What drives and motivates people to perform and be successful?
As it turns out, it isn’t just money and recognition.
In his persuasive book Drive, Daniel H. Pink dares to unlock the truth about what
motivates us. He shows that there is a mismatch between what science knows and
what organizations do. The operating system that businesses currently operate on
is based around extrinsic incentives, carrot-and-stick motivators that don’t work
and often do more harm than good. This operating system is in need of an up-
grade, and many studies on motivation theory are paving the way toward a new
operating system Pink calls Motivation 3.0. This
new operating system is based on three elements:
Autonomy – the desire to be self-directed and in
control of our own lives; Mastery – the strong
impulse to keep improving at something that is
important; and Purpose – the urge to do some-
thing in the service of something greater than our-
selves. This book serves to show how organiza-
tions haven’t caught up with the new understand-
ings of how people are motivated to do what they
do, and attempts to work toward closing this gap.
Daniel H. Pink is an award-
winning author of several
books including the New
York Times bestsellers
Drive, To Sell is Human,
and A Whole New Mind.
He received his JD from
Yale Law School in 1991,
however, after deciding
not to practice law, he
decided to pursue work in
government. He served as an
aide to U.S. Secretary of
Labour Robert Reich and
acted as Vice President Al
Gore’s chief speech writer
from 1995 to 1997. He cur-
rently serves on the advisory
boards of RiseSmart, Better-
ment Institutional, Heleo, and
Hubspot (About Daniel Pink,
2018).
Summary in Brief
About the Author
Drive The Surprising Truth About
What Motivates Us
By Daniel H. Pink
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 R O B E R T N E M C K O
C O N T E N T S
Introduction 2
A New Operating
System
3
Why Carrots and
Sticks Don’t Work
4
When Carrots Do
Work
5
Type X and Type I
Behaviour
5
Autonomy 6
Mastery 7
Purpose 9
Critical Evaluation 10
E X E C U T I V E B O O K
S U M M A R Y
S P E C I A L P O I N T S
O F I N T E R E S T :
What science knows
and what organizations
do are misaligned
Our system of extrin-
sic motivation is in-
compatible with to-
day’s world
Motivation 3.0 is based
on three elements:
Autonomy, mastery,
and purpose
If harnessed, these 3
elements could help to
improve our organiza-
tions and our world
“For too long,
there‟s been a
mismatch
between what
science knows and
what business
does.” (p. 16)
Inside Story Headline
Inside Story Headline
Introduction: The Third Drive
Harlow’s monkey
experiment, 1949.
In 1949, Harry Harlow, a professor of
psychology, gave eight rhesus monkeys
mechanical puzzles to see how they
would react. During the experiment,
the monkeys became adept at solving
the puzzles without being taught and
without the reward of food, affection,
or praise. This challenged what scien-
tists knew about the two main drives
that fueled behaviour. The first drive
was the biological drive; the urge to
seek food, water, and opportunities for
reproduction. The second drive was to
seek external reward and avoid punish-
ment. This experiment posed some
interesting questions about motiva-
tional theory. Harlow proposed a novel
third drive: Intrinsic reward, which
came from the joy of the task. He
called this drive intrinsic motivation.
Even more peculiarly, when Harlow
offered raisins (extrinsic reward) to the
monkeys, their performance was dis-
rupted as their focus shifted from the
task to the reward. These findings
showed that intrinsic motivation was
efficient for facilitating learning. How-
ever, these ideas were largely ignored
as they posed a threat to the estab-
lished scientific understanding.
Twenty years later, Edward Deci, tried
another experiment with humans do-
ing puzzles over three days. He observed
that when money was offered to partici-
pants for completing the puzzles, they
became more interested in working to
solve them, however, when the reward
was removed, so too was their interest.
Meanwhile, participants who were offered
no money at all seemed to become more
engaged in the puzzles over the three
days. This experiment seemed to show a
surprising result: When money is used as
an external reward, it gave a short-term
boost, but reduced long-term motivation.
