Drive,
a motivation book written by Daniel Pink elaborates on the fundamental
concepts that “drive” us to do what we do and how we do it. Pink thoroughly
explains that our ability to perform tasks effectively are driven by our inner
needs (what will we get in the end). Pink builds the book on three main
concepts: autonomy,
mastery & purpose. He explains that without these fundamentals, humans have
no need to work, prosper or achieve any form of reward. In the end, autonomy,
mastery & purpose are what drives us to be who we are, it forms the basis
of businesses but most importantly it’s the motivational pieces that form our
leadership roles.
As a whole,
I really enjoyed reading the sections where Pink addresses the three main
elements. Below are the key points that Pink makes while explaining each
element and how they hold a role in any leadership/work environment-----
The first
element that Pink addresses is autonomy. Autonomy is having a sense of
independence or in other words, it’s the large scope of having freedom. Pink gives numerous examples of how autonomy is incorporated not only in our own
lives but more importantly along the lines of the business spectrum. For
instance, in chapter 4, he gives an example of a man named Gunther who launched
an autonomy based experiment at one of his companies, Meddius. Gunther
incorporated into the work environment “ROWE” which stands for results only
work environment. ROWE gives employees the freedom to work without a schedule.
I feel like this is conventional because it offers a sense of freedom from the
norm of the workforce. From my personal experience with working in groups, I’ve
noticed that this idea does function effectively. It allows members of a group
to achieve more because it takes the thought of stress off the table. Great
idea in my opinion!
Secondly,
the book addresses the element, mastery. Mastery is the ability to grasp a
certain ability, for instance, the mastery of Spanish. Mastery is what helps
drive us to compete and what helps us acknowledge what we are good at and how
far we can push ourselves. Within the chapter, the author points out that the
concept of “Flow” is an important aspect
of mastery. Flow is the idea that goals are meant to be clear and in reach.
Most importantly, the relational abilities of what a person can and cannot do
was perfect. Flow is the state where a person’s ability is just right to do the
job. No task is out of hand because a person is not qualified to obtain it.
While I was reading this, I felt that Pink does make a good point. As a leader,
you have to find out what are the strengths and weaknesses of others let alone
yourself so you can judge where to place people in certain situations, making
them feel that their talents are well utilized. This is what I think is key in
having good leadership skills.
Lastly,
there’s purpose. Purpose is the central thought behind everything (Why are we
here? What’s our goal? What’s the world to me?). Stated on page 132, the book
says, “ From the moment that human beings first stared into the sky,
contemplated their place in the universe, and tried to create something that
bettered the world and outlasted their lives, we have been purpose seekers.”
Purpose is what truly motivates each and every one of us to do the things that
we do on a daily basis. Whether it’s from going to work, school or working on
an art piece, our inner drive to do it is what pushes us to great lengths. With
purpose, comes goals and the impact it has on our lives. With the goals we set
for ourselves, we can see how it will affect us in the long run. Evidently, the
meaning of purpose is to help people understand that life is govern by what you
make of it what drives you to be the person that you are and how you get there.
This concept, I feel is strongly present in the whole leadership spectrum.
As I look
back to the key elements of the book, I’ve realized that the majority of what
Pink is saying corresponds to the aspects of leadership. If you take a look,
leadership is having the ability to lead others but nonetheless, be aware of
other social aspects that people may bring to the table. Pink formerly
introduces the thought of autonomy and how CEO’s of companies are utilizing the
idea to produce more productivity, the same thing goes for leadership. If the
leader of a group gives his/her followers more room to be independent, more
creative and productive thoughts would come out of the mix. Autonomy plays a
major part in leadership, by addressing the need to have freedom and the
ability to be able to grow. In a way, I think it’s a good part in the process
of forming new leaders.
Also, when I
read the sections on mastery and purpose, it helped me understand leadership
more clearly. To be a leader, one has to be driven, motivated and possess the
ability to help others in a positive way. However, in order to achieve this
glorified act, one has to have a purpose and set of mastery skills in order to
lead. Mastery is basically self explanatory, it’s the act of doing a task
perfectly with no hassles along the way. Purpose, is knowing what role a person
possesses. As pink explains, these are two of the three elements that helps
people understand themselves more clearly. I believe after reading this book
that leaders, let alone leadership, are based on a set of mastery skills that
serve a purpose in helping the lives of others.
Another
thing also comes to mind when I think about the books concepts. All of the
three are aspects that I experience in my own life, leadership wise or not. As
I think about autonomy coming from a leadership standpoint, I see the
importance it plays for giving others the room to grow and follow their own
path in a positive way. From my personal standpoint, I see autonomy being essential
because people are driven by independence
and having the choice to be given the right to make their own decisions versus
following a set of govern rules. Also, I use mastery and purpose in certain
leadership positions to more effectively help others. No one wants a leader or
person in charge who doesn’t have a clue what he/she is doing. I’ve come to a realization
that mastery is important because you can only lead by what you know very well and
what you are good at, and that’s the overall purpose you’re trying to achieve
when striving to help others.
Overall, I
really enjoyed reading this book because it has helped me realize that
leadership is built on core concepts and will always remain this way. Also, we
may not agree that many of us are leaders, but if you think about it, we are.
Some individuals are big leaders while others target a smaller group. This book
has really helped me understand what goes into leadership/high power roles in society
and has made me understand what it takes to achieve those positions.
Again, overall
great book!
