By: John Muller, MD Candidate
The third skill of emotional intelligence (EQ) that Goleman suggests is self-motivation. This skill drives us to achieve beyond our own and everyone else’s expectations.
Strong leaders display self-motivation through a deep desire to achieve for the sake of achievement. Not for some external factor such as a large salary or impressive title.
Self-Motivation consists of four competencies
The first competency of self-motivation is achievement drive. These individuals are results-oriented with a high drive to meet objectives and standards. They set challenging goals, take calculated risks, pursue information to reduce uncertainty, find ways to do better, and learn how to improve their performance.
A passion for the work drives motivation to achieve. The external reward are less significance. Think of the leader you know who displays an energy to improve. They are not content with the status quo. They push for improvement. Their work feeds their energy.
Achievement driven people continuously raise the performance bar
Importantly, to be an effective, centered leader, you must combine this achievement driven self-motivation with self-awareness and recognize your limits. This protects you from taking on unnecessary risks.
The second competency of motivation is commitment. These individuals find a sense of purpose in a larger mission. They readily make personal or group sacrifices to meet a larger organizational goal. By leveraging the group’s core values in making decisions, a committed person can identify opportunities to fulfill the group’s mission.
Company executives seek committed people when looking to hire new employees. When people love their jobs for the work itself, they will feel committed to the organization. Thus, they will be more likely to stay with the organization, even when being pursued by headhunters.
The third competency of motivation is initiative. Those with initiative are ready to seize opportunities, pursue goals beyond what is required or expected of them, and mobilize others through unusual, enterprising efforts.
The fourth and final competency of motivation is optimism. These individuals persist, despite obstacles and setbacks. They view setbacks as a fun challenge to overcome, not a personal flaw.flaw.
Those with optimism operate from hope of success rather than fear of failure
This competency combines self-motivation and self-regulation to overcome setbacks or a failure. It is normal to feel down after experiencing a negative outcome. Leaders sufficient in self-motivation and self-regulation will use this experience as an opportunity for learning and growth.
Self-motivation goes beyond the workplace. Studies have highlighted the importance of self-motivation in medication adherence, especially in populations at risk such as HIV-infected adolescents. Clearly, self-motivation is very powerful and applicable in many aspects of life.
Think about what drives you to achieve, and if your goals align with your current job. If so, there is always room for improvement! If not, it may be time for a change.