The Motive: Why So Many Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities by Patrick Lencioni is a must read for both current and prospective leaders everywhere. It is a call for leaders to examine their reasons for leading. To boil their leadership practice down and examine their hearts. A concept that is simple in theory, but challenging in practice. Lencioni has become known in leadership circles throughout the years for his easy to read fictional stories. Through which he teaches valuable leadership lessons that help cement his concepts into the minds of his readers. 

I was first introduced to leadership literature by my original mentor, my father, and then by another mentor, Jon McAloon. In my first year as a teacher, at the Fredericton Christian Academy, Jon gave me the The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. Which was an enjoyable and essential building block in my journey as a leader. If you have enjoyed or are intrigued by The Motive, do yourself a favor and add The Five Dysfunctions of a Team to your reading list. When I met with Jon this summer, it just so happened that he had recently read The Motive and wanted me to experience the book for myself. When I left our meeting that day, I was excited to read the title. I mean Jon McAloon x Patrick Lencioni, enough said! 

The Motive tells the story of Shay Davis, the CEO of a security company. Shay doesn’t know it, but his interactions with another CEO will lead him down a path involving numerous corrections to his concepts of leadership. The book paints a believable and at times predictable tale of learning unexpected lessons which can lead to improvement, even if those lessons are difficult to swallow. Lencioni boils leadership motives down to two categories, reward-centered and responsibility-centered. Leaders who are reward-centered feel entitled to their position and tend to avoid healthy habits which lead to healthy organizations. A few examples of healthy habits are: running precise meetings, building the leaders around you, and having difficult conversations. Leaders who are responsibility-centered do not shy away from healthy habits because their reason for leading is overwhelmingly selfless. Responsibility-centered leaders focus on serving others and doing the little things well. 

Lencioni (2020), summarizes the motive behind The Motive in this quote, “The Motive is the shortest and simplest book I’ve written to date, but I suspect that it may be the most important. That’s because the danger of leading for the wrong reason is so high, not only for individuals, but for society as a whole” (p. 169). 

While reflecting on The Motive here are some elements of the book that resonated with me. I have included reflection questions at the end of each paragraph for readers to digest each element:  

1) Invest in other leaders. “The leader simply must take personal responsibility for, and participate actively in, the task of building his or her team” (Lencioni, 2020, p. 142). One sign of a good leader is how meaningfully they invest in the development of other leaders. Ask John Maxwell (2012), he will tell you the same. Throughout my career I am thankful to have benefited from leaders pouring into my life: In Canada, Jon McAloon challenged me to develop by mentoring me, giving me leadership books, and encouraging me to find other mentors to learn from. In Bangkok, Karen Conwell and Stephen Ladas became some of those mentors. They were always willing to provide insights about school leadership in our meetings. In Hong Kong, Dr. K has given me the opportunity to lead the Tribe (homeroom) program which has helped to improve my systems thinking, problem solving, and vision. Also in Hong Kong, Dr. Modarelli has vastly expanded my view of school leadership through our meetings. Who in your circle of influence can you help to develop their skills and leadership this year? What action steps will you take in order to help them develop? 

2) Slippage is possible. “It is important to understand that even those who seem to have mastered responsibility-centered leadership are not immune from slipping. Because we human beings are fallible… even the best of us can slide almost unconsciously into reward-centered leadership” (p. 165). It is easy to get distracted and lose sight of why you are doing what you’re doing. Dreams and motivations for starting on a career path get left behind. Maybe your original dream was immature or unrealistic and has since changed. Maybe you’ve been comfortable in the same role for a long time and have forgotten your original inspiration. Or, maybe you’ve been promoted and are so bombarded with new demands that you’ve forgotten why you do what you do. No matter what is going on in your life that is clouding your “why”. It is worth hitting pause, and taking stock of why you do what you do. Are you off track? What are your heart’s desires? What are your best skills? Who are you responsible for in your role and how can you serve them/ your organization? 

3) Difficult conversations are… difficult. Lencioni (2020) says, “one of the main responsibilities of a leader is to confront, awkward issues quickly and with clarity, charity, and resolve” (p. 148). Meeting with someone to discuss their rude body language, asking a member of the team to show up on time, or to stop interrupting others can be tricky. In order for these conversations to be successful, they must be kind in nature, with a focus on giving the other person the benefit of the doubt, and emphasizing that you care for them. But, meetings like these are essential to establish or maintain organizational health. The truth is that relationships are messy, conversations are unpredictable, people have bad days, they might get upset or even offended, but if it results in behavior change and clearer expectations, then it will have been worth it. Are you willing to have difficult conversations in order to benefit your team or organization? In what ways will your team or organization improve because of the difficult conversations? How will you approach those conversations? 

References

Maxwell, J. C. (2012). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. HarperCollins Leadership. 

Lencioni, P. (2002) The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. Jossey-Bass. 

Lencioni, P. (2020) The Motive: Why So Many Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities. John Wiley & Sons.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. It was a pleasure spending time with you today.

Peace & Blessings, 

– Josiah