What Motivates You?

There are some people who do the heavy lifting when it comes to thinking about why human beings do the things we do.

Dan Pink (aka Daniel H. Pink) is one of those thinkers. He’s the author of some of the best (and best-selling) business books like Free Agent Nation, A Whole New Mind, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko (the first American business book done in Japanese manga) and his recently-released hit, Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Here’s how his Blog describes Drive:

"Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does — and how that affects every aspect of life. He demonstrates that while carrots and sticks worked successfully in the twentieth century, that’s precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today’s challenges. In Drive, he examines the three elements of true motivation — autonomy, mastery, and purpose — and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action. Along the way, he takes us to companies that are enlisting new approaches to motivation and introduces us to the scientists and entrepreneurs who are pointing a bold way forward. Drive is bursting with big ideas — the rare book that will change how you think and transform how you live."

Do you think Google knows what motivates people?

During a recent promotional book tour, Pink stopped off at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California (on January 15th, 2010), for an amazing Google Talk. You can watch the one-hour presentation right here (and yes, it’s well worth the time commitment): YouTube – Leading@Google – Daniel Pink.

P.S. – Pink is also a contributing editor at Wired Magazine.