The subjects lost intrinsic interest. Re-
wards appeared to have a negative effect.
These experiments reveal some startling
results in regard to the power of the third
drive, intrinsic motivation, and challenged
the long-held assumptions that organiza-
tions had been operating on throughout
the ages: Give rewards, and the people
will get the work done. These experiments
and the numerous studies that followed,
instead, showed that extrinsic rewards,
short-term incentive plans, and pay-for-
performance schemes don’t work, and
indeed, may do more harm than good.
Instead, we have an inherent tendency to
seek novelty and challenges, and that this
third drive could be fostered to improve
organizations.
P A G E 2 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E
AZ Quotes
The Rise and Fall of Motivation 2.0
P A G E 3 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E
Like computers, Pink argues that
societies function on operating
systems, and as the hardware and
software they run become too
complex for the operating system
to manage, we are in need of an
upgrade. Fifty thousand years ago,
as hunters and gatherers, human
survival was based on the first drive,
the biological need to gather food
and flee danger: Motivation 1.0. As
our societies grew more complex,
the Motivation 1.0 operating system
became incompatible with how we lived
and worked. A second drive emerged
that took a carrot-and-stick approach to
motivate: Motivation 2.0. This new op-
erating system has been essential to
economic progress throughout the
centuries to motivate. To keep things
running smoothly, improve performance,
and increase productivity it rewarded
behaviour that was desired and punished
behaviour that was discouraged. It was
highly effective…until it wasn’t.
As the 20th century progressed, econo-
mies continued to become even more
complex, and the people within them had
to deploy new sophisticated skills. Moti-
vation 2.0 was met with resistance as the
idea that humans would remain inert
without rewards and punishments has
been challenged. The challengers asserted
that people have higher drives, that if
tapped, could benefit businesses. Our
Motivation 2.0 operating system is crash-
ing, and a full-scale upgrade is necessary.
The source of the problem lies in three
incompatibility problems.
In a time met with underachieve-
ment in business and technology
and employee disengagement, a
full-scale upgrade is needed…
Motivation 3.0 built on intrinsic
motivation.
2. How We Think About
What We Do
Motivation 2.0 assumes that hu-
mans are rational, robot-like profit
maximizers, however, economists
are starting to realize that this not
the case. Our behaviour is far
more irrational and complex.
People leave lucrative jobs they
don’t like to take on low-pay,
purpose-oriented jobs. People
take clarinet lessons despite
knowing that they won’t get paid
for doing so or find a mate. To
understand human behaviour, we
have to confront ideas that are at
odds with Motivation 2.0.
3. How We Do What We
Do
For many of us, jobs are becom-
ing more challenging, complex,
interesting, and self-directed
than in the past. They have
shifted from algorithmic tasks
(following a set of rules instruc-
tions to a single solution) to
more heuristic tasks
(possibilities need to be experi-
mented with to come up with a
novel solution). While Motiva-
tion 2.0 might work for algo-
rithmic tasks, it impairs perfor-
mance on heuristic tasks on
which modern economies de-
pend.
1. How We Organize What
We Do
New business models, like open
source projects are on the rise
and depend on intrinsic moti-
vation. How creative one feels
when working on the project,
the mastering of the challenge,
and the desire to give to the
community are the strongest
drivers in these projects. In
addition, “not-only-for-profit”
and social businesses that aim to
provide social benefits in lieu of
maximizing profits are shifting
the view of traditional busi-
nesses as profit maximizers to a
new entity of purpose maximiz-
ers that are unsuited to Motiva-
tion 2.0.
The 3 Incompatibility Problems
Intrinsic
motivation is
conducive to
creativity;
controlling
extrinsic
motivation is
detrimental to
creativity.”
(p. 31)
Part I: A New Operating System
(Readingraphics, 2017)
7 Reasons Why Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work
P A G E 4 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E
Motivation 2.0 operates on the assumption that if we reward
a behaviour, we get more of it and if we punish a behaviour
we get less of it. But, when we take into account the third
drive, strange things begin to happen. Of course, people re-
quire baseline rewards (adequate salary, contract payments,
benefits, and some perks) to motivate us and take the focus
off of unfairness and anxiety. However, after these needs are
met, carrots and sticks begin to take on the opposite effect of
what they are aimed to do. They give us less of what we want
and more of what we don’t want.
In a time met with undera-
chievement in business and
technology and employee dis-
engagement, a full-scale up-
grade is needed…Motivation
3.0 built on intrinsic motiva-
tion.
Intrinsic Motivation
By offering people contingent rewards or “if-
then rewards” (if you do this, then I will give
you that), people give up their autonomy and
it drains the enjoyment of an activity. They
turn play into work. Contingent rewards kill
the third drive. While an extrinsic reward
may boost productivity in the short term, it
results in a long term loss of interest and a
drop in intrinsic motivation.
Creativity
In experiments in which participants were
provided with creative, conceptual challenges,
it was found that extrinsic rewards resulted in
an increased time for subjects to complete
these challenges than those offered no re-
ward. Rewards narrowed the focus of the
participants. Teresa Amabile, performed a
study that rated the work of commissioned
and non-commissioned artists. The work of non-
commissioned artists was rated more creative than that of
the commissioned artists. The commissioned artists re-
ported feeling more constrained and that the art became
more work than joy. Intrinsic motivation is essential to
creativity while extrinsic motivation stifles it.
Good Behaviour
The effects of monetary incentives on doing good deeds is
clear when we look at a blood donation experiment per-
formed in Sweden. By offering pay to people who were
interested in donating blood, they donated over 20% less
than those who weren’t offered pay. Offering pay tainted
the altruistic act of donating blood and pushed out the
intrinsic incentive to do good.
Carrots and Sticks: The Seven Deadly
Flaws (p.50) 1. They strangle intrinsic motivation 2. They diminish performance 3. They destroy creativity 4. They push out good behaviour 5. They encourage unethical behaviour
6. They lead to addictive behaviour 7. They promote short-term thinking
Less of What We Want More of What We Don’t Want
Unethical Behaviour
Examples of how rewards lead to unethical behaviour are
numerous in the business world. Performance goals im-
posed by others can have dangerous consequences. When
extrinsic reward is applied, some people choose the
quickest route and take shortcuts, even if it is the low road.
But, sticks can punish bad behaviour, right? Not quite. A
study in Israel found that when a fine was imposed on late
pickups at daycares, the frequency nearly doubled. Parents
had an intrinsic interest to treat caretakers fairly, however,
a late pickup penalty created a transaction: pay for extra
time. The penalty crowded out good behaviour.
Addiction
To observe how rewards lead to addictive behaviour, one
just needs to walk into a casino. The pursuit of reward leads
to poor decision making and risk-seeking behaviour. Re-
wards behave like drugs; at first, they create pleasure, but
the pleasure soon dissipates and one requires larger and
more frequent doses. The principal-agent theory tells us
that once rewards are applied to completing a task, soon
larger rewards will be required to produce the same effect.
Short-term thinking
Financial incentives and performance goals cause myopic
focus on short-term gains and the loss of sight of long-term
consequences. The 2008 financial crisis demonstrates this
devastating impact clearly as the focus on the short-term
gains ignored the long-term effects. Extrinsic motivators
reduce the depth of thinking and produce a focus on the
immediate. Companies that spend time focusing on quar-
terly earnings show lower growth rates in the long term.
Extrinsic rewards trigger people to work for the reward,
but go no further.
“Mechanisms
designed to
increase
motivation can
dampen it.
Tactics aimed at
boosting
creativity can
reduce it.
Programs to
promote good
deeds can make
them disappear.”
p. 33
When Carrots and Sticks Do Work
P A G E 5 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E
Carrots and sticks are not all bad as
they have been around for a long
time and have worked, but the need
for them has become outdated.
