How do you motivate? How to lead highly specialized people, who are motivated by a higher purpose, wishing to make a difference? Anna Porse Nielsens slides from Growing Games, September 11, 2014 on Leadership and Management.

1. Growing Games
Anna Porse Nielsen
September, 11th, 2014

2. Content
• Who am I?
• The DNA of the creative employee
• A new type of employee
• Motivation
• Four archetypes
• Motivating the primadonna
• Discussion

3. My background
• A degree in Political Science
• 8 years as CEO of my own company
• 7 years in different organizations
• Mentor for creative entrepreneurs
• Board member of a number of cultural
organizations
• A passion for leadership.

4. Point of departure
• From the industrial economy to the
knowledge and experience economy.
• Two fundamental shifts:
• Post WW2: Modernity and identity as an individual
project.
• Increasing wealth: All our fundamental needs are
covered.

5. A new type of employee
• From industrial thinking to the creative
class and the knowledge worker
• The professional employee: Highly
specialized and with creativity at the core
of their work:
• Education
• Strong professional values
• Specialist status
• Autonomy at work
• Work as a ”calling”
• Work has a higher purpose

6. How do you motivate?
• Classical motivational theory: Salary, social
belonging and self actualization
• Popular recent motivational theory: Generation
Y - Critical and spoiled from the start: Demands
challenging tasks, no routine work and good
leadership
• Critical motivational theory: Traditional control
(power) has been replaced by inner ideological
control (protestant work ethics).
• Need for a new theory on leadership

7. The
primadonna
theory

8. The$salary$worker$
!
"!Works!to!live!
"!Thinks!in!terms!of!a!give!and!receive!balance!
"!Acknowledges!the!values!of!the!profession!only!if!
it!is!a!personal!advantage!without!costs!
!
"Is!considered!almost!a!“here>c”!by!the!primadonna!!
!

9. !
The!pragma*c!
!
"!Pragma(c!approach!to!work!
"!Priori(zes!according!to!work/life!balance!
"!Work!is!not!the!primary!source!of!content!and!
iden(ty!
!
"!Shares!the!values!of!the!profession!but!is!unwilling!
to!sacrifice!too!much!
!

10. The$performance$tripper$$
!
To!types:!!
*Extrovert:!Mo0vated!by!the!extrovert!performance,!
acknowledgement!and!career!
*Introvert:!Mo0vated!by!the!introvert!performance!
(the!mountain!climber)!
!
*!Will!accommodate!the!values!of!the!profession,!
but!values!are!connected!to!individual!performance!

11. The$primadonna$
!
"Mo%vated!by!a!higher!purpose!(almost!a!“calling”)!
and!a!wishes!to!make!a!difference!
"Very!strong!values!and!ideals!
"Apprecia%on!isn’t!mo%va%ng!by!itself!but!is!used!to!
give!purpose!to!work!
!
"!Work!is!a!primary!source!of!content!and!iden%ty!

12. Overview
Source:(Helle(H.(Hedegaard(
The$salary$
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/(Works(to(live(
/(Give/receive(
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/(Acknowledges(the(
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(
/Is(considered(a(
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primadonna((
(
The$pragma0c$
$
(
/(PragmaAc(approach(
to(work(
/(PrioriAzes(according(
to(work/life(balance(
/(Work(is(not(the(
primary(source(of(
content(and(idenAty(
(
/(Shares(the(values(of(
the(profession(but(is(
unwilling(to(sacrifice(
(
The$performance$
tripper$$
(
/Extrovert:(MoAvated(
by(the(extrovert(
performance,(
acknowledgement(
and(career(
/Introvert:(MoAvated(
by(the(introvert(
performance((the(
mountain(climber)(
(
/(Will(accommodate(
the(values(of(the(
profession,(but(
values(are(connected(
to(individual(
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The$primadonna$
$
(
/MoAvated(by(a(
higher(purpose(
(“calling”)(and(a(wish(
to(make(a(difference(
/Very(strong(values(
and(ideals(
/AppreciaAon(isn’t(
moAvaAng(by(itself(
but(is(used(to(give(
purpose(to(work(
(
/(Work(is(a(primary(
source(of(content(
and(idenAty(
Willingness(to(bring(sacrifices(

13. How can you apply this?

14. How to lead the primadonna?
Existen(al+
mo(va(onal+
factors+
Mo(va(on:+
Emo(onal+&+
psychological+
state+of+mind++
Controllable+
mo(va(onal+
factors+&+
leadership+virtues+

15. Existential motivational
factors
• The calling!
• Search for meaning

16. Emotional & psycholo-gical
state of mind
• The kick - when everything makes sense
• Flow and the search for flow: Deeply
satisfying and the primary motivator for
the primadonna
• Identity

17. Controllable motivation
factors
• Shielding leadership
• Authentic alignment between:
• The values and ideals of the professional “tribe”
• The societal expectations to the profession
• The practical framework for the work
• Feedback - praise & critique.

18. Leadership virtues
• Feed the calling
• Have courage
• Inspire
• Be passionate
• And be generous

19. Anna Porse Nielsen
apn@manto.dk
5051 5225