Drive

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!