Rewards offer a boost of motivation
for routine tasks that are uninter-
esting and lack the need for crea-
tivity. Intrinsic motivation can’t be
extinguished for these types of tasks
as there is little intrinsic motivation
involved. Rewards help with routine
tasks when three practices are kept
in mind:
* Provide a rationale for why the task is necessary
* Acknowledge that the task is boring to show empathy
* Allow people to complete the tasks in their own way
without strict instructions
Rewards should be avoided or downplayed for conceptual tasks
with a greater emphasis on autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Organizations need to offer baseline rewards such as fair and
adequate wages and benefits and a congenial workplace to take
rewards off the table. When teams have autonomy with an
opportunity to pursue mastery and duties related to a larger
purpose in place, the best strategy is to provide a sense of
urgency and significance and then get out of the way. A delicate
use of extrinsic rewards can
boost performance when ap-
plied carefully. Extrinsic re-
wards should be unexpected
and offered after completion of
the task. This shifts the “if-
then” contingent reward to a
“now-that” reward (now that
the task is successfully com-
plete, let’s celebrate with this).
Two more guidelines can help
with providing rewards. First
consider nontangible rewards
such as praise and positive
feedback. Second, provide
useful information, which are
enabling motivators that are
conducive to creativity.
Type X and Type I Behaviour
The Motivation 2.0 operating system relies on and pro-
motes what Pink calls Type X behaviour (X for extrinsic). It
is fueled by extrinsic desires, external rewards and depends
on the second drive. On the other hand, the Motivation 3.0
operating system is based on Type I behaviour (I for in-
trinsic). It is fueled by intrinsic desires, the inherent satis-
faction of performing an activity; the third drive. For type I’s
the freedom, challenge and purpose of the task is the main
motivator. To strengthen organizations and get beyond
underachievement within them, we need to shift our be-
haviour from Type X to Type I with a few distinctions to
keep in mind.
Type I behaviour is made, not born.
Type I’s almost always outperform Type X’s in the long run.
Type I behaviour does not disdain money or recognition.
Type I behaviour is a renewable resource.
Type I behaviour promotes greater physical and mental well-
being.
Type I behaviour depends on autonomy, mastery and pur-
pose. They are more self-directed, devoted to becoming
better at something that matters, and connect the task to a
greater overall purpose. Type I behaviour is critical to
professional, personal, and organizational success. The
science is in and it points to this valuable distinction.
“Greatness and
nearsightedness
are incompatible.
Meaningful
achievement de-
pends on lifting
one’s sights and
pushing toward the
horizon.” (p. 50)
Image from: Ranger4 DevOps
Autonomy: The First Element
P A G E 6 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E
“[J]ust consider the
very notion of
„empowerment.‟ It
presumes that the
organization has the
power and benevolently
ladles some of it into
the waiting bowls of
grateful employees. But
that‟s not autonomy.”
(p. 31)
Part II: The Three Elements
Motivation can be either controlled (pressure and demand
for outcome is external) or autonomous (based on full
volition and choice). When managers control motivation,
they presume that extrinsic rewards and punishments will
move us forward, but this is not fundamental to human
nature. Instead it switches our default setting away from the
autonomous beings that we are. Autonomous motivation
promotes greater conceptual understanding, improved
performance, increased persistence, reduced burnout, and
enhanced psychological well-being. Management is a tech-
nology and like Motivation 2.0, it needs fixing. Businesses
that revolve around supervision and “if-then” rewards are behind
the science. When bosses listen to employees’ point of view, give
meaningful feedback, provide choice over what to do and how,
and encourage new projects, it leads to greater job satisfaction,
enhanced performance, increased growth of the organization,
and reduced turnover.
Autonomy is an essential feature of work in four ways: What
people do (task), when they do it (time), how they do it
(technique), and whom they do it with (team). Type I behaviour
emerges when people have autonomy over these factors.
