf The Power of Giving Away

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Power.

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Guy: Thanks for listening to the Best Business bookshelf. If you like this episode, pleasebookshelf. If you like this episode, please

8:24

subscribe using your preferred podcast platform. Engineered and hosted by me Guy Martin Music byEngineered and hosted by me Guy Martin Music by

8:30

Aleksey Chistilin from Lexin Music. This podcast is a production of Neolux Communications.is a production of Neolux Communications.