Why Motivating People Doesn't Work . . . and What Does: The New Science of Leading, Energizing, and Engaging

Top trainer and coach Susan Fowler urges leaders to stop trying to motivate people! It’s frustrating for everyone involved, and it just doesn’t work—not if you want a genuine commitment to excellence. Applying recent, often surprising psychological discoveries, she lays out a tested process for helping people motivate themselves in ways that not only increase productivity and engagement but also give them a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Traditional carrot-and-stick techniques may result in temporary gains, Fowler argues, but once the bribe or the threat is gone, people’s commitment flags. And these kinds of techniques make people focus more on the reward or the punishment rather than on their jobs. Her Optimal Motivation process shows leaders how to move away from dependence on external rewards and help employees discover how their jobs can meet their needs for autonomy, connection, and competence that psychology tells us result in true, long-lasting motivation. Susan Fowler’s book is the groundbreaking answer for leaders who want to “get motivation” right!

Foreword and afterword author Ken Blanchard is chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies. He is the author or coauthor of more than sixty books.

Susan Fowler has over thirty years’ experience as a researcher, consultant, and coach in over thirty countries around the globe in the field of leadership. She is the creator and lead developer of The Ken Blanchard Companies’ Optimal Motivation product line as well as the creator and lead developer of Situational Self Leadership, the organization’s best-of-class self-leadership and personal empowerment program. As a catalyst for growth, Fowler is a senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies and a professor in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program at the University of San Diego.