1. Task
The Australian software company Atlassian introduced a new
idea they termed “Fed-Ex days”, in which the employees had
24 hours to work on any project they wanted and deliver
their ideas by the next day. This burst of creativity and free-
dom gave birth to a multitude of ideas for new products and
software fixes. The success led to “20% time” in which em-
ployees spent 20% of the work week working on what they
want
This idea had been done before at 3M and led to innovations
like Post-It. Google implemented “20% time”, which led to the
birth of Google News, Gmail, and Google Translate. Initiatives
like Fed-Ex days and 20% time give autonomy over task, and
this is a key to Motivation 3.0. They have costs, but they
deliver new ideas, reduce turnover, and create highly moti-
vated employees who want to perfect and improve.
2. Time
Few lawyers seem to exemplify Type I behaviour and a large
part of the reason why is the autonomy-crushing billable
hour. The billable hour steers focus away from output
(solving problems) to input (piling hours) to increase profits.
However, Motivation 3.0 has no place for the billable hour.
For non-routine tasks, law included, the link between how
much time one spends and what is produced is irregular and
unpredictable. Measurable goals based on time destroy
intrinsic motivation and individual initiative and promote
unethical behaviour.
The 4 Essentials of Autonomy
(Readingraphics, 2017)
The Art of Autonomy
P A G E 7 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E
“[Motivation 2.0] doesn‟t mesh with the way many new
business models are organizing what we do because we‟re
intrinsically motivated p”
(p. 31)
We all need autonomy, but encouraging autonomy doesn’t mean
discouraging accountability. Motivation 3.0 assumes that people
want to be held accountable and by having their own control over
task, time, technique and team is the direction to this aim.
However, a transition from control to autonomy is not a simple
feat. It requires scaffolding and support to find level ground in an
autonomous environment. Different people prefer different
aspects of autonomy (ie. Task or time), and the best strategy is to
figure out what works best for each individual.
3. Technique
Call center reps have little decision latitude in how they do
their work and call times are often tightly monitored. These
jobs have a turnover rate more than twice the national aver-
age in the U.S. and U.K. Tony Hsieh at Zappos has a very
different approach. New customer service reps are trained
and then offered $2000 to leave if they don’t like it. He is
hacking Motivation 2.0 to weed out those who don’t fit into
his Motivation 3.0-style workplace. The employees have
autonomy over how they handle the calls, and they are not
monitored. The result is minimal turnover and Zappos has a
reputation for being one of the best companies for customer
service. Other companies, like JetBlue, are “homeshoring”
allowing customer service reps to work from home. One of
these companies is JetBlue, and like Zappos, it has become
renowned for customer satisfaction. Productivity and job
satisfaction are higher in these arrangements due to more
comfort and less monitoring. Furthermore, this arrangement
deepens the talent pool as more people with college degrees,
disabilities, and families line up for the jobs. Many other
companies are following this route seeing the benefits of
giving autonomy over technique.
4. Team
Many organizations are also discovering the benefits of of-
fering freedom for people to choose whom they work with.
For example, at Whole Foods the team members vote on
whether to hire a new employee full time after a trial period.
At Gore and Associates, if one wants to lead a team, they
must first find people to work with them themselves.
The 20% time offered at some companies like Google has cut
through the organizational chart to put together self-
organized teams. When built autonomously, these teams can
turn companies around. Research shows that when people
work in self-organized teams, they are more satisfied than in
an inherited one.
The 4 Essentials of Autonomy (cont.)
“We‟re born to be
players not pawns.
We‟re meant to be
autonomous
individuals, not
individual automatons.
We‟re designed to be
Type I.” (p.86) Mastery: The Second Element Control and autonomy sit on opposite poles, and point in
different directions. While control points in the direction
toward compliance, autonomy points in the direction toward
engagement. This key difference leads to the second element
of Type I behaviour: Mastery – the desire to get better and
better at something that is important to you. Mastery is es-
sential to make one’s way through today’s economy. Solving
complex problems requires inquiring minds and the willing-
ness to experiment with fresh ideas. Engagement is the route
to mastery.
