Description
The Motive by Patrick Lencioni explores a powerful question: why do people really choose to lead? At first glance, leadership may look like a prize—something to win, something glamorous, something that gives status. But Lencioni argues that this idea is dangerous. Leadership is not a reward. It is a responsibility, and the reason you lead determines whether you succeed or fail.
The book begins with a fictional story about Shay Davis, a new CEO struggling to turn around his company. He feels overshadowed by Liam Alcott, a rival CEO whose company is thriving. Hoping to learn Liam’s secrets, Shay reaches out for consulting help. Instead of receiving a strategy plan, he is confronted with a deeper truth: leadership is about motive. Liam tells Shay, “If you don’t understand why you lead, all the tactics in the world won’t help you.”
This message is central to the book. Leaders often choose the role for one of two motives: reward or responsibility. The reward motive is when someone wants leadership for its perks—power, status, money, or influence. The responsibility motive is when someone sees leadership as a duty—an opportunity to serve others and do the hard work that no one else can or will.
Lencioni explains that many leaders today fall into the trap of rewards. They treat leadership like a trophy. They enjoy the title, the corner office, or the recognition. But in chasing rewards, they often ignore the difficult and unglamorous parts of leadership. These leaders avoid tough conversations, delegate the most important responsibilities to others, and distance themselves from the people who rely on them. In doing so, they weaken the very organizations they are meant to guide.
A useful way to understand this is through everyday comparisons. Imagine a professional athlete who loves the fame of being drafted into a top league but avoids training, discipline, and practice. Or imagine a father who loves calling himself “Dad” but avoids the sleepless nights and tough responsibilities of raising a child. These people enjoy the title but reject the work behind it. The same happens in companies and organizations when leaders choose reward over responsibility.
So how can you tell if a leader is reward-centered? According to Lencioni, they often neglect five critical responsibilities.
First, they avoid building a strong leadership team. While they may talk about the importance of teamwork, they outsource the hard work of shaping a healthy executive group. They see it as messy, emotional, or less important than finances or strategy. But building a strong team is one of the most important jobs of a leader.
Second, they fail to actively manage their direct reports. Many leaders claim they trust their teams and don’t want to “micromanage.” But real management isn’t micromanagement—it is guidance, accountability, and support. Leaders must make sure their direct reports are effective, and they must ensure those people do the same with their own teams.
Third, they avoid difficult conversations. True leadership requires addressing problems—whether it’s toxic behavior, poor performance, or even small disruptive habits. Many leaders avoid these talks because they are uncomfortable. But dodging conflict protects the leader, not the team. Over time, problems grow bigger, trust weakens, and the organization suffers.
Fourth, they fail to run effective meetings. Meetings might sound boring, but they are where real decisions and collaboration happen. When leaders treat meetings as a burden, they set a poor standard for everyone else. Weak meetings lead to weak decisions. Strong, engaging meetings create alignment and energy.
Fifth, they fail to communicate constantly. Employees need to hear key messages many times before they truly absorb them. Leaders who stop repeating themselves risk leaving their teams confused and disconnected. Communication is not just about sharing information—it is about reinforcing vision, creating alignment, and inspiring trust.
Avoiding these five responsibilities is a clear sign that a leader is focused on themselves instead of their duty to others. The result is predictable: weak culture, poor performance, and disillusioned employees.
In contrast, responsibility-centered leaders embrace these five areas. They understand that leadership means doing the hard, sometimes thankless work. They build cohesive teams. They guide and coach their direct reports. They face tough issues with courage. They treat meetings as essential opportunities. And they communicate with consistency and persistence.
What makes responsibility-centered leadership so powerful is that it shifts the focus away from the leader’s ego. The leader stops asking, “What do I gain?” and instead asks, “What do my people need?” This perspective makes leadership less glamorous but far more effective.
Leadership built on responsibility is not easy. It requires humility, patience, and courage. But it also creates the conditions for lasting success. Teams become more engaged. Decisions improve. Cultures grow healthier. And most importantly, people feel supported and guided by someone they can trust.
Lencioni warns that leadership is not about perfection. Every leader will have moments of selfishness, moments of weakness, moments when they wish for rewards instead of responsibility. What matters is the leader’s core motive—the reason they step into the role in the first place. If they see leadership as a responsibility, they will be more likely to embrace the difficult but important tasks that define the role.
Ultimately, The Motive is not just a business book. It is a call to reimagine what leadership really means. It challenges executives, managers, and anyone in a position of authority to examine their reasons for leading. Do they want recognition, comfort, and status? Or do they want to serve, build, and take on responsibility that others cannot?
The book’s message reaches beyond boardrooms. It applies to schools, communities, families, and governments. In every area of life, people need leaders who are motivated by service, not selfishness. A company led by someone chasing rewards may succeed in the short term but will eventually collapse under weak culture and poor decisions. A company led by someone committed to responsibility, however, can build a lasting foundation.
In the end, true leadership is about humility and service. It is about taking on the tasks no one else wants to do, not for glory but for the good of the team. When leaders adopt this mindset, they transform not only their organizations but also themselves.
The Motive teaches us that leadership is not about standing in the spotlight. It is about shining the light on others and guiding them toward success. It is not about being served. It is about serving.
And that is the essence of leadership worth following.
