Question: What is Legitimate Leadership’s view of incentives?

Answer: Incentives (what we at Legitimate Leadership call ‘carrots’) are not successful motivators – they not only don’t produce better results, they often have negative consequences. Where tasks are non-cognitive and repetitive, incentives can raise output – but even then they effect movement, not willingness. Moreover, the persistent use of ‘carrots’ makes people feel manipulated. Their natural response is retaliation – they manipulate back!

American author Dan Pink argues for replacing incentives with the intrinsic rewards of autonomy (what we call ‘decision-making authority’), mastery (‘coaching for excellence’) and purpose (‘know the ‘why’’). We support Dan Pink’s argument, and we expand on it.

Legitimate Leadership is convinced that what truly motivates people is to work for a boss who is in the relationship to ‘give’ not to ‘get’ from his/her people. The ‘give’ is seven things: care, means, ability, censure, discipline, praise and reward.