The Motive - Patrick Lencioni

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

you prefer at the helm?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

for leading.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

conversations.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

the organization.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

relinquished power to better serve their people.

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

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

Power.

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

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

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