Psychologist, Csikszentmihalyi studied creativity and play and
observed what he called “flow”. He postulated that the most
satisfying moments in life were in a state of flow in which goals
are clear, feedback is immediate, and the relationship between
what we had to do and what we could do is perfect. In a state of
flow we are autonomous and engaged, and the effort is the re-
ward. Some companies have begun to realize that creating flow-
friendly environments that help people move to mastery en-
hances productivity and job-satisfaction. When tasks exceed
one’s capabilities, it leads to anxiety, while if they undermine
one’s capabilities it leads to boredom. “Goldilocks tasks” that
balance what we must do with what we can do trigger the expe-
rience of flow.
Flow is essential to mastery, but doesn’t guarantee it as flow
happens in a moment while mastery spans a timeline of months,
years, or decades. How can we move ourselves toward mastery?
The findings of behavioural scientists suggest that mastery abides
by three laws.
Mastery: The Oxygen of the Soul
P A G E 8 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E
“[Motivation 2.0] doesn‟t mesh with the way many new
business models are organizing what we do because we‟re
intrinsically motivated p”
(p. 31)
Mastery Is a Mindset
Psychology professor Carol Dweck has done some ground-
breaking research in motivation and achievement. Her signa-
ture finding is that what people achieve is shaped by what they
believe. Dweck proposes that people can hold two different
“self-theories” with regards to their intelligence.
Those who have an “entity theory” believe that
intelligence exists within in us in a fixed quantity
that cannot increase. On the other hand, those
who hold an “incremental theory” believe that
intelligence can be increased with effort, there-
fore, educational and professional encounters
provide opportunity for growth. To incremental
theorists, effort is positive since working hard
and exerting yourself is a way to get better, and
only this will lead to mastery.
Dweck’s insights outline the behavioural dis-
tinctions between Motivation 2.0 and Motiva-
tion 3.0. Type I behaviour maintains an incre-
mental theory of intelligence that views effort as
a welcomed means to improve.
Mastery Is a Pain
Researchers went to the United States Military Academy at
West point to understand why some students continued the
grueling path toward military mastery while others dropped
out the first chance they got. The best predictor of success
was not physical ability, intellect, or leadership ability; it was
“grit” –perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Mas-
tery of any skill requires effort, which is often difficult, ex-
cruciating, and all-consuming. And this effort requires grit.
Flow also comes in here. If people are aware of what puts
them in flow, they will have a clearer idea of what they should
dedicate themselves to master. Mastery involves a lot of
work, sometimes with little improvement, but a few mo-
ments of flow can pull one through the hard times.
Mastery Is an Asymptote
In mathematics, an asymptote is a line that a curve ap-
proaches but never reaches. Mastery is like this as it is im-
possible to fully realize. The best of the best in all fields
pursue mastery, and are constantly looking to improve. So
why pursue something that can never be attained? That is the
allure of mastery, that the joy is in the pursuit rather than the
attainment.
The 3 Laws of Mastery
According to Pink, people are more likely to reach a state of
flow at work rather than in their leisure time. When work is
structured to have clear goals, immediate feedback, and the
challenge is well suited to our capabilities, we don’t just
enjoy the work more, but we do it better. Pink states that it
is odd that more organizations
deprive people of these experi-
ences. By providing more
“Goldilocks tasks “ and looking
for ways to unleash Motivation
3.0, organizations can help not
only to enrich people’s lives, but
support their own cause. Chil-
dren move from one flow mo-
ment to another with a mindset
of growth and dedication. Then
it is gone. Csikszentmihalyi ex-
plains that, “You start to get
ashamed that what you’re doing is childish” (p.103). This is
a huge mistake as we should all be seeking out opportuni-
ties for flow.
