The Motive

About the Author

Patrick Lencioni is the founder and president of The Table Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping leaders improve their organizations’ health. Since its inception in 1997, The Table Group has worked with leaders from a diverse array of organizations, including multinational corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, professional sports teams, the military, nonprofits, schools, and churches. Lencioni has authored 11 business books, with nearly 7 million copies sold worldwide. His work has been embraced by leaders around the globe, and his principles have been adopted across various industries to foster healthier and more effective organizations.

Main Idea

The Motive by Patrick Lencioni is a leadership fable that explores the true motivations behind why individuals seek leadership roles. Through the narrative of Shay Davis, CEO of Golden Gate Security, and his interactions with Liam Alcott, CEO of a rival company, the book delves into the essential responsibilities that many leaders overlook due to misguided motives. Lencioni emphasizes that true leadership is about serving others and the organization, rather than seeking personal rewards. He outlines the detrimental effects of reward-centered leadership and provides actionable advice for leaders to reassess their motives and adopt a service-oriented approach.

Table of Contents

1. The Fable
2. The Two Leadership Motives
3. The Five Omissions of Reward-Centered Leaders
4. Developing the Leadership Team
5. Managing Subordinates
6. Having Difficult and Uncomfortable Conversations
7. Running Great Team Meetings
8. Communicating Constantly and Repetitively to Employees
9. Conclusion

The Fable

The story begins with Shay Davis, the newly appointed CEO of Golden Gate Security, who is struggling to make a significant impact despite the company’s solid profit margins. Feeling the pressure to turn things around, Shay reluctantly reaches out to Liam Alcott, the CEO of All-American Alarm, a more successful competitor. Despite their rivalry, Liam agrees to meet with Shay and share insights he has gained from working with a consulting firm, Lighthouse Partners.

The narrative unfolds as Liam challenges Shay to reevaluate his approach to leadership. Through a series of candid conversations, Liam reveals that effective leadership involves embracing uncomfortable tasks and responsibilities that many leaders tend to avoid. The fable illustrates the stark contrast between reward-centered leaders, who see their roles as a reward, and service-oriented leaders, who view leadership as a responsibility and a sacrifice.

The Two Leadership Motives

Lencioni identifies two primary motives that drive leaders:

• Serving Others: Leaders motivated by a genuine desire to serve others are willing to make sacrifices and endure discomfort to benefit their team and organization. They understand that leadership is about responsibility, not personal gain.
• Seeking Rewards: Leaders who are driven by the desire for personal rewards, such as status, power, and money, often avoid the challenging and less glamorous aspects of leadership. This self-centered approach can harm the organization and its people.

The book emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and encourages leaders to reflect on their true motivations. By adopting a service-oriented mindset, leaders can foster healthier, more productive organizations.

The Five Omissions of Reward-Centered Leaders

Reward-centered leaders tend to neglect certain critical responsibilities, which Lencioni categorizes into five key omissions:

1. Developing the Leadership Team
2. Managing Subordinates
3. Having Difficult and Uncomfortable Conversations
4. Running Great Team Meetings
5. Communicating Constantly and Repetitively to Employees

Each of these omissions is explored in depth, highlighting the negative impact on the organization and providing practical advice for leaders to address these areas.

Developing the Leadership Team

One of the most common mistakes made by reward-centered leaders is delegating or completely abdicating the responsibility of developing their leadership team. Effective team development requires the leader's active participation and personal responsibility. This often involves emotional and uncomfortable conversations, which many leaders prefer to avoid.

"Few leaders, even the good ones, look forward to those awkward moments and prefer to let others deal with them." - Patrick Lencioni

Lencioni argues that leaders must embrace team development as an indispensable discipline. Ignoring this responsibility can prevent the organization from reaching its full potential and cause unnecessary suffering for team members. Examples of effective team development include: