Motivation is a conversation that comes up regularly in the coaching room. The lack of it. The desire for it. The inability to find the inner resources of it. Or the fact that priorities and life circumstances shift it.
Last month I had the pleasure of presenting a motivation session to emerging leaders on discovering what drives them. And I thought I’d reflect and share some of the content as I know it’s so useful for many of you to know and have in the toolkit for when it’s needed.
Understanding what motivates you is critical. It shapes the choices you make. The goals you set. How you respond to challenges. Yet many of us rely on short-term incentives. A promotion. The bonus at the end of the year. Praise from a manager. The pressure of a deadline. Or the emotional turmoil of guilt or letting someone down jolts you into action. Instead of tapping into the deeper, more sustainable forces that truly keep you energised and with momentum.
Two thought leaders, Dan Pink and Ben Crowe, offer complementary insights into motivation. Pink’s iconic TED talk and book from the 90s focuses on three core drivers: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. Crowe adds an essential and more contemporary layer: your mindset. And introduces the power of Potential and Play alongside the stories you tell yourself.
Let’s explore these concepts.
Autonomy. The freedom to direct your life and way of working.
Autonomy is your ability to make choices about how you work and live. It’s not about being free from all rules or expectations, but about having control over the things that matter most to you. In the workplace, autonomy might mean deciding how you prioritise tasks, choosing when and where you work, or having a say in the projects you take on. In life, it could be as simple as having flexibility to shape your day in ways that work for you.
When you lack autonomy, motivation can drain away quickly. Feeling micromanaged comes up so often in conversations I have with people. Stuck in rigid routines, or unable to make decisions erodes your sense of ownership. On the other hand, when you have even small amounts of choice, you’re more engaged and willing to take responsibility for results.
Mastery. The desire to get better at something that matters to you.
Mastery is about progress, not perfection. It’s the internal pull to improve your skills, deepen your knowledge, and stretch your capabilities. Motivation thrives when you’re working on something that matters to you. And you can see yourself improving over time.
Think about times when you’ve lost track of time while working on a task. Not because it was easy. Because it was challenging in a satisfying way. That’s mastery at work. Or flow state. When challenge sits in the “sweet spot” where it’s stretching, energising, fulfilling but not overwhelming.
Without mastery, work can feel stagnant. When you actively track your progress and set small, achievable goals, you build momentum and motivation. Especially if it’s a task that plays to your strengths and builds essential skills.
Purpose. Connecting to meaning.
Purpose gives your actions meaning beyond the immediate task or reward. It’s the “why” that keeps you going when the work is tough or the results aren’t instant. Purpose is deeply personal.
You may have heard me say before that you don’t have to have a purpose. Being a decent human is enough. People who have a purpose aren’t ‘better’ than anyone else. And I still believe this to be true. However, if you’re serious about having an impact as a leader or through the work you do in a team or organisation. It’s essential. It doesn’t have to be anything grand and well-articulated. Just make sense to you. This is where I’ve seen clients tie themselves in knots trying to make it distinctive and unique. It might be simple. About helping others, creating beauty, solving problems, or leaving a legacy.
For me, my personal purpose is ‘to elevate’. Others and myself. I like people feeling expanded or better after they interact with me. I can live this in the way I say thank you to a barista or grab my groceries. Through to the work I do and my constant hunger for personal growth and learning. For my business, the purpose of be. is ‘to equip leaders to navigate the ever-changing landscape of work’. This feels spacious to me, as it means I can adapt alongside the pace of where people and their careers are at.
When you understand your purpose, your daily actions feel connected to a bigger picture. Even mundane tasks become meaningful because they contribute to something you care about. Without that connection, work can feel empty or transactional, which makes motivation harder to sustain. If you’re feeling stuck, start with defining your values. And work your way up to purpose.
Your Story. The lens you see yourself through (and can recalibrate).
Ben Crowe emphasises that motivation isn’t just about what you do. It’s about how you interpret your experiences. The story you tell yourself about who you are shapes your confidence, your resilience, and your willingness to take action.
If your internal narrative is full of self-criticism or past failures, it’s easy to lose motivation. You can choose to reframe your story in a way that empowers you. Instead of “I’m not good enough,” you might tell yourself, “I’m still learning, and every challenge makes me stronger.” This shift doesn’t ignore reality. It simply puts you in a position of strength and choice and harnessing a growth mindset.
Potential. Opening up to what’s possible for you.
Crowe’s work also focuses on potential. The idea that you are not fixed but evolving. Motivation grows when you see yourself as capable of growth. Even if you don’t have all the skills yet. This is where self-compassion matters.
When you believe your potential is expansive, you’re more willing to take risks. To try new things and push past or out of your comfort zones.
This is one of the areas of motivation I love to see clients expand in. In the last couple of months I have been interviewing clients for my book. Hearing them share accomplishments months and years after the coaching programs. Where many have expanded to has blown my mind and heart. From letting go of inner critics, doubts, dropping guilt, new career paths, starting families, leading open-hearted teams, products and services they have influenced and birthed. Our potential really can be limitless when you’ve got clarity, values-alignment, and motivated to persevere.
Play. The light side of motivation.
You may think motivation has to be serious. Ben Crowe reminds us that play, through the lens of curiosity, experimentation, and joy, is a powerful driver. Being the partner of an ex-athlete and now PT, I really see how play is critical to sporting success. And can be applied in other corporate and workplace contexts.
Play opens up creativity, reduces stress, and keeps challenges in perspective. When you bring a sense of play to work, you stop being paralysed by fear of failure and start learning faster. It’s such a worthwhile conversation to have with your team. To know what will release the valve when you go through hectic phases. And to ensure there is lightness in each week.
Experiment a little…
Let’s try an exercise to Map Your Motivation. Set aside 20 minutes and work through these prompts:
Autonomy. Where do you have the most control in your work or life? Where do you feel restricted? What’s one small change you can make this week to increase your sense of choice?
Mastery. Choose a skill that matters to you. A leadership skill (vs. a technical one). On a scale of 1–10, where are you now? What’s one step you can take this week to grow in that area?
Purpose. Here is a formula I use with clients to help articulate purpose. Complete this sentence: I do [X] to help [Y] so that [Z]. Example: “I coach leaders to help them grow in confidence so they can create more positive, empowered teams.”
Your Story. Write down one belief you have that holds you back. Rewrite it into an empowering statement that focuses on possibility and growth.
Potential. Name one area where you’d like to stretch yourself (for the remainder of this year). What would be possible if you believed you could achieve it?
Play. List one way you could bring more curiosity or fun into your work this week. For me, it’s having music on as I write! Many clients will move, dance, write something, draw, play Lego!
Don’t feel like they all must be humming at once, they are all ‘ways in’ to untap yourself when you feel stuck, something is lacking or unclear.
By understanding and working with these six elements you can build inner motivation that lasts far beyond external rewards or short-term pressure. Motivation that builds your self-belief and sense of self-worth. I thought I’d close off the blog with a link to an article I contributed to with fellow coach, Clare Robinson, about the secret to leadership success. This is how you design a work and life rhythm that keeps you energised, resilient, and inspired.
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