It would be an
impoverished
existence if
you were not
willing to
value things
and commit
yourself to
working
toward
them.” (p. 31)
“In the end, mastery attracts precisely because
it eludes.” (p. 101)
“Once we realize that the
boundaries between work
and play are artificial, we
can take matters in hand
and begin the task of
making life more
livable.” (p.103)
Purpose: The Third Element
P A G E 9 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E
Autonomy and mastery form the
first two legs of the tripod, but the
third, purpose, is necessary for bal-
ance. Autonomous people in pursuit
of mastery perform at high levels,
but those who perform in the ser-
vice of a greater objective can ac-
complish even more.
Motivation 2.0 doesn’t recognize
purpose as a motivator as it is cen-
tered on profit maximization. It neglects
a very part of what makes us human:
Seeking purpose. While the profit motive
is powerful, it is insufficient for individu-
als and organizations. Motivation 3.0
doesn’t discard profits, but it emphasizes
purpose maximization equally. The pur-
pose motive exists in three realms of or-
ganizations: Goals, words, and policies.
respond to questions about the company. “They”
companies and “we” companies have vast differences.
And it’s the “we” companies that fall into the Motiva-
tion 3.0 category.
Policies
The policies that businesses implement turn the words
that they use into the goals they aim to achieve. Many
organizations have devoted a great deal of time and
effort to form corporate ethics guidelines during the
last decade. Despite this, unethical behaviour hasn’t
declined. When people who are intrinsically motivated
to behave ethically because “it’s the right thing to do”
are presented with a checklist of ethical standards,
they now have extrinsic motivation to check all the
boxes so the company doesn’t get sued. They might
meet the minimal ethical standards to avoid punish-
ment, but the purpose of ethics has been lost. A better
strategy is to recruit the power of autonomy for pur-
pose maximization.
Psychologists and economists are finding a weak cor-
relation between money and happiness. The way that
people spend their money might be just as important
as how much they earn. This suggests that companies
might improve their policies and employee emotional
well-being by offering less “if-then” incentives and
allowing employees to control how the organization
gives back to the community through charitable dona-
tions on their behalf.
1. Goals
Blake Mycoskie launched TOMS shoes in 2006. Its
website defines it as “a for-profit company with giving
at its core”. Its business model is unique in that every
time it sells a pair of shoes, it gives another pair to a
child in a developing country. TOMS is not alone in its
purpose maximizing aims. It is being joined by a host
of other “for benefit” organizations, B corporations,
and low-profit limited-liability corporations that are
recasting the goals of traditional businesses. These
Motivation 3.0 companies are becoming more preva-
lent as a new class of businesspeople seek purpose
with the same zeal that economic theory states that
entrepreneurs seek profits.
2. Words
In the spring of 2009, while the world was in the midst
of an economic crisis, a group of Harvard students
made a plan and put together “The MBA Oath”. It is
like a Hippocratic oath for business graduates that
pledges their loyalty to purpose above profits. The
conduct and words of this oath lean more toward pur-
pose maximization and deliver the essence of Motiva-
tion 3.0. The words of business like ‘efficiency’,
‘advantage’, and ‘value’ are being joined by words like
’truth’, ‘justice’, and ‘honour’.
Former U.S. Labour Secretary, Robert B. Reich has an
effective way to measure the health of company that
he calls the ”pronoun test”. When he visits a work-
place, he listens for the pronouns employees use to
The 3 Realms of Purpose
“A healthy society – and
healthy business organizations
– begins with purpose and
considers profit a way to
move toward that end or a
happy by-product of its
attainment.” (p. 115)
Critical Evaluation
Conclusion
The science shows that old carrot-and-stick motivators are effective only in a select
few circumstances. The “if-then” rewards of the Motvation 2.0 operating system are
destroying the high-level, creative, conceptual abilities that are essential to our eco-
nomic and social progress. The secret to high performance, the science is revealing, is
our deep-rooted need for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Bringing our businesses
up to speed with our modern understanding of motivation is difficult, but repairing
this gap between what science knows and what organizations do is indispensible.
