The smart state

All great leaders must be able to motivate. Great leaders are able to motivate employees into what Christine Comaford refers to as "the Smart State." People in the Smart State can fully access their creativity, problem-solving ability, collaboration, and emotional engagement.

There are two main types of motivation—extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation motivates through external factors, such as monetary compensation, compliments, and peer recognition. 

Intrinsic motivation motivates through internal factors, such as the desire to do work for the sake of the work itself. Scholars disagree on the benefits of extrinsic motivation. On one hand, they argue, extrinsic motivation is more effective in the early stages of a project. Performance, however, declines towards the end. Intrinsic motivation requires no external incentive to produce performance. This type of motivation relies on internal factors, such as the desire to deliver great work for the sake of it.

But, who needs intrinsic or extrinsic motivation when you can access the Smart State? That’s a whole new level of motivation with unlimited potential. Why settle for less?