Desire Quote by Harvard Business School Press
““By contrast, those with leadership potential are motivated by a deeply embedded desire to achieve for the sake of achievement.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Harvard Business Review on Leadership, 2015
People with leadership potential are driven by an intrinsic desire to achieve for its own sake, not external rewards.
In simple terms: Leaders seek achievement itself.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate intrinsic motivation.
Themes
leadership
motivation
achievement
Mood
analytical
inspirational
Type
philosophical
advice
When to use this quote
- career advancement
- team building
- personal growth
- goal setting
Key Concepts
self‑determination theory
intrinsic drive
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives you beyond external rewards?
- How can you nurture intrinsic drive in others?
A Different Perspective
External incentives may still be needed to sustain effort.
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
