Leadership Motives

1. Exam Q: Discuss any three motives of successful Leader?

Exam Q: Discuss what are power motives of managers?
Effective leaders have frequently been distinguished by their motives and
needs.
In general leaders have an intense desire to occupy a position of
responsibility for others and to control them.
There are four motives that motivate them to lead.
All four of them can be considered task-related:
a)
b)
c)
d)

The Power Motive

The Drive and Achievement Motive
A Strong Work Ethic
Tenacity and Resilience

a) The Power Motive

Effective leaders have a strong need to control resources.
Leaders with high power motives have three dominant characteristics:
They act with vigor and determination to exert their power.
They invest much time in thinking about ways to alter behavior and
thinking of others; and
They care about their personal standing with those around them.
There are following two types of the power motive:
i.
ii.
i.

Personalized Power Motive

Socialized Power Motive
Personalized Power Motive
Leaders seek power for their personal interest.
They desire the trappings (accessories) of power, such as status symbols,
luxury, and money.
Their need for dominance can lead submissive subordinates who are
frequently sycophants (toadies, flatters) and yes persons.

Chapter # 2 Traits Motives and Characteristics of Leaders

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ii.

Socialized Power Motive

Leaders seek power to achieve organizational goals or a vision
Leaders use power for helping others that provide more effective
leadership.
Leaders with socialized power motives, in contrast to leaders with
personalized power motives are more emotionally mature.
Leaders with socialized power motive are less defensive, and are more
willing to accept expert advice.
They have longer-range perspective.
b) The Drive and Achievement Motive
Drive is a tendency (propensity) to put forth high energy towards achieving
goals and to be persistent (determined) in applying that energy.
Achievement is a desire to find joy in accomplishment of goals or their
vision that is need to achieve.
Entrepreneurs and high-level corporate managers usually have strong
achievement motivation.
c) A Strong Work Ethic
Effective leaders typically have a strong work ethic, a firm believes in the
dignity of work.
People with strong work ethic are well motivated because they value hard
work; not to work hard clashes with their values.
Strong work ethic helps organizational leader believe that the group task is
worthwhile (valuable, useful).
d) Tenacity and Resilience
Leaders are motivated to be tenacious and resilient.
Tenacity is important for leaders because it takes a long time to make
changes / do a new deal in a large organization.
The tenacious leader is resilient when they bounce back from a setback
through their continuous efforts.

Chapter # 2 Traits Motives and Characteristics of Leaders

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