The Premise
Throughout the twentieth century, human motivation was considered to be an individual trait. It was defined by models such as Abram Maslow's hierarchy of needs or McGregor's Theory X and Y and McLelland's need for achievement, affiliation and power. Then there are the behavioral trait models such as Meyers-Briggs or the DISC styles.
In my management consulting career that spans more than four decades working with more than 175 management teams on all continents around the world, I observed remarkably different group motivation drivers. There was a handful of companies who created profoundly compelling places to work. The companies exuded contagious excitement, mutual respect and a drive to succeed. You could smell it in the air.
I vowed to determine what it was that made them so extraordinary. The result I published in Great Boss – Dead Boss. In the 15 years of uninterrupted publication around the world, the book has brought one compelling message to managers: