7.2. Linkage

Linkage is the stake in the action.

It's the quid pro quo, the "what's in it for me." It binds people to the business and to each other.

Linkage can represent "the deal," the contract we make with ourselves. For our contribution to the customer and shareholder, we expect this in return from each other and our organization.

Different people are motivated by different things. Some look for more pay, a promotion, or recognition. Others are motivated by internal drivers, such as personal work ethic, a chance to connect our own sense of worth with a sense of higher purpose, interest in a given task, or the excitement about learning something new.

In interviews with brand managers and sales people at a giant consumer products company ...

Get The Leadership Solution now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.