“It’s an affirmation of our humanity” (p. 116).
P A G E 1 0 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E
T H E T Y P E I
T O O L B O X
9 W A Y S T O I M P R O V E
Y O U R O R G A N I Z A T I O N
Try “20% time” with training
wheels
Encourage peer-to-peer
“now that” rewards
Conduct an autonomy audit
Take 3 steps toward giving
up control:
Involve people in goal-
setting
Use noncontrolling
language
Hold office hours
Discover what colleagues believe is the purpose of the
organization
Use Reich’s pronoun test
Design for intrinsic motiva-
tion
Promote “Goldilocks tasks”
for groups
Try out a Fed-Ex day
Drive is a truly thought-provoking and engaging book. Daniel Pink’s writing style is insightful,
humourous, provocative, and easy to read. To highlight his insights, he references numerous
experiments and real world examples that emphasize the shortcomings of the carrot-and-stick
approach and the triumphs of Motivation 3.0. By pointing out the research, he makes a
stronger case for the significance of transitioning how we motivate people within our organi-
zations. A lot of the research cited is counterintuitive, however, and I felt that some points
required further explanation or theorizing. For example, one experiment pointed out that
higher rewards led to weaker performance. Why is this? Pink leaves the reader begging for a
clear explanation for how this could be true as it goes against most people’s common sense.
This is where he fell short, in my opinion. Regardless, I would highly recommend this book to
anyone in a leadership position or in any position that has opportunities to motivate and affect
others’ performance in their work or personal lives.
While reading, I was compelled to step back and look at my own workplace to see how au-
tonomy, mastery, and purpose are promoted to achieve high performance and where im-
provements are needed. I think educators are granted a lot of purpose and opportunities for
mastery that can be harnessed, however, I feel that autonomy can often be neglected through
strict curricular guidelines. Also, as a leader in the classroom, I couldn’t help but to reflect on
how I implement these ideas to motivate my students and consider how I can make adjust-
ments to provide greater opportunities for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. The Type I
Toolkit at the end of the book was a bonus to build ideas to become a more effective motivator
and leader. Another concept that resonated with me was “flow”. I was forced to examine how
often I have had these experiences in my professional and personal life and how they have
moved me toward mastery in my endeavours. It is a concept that I will certainly consider more
closely to take advantage of these flow opportunities for higher achievement.
While Pink didn’t make direct reference to transformational leadership, many of the ideas
presented in his book reflected this approach. Northouse (2016) states that transformational
leadership places an “emphasis on intrinsic motivation and follower development, which fits
the needs of today’s work groups, who want to be empowered and inspired to succeed” (p.
161). Pinks insights on the three elements of Motivation 3.0 (autonomy, mastery, and purpose)
nicely align with this view. Pink’s ideas on Type I behaviour also tie into transformational
leadership’s concern with emotions, values, ethics, standards and long-term goals, while Type
X behaviour ties to transactional leadership with its emphasis on contingent rewards and
negative reinforcement (Northouse, 2016). Through Daniel Pink’s insights, people could cer-
tainly be transformed to make their work a better expression of themselves.
Q U E S T I O N S F O R
C O N S I D E R A T I O N
How can leaders begin to make
the transition toward autonomy,
mastery, and purpose? Would
they want to?
Are people prepared to make
this transition? How can they
become more prepared?
How would Motivation 3.0 im-
prove your organization or prac-
tice?
How can our work environments
be changed to promote more
engagement?
Is Motivation 3.0 overly idealistic?
About Daniel Pink. (2018, January 11). Retrieved February 21, 2018, from http://www.danpink.com/about/
Northouse, P. G. (2016). In Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Pink, D. H. (2012). Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.
References
Check out Daniel Pink’s Ted Talk:
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation