Fowler S. Why Motivating People Doesn't Work...and What Does 2ed 2023

Textbook in PDF format

What if the answer to motivating people is to stop trying to motivate them?
The second edition of this bestseller reveals how motivation science is essential for solving the most vexing leadership issues — from hybrid work and retention to employee engagement.
Leaders face a motivation dilemma. Traditional command-and-control management styles and carrot-and-stick motivation techniques have been proven ineffective.
Motivation researcher and leadership consultant Susan Fowler expands on her groundbreaking Spectrum of Motivation model in this updated post-pandemic edition. New chapters tackle motivation science’s role in managing remote and hybrid work; expose overused tactics, such as gamification and tokens; and tell the fascinating backstory behind the great resignation and quiet quitting.
Fowler’s approach to leadership is fresh, pragmatic, and inspiring. But it’s also empirically sound. Her framework builds on Self-Determination Theory, equipping leaders with skills to encourage choice, deepen connection, and build competence. Leaders who mastered this method have experienced breakthroughs with higher retention, lower turnover, greater acceptance of DEIJ initiatives, and a more vital, creative, and resilient workforce.
Through her experiences working with organizations and leaders around the world, Fowler reminds us that motivation is at the heart of everything people do and everything they don’t do but wish they did. When managers integrate motivation science into their everyday leadership practice, an evolutionary truth emerges: people can be highly productive and flourish simultaneously.
“We know motivating people doesn’t work, but we’ve figured out what does. I’ve witnessed firsthand how Susan’s work, captured in this book, teaches you how to create a space where your tribe members will flourish.”
“You make a difference as a leader. What kind of difference will you make? If you put the ideas from this book into action, you will have a better chance of being a servant leader rather than a self-serving one.”
“No one wants to be bored or disengaged. Fowler provides a groundbreaking approach for reframing traditional motivation into cutting-edge leadership.”
“Susan’s book is provocative and pragmatic at the same time. She has successfully tapped into a longing I have had as a leader; how can I help people do what I think they naturally want to do—grow, develop, and fulfill their potential? Susan’s propositions are surefire and easy to put to action”
Best Sellers Rank: #657 in Motivational Management & Leadership
#814 in Business Motivation & Self-Improvement
#1,238 in Business Management
Foreword by Garry Ridge
Introduction: Stop Beating Your People with Carrots
The Motivation Dilemma
What Motivates People: The Real Story
Shifting Out of Overdrive
If Motivating People Doesn’t Work... What Does?
Rethinking Leadership Now That Everything Else Has Changed
Leader, Heal Thyself
Are Your Beliefs Eroding People’s Optimal Motivation?
The Promise of Optimal Motivation
Afterword by Ken Blanchard