It is often said that when people are motivated, their motivation tends to move in three basic directions: achievement, affiliation, and power. These can also be understood as three motivational styles. Every person may have some element of all three, but one or two may be stronger depending on temperament, experience, and circumstances.
1. The Achievement Style
The first is the achievement-oriented person. When this person becomes motivated, there is a strong desire to accomplish something. They are interested in reaching goals and doing their best personally.
They tend to set careful and realistic goals and are willing to take calculated risks. They like to take responsibility for solving problems rather than waiting for someone else to do it. For them, the desire to complete a task and see the result can become a powerful source of motivation.
These people often ask, “What can we accomplish?”
2. The Affiliation Style
The second is the affiliation-oriented person. These people are motivated by relationships. They want to be with others, enjoy friendship, and value warm and meaningful interaction.
They are interested in getting along with people and creating a sense of belonging. They often care deeply about relationships and may be uncomfortable with isolation or separation from others. For them, being part of a community can be as important as accomplishing a particular task.
These people often ask, “Who are we doing this with?”
3. The Power Style
The third is the power-oriented person. These people are motivated by the desire to influence others and make a difference. They care about their reputation, position, influence, and the impact of their ideas.
They may naturally give advice, try to persuade others, and want their ideas to prevail. They have a strong desire to influence people and change behavior. Because of this, they can sometimes become controversial.
However, power itself is not necessarily negative. There can be two very different kinds of power.
One is personal power: “I win, and you lose.” This is the power of domination. It can appear in the desire for the biggest desk, the finest office, the strongest title, or the highest position. A person may use authority to make others dependent upon and obedient to them. Such leadership seeks personal dominance and can eventually treat people as objects to be controlled rather than as people of dignity and worth.
The other is socialized or positive power: “I win, and you win too.” This kind of power is used for the benefit of others and for the achievement of a shared purpose. It seeks to inspire people and move them toward action. It helps people discover and develop their abilities rather than using them merely as instruments.
The important question, therefore, is not simply whether a person has power, but how that power is used.
Three Styles Together
Every organization will contain people with these different motivational tendencies. One person may be strongly achievement-oriented, another relationship-oriented, and another strongly motivated by influence and impact.
Naturally, these styles can sometimes conflict with one another. The achievement-oriented person may think the affiliation-oriented person is too concerned with relationships. The affiliation-oriented person may think the achievement-oriented person is too task-focused. The power-oriented person may sometimes appear too controlling to both.
But this diversity is not necessarily a weakness. It can become a strength.
In fact, the healthiest organization may be one in which all three kinds of motivation are present and working together. Achievement helps the organization move toward its goals. Affiliation helps people remain connected and work together. Positive power helps people influence, inspire, and develop one another.
Looking back at my own experience, I can see that these three kinds of people have continually been present—from the beginning of the Institute to the University today. They have not always agreed with one another, and sometimes their differences have created conflict. Yet I have come to see that this diversity is part of what makes an organization alive.
The responsibility of the top leader is therefore not to make everyone the same. It is to understand different kinds of people and help each person contribute according to his or her strengths.
A good leader cares for the achievement-oriented person, builds relationships with the affiliation-oriented person, and guides the power-oriented person toward using influence for the good of others.
Ultimately, leadership is about bringing these different people together so that they can move toward the same goal and destination. The leader’s task is to help each person discover and develop his or her potential and, at the same time, to help the whole organization accomplish what it is called to do.
Different motivations do not have to divide us. When they are understood and directed toward a common purpose, they can become a source of organizational strength.