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Vol. 3, No. 6  

The Journal of Leadership Applications

Editorial Comments 

The theme of this issue is motivation. We must motivate those we lead every day. In fact, we must motivate many in situations that we may never consider ourselves the responsible leader. At work, this may include not just those reporting to us, but colleagues or staff members, or leaders of other organizations, both internal and external with whom we interact. However, motivations aren't limited to business. If we are parents, don't we need to motivate our kids --- to lead them in the right direction?  And maybe we need to motivate others with whom we interact, from the newspaper delivery boy, to waiters and waitresses in restaurant we frequent. 

There are an infinite number of ways to motivate our fellow human beings. In this issue, we'll look at many of them. We'll also see how Frederick Taylor, an early proponent of the need and importance of motivation saw it back in 1911, much of continual importance today. Finally, we'll look at some recent psychological research into self motivation of athletics which says much about what we should and not do in motivating ourselves and organizations we lead.

As always, a subscription to The Journal of Leadership Applications continues to be free, supported by the Institute of Leader Arts. We solicit your comments and articles. Please write me personally at wcohen@stuffofheroes.com . 

Here is a little about each article we have this month.

Secrets of Motivation: What Do People Really Want from Their Jobs?

           William A. Cohen,  Touro University International and The Institute of Leader Arts

My article this month is adapted from the book The New Art of the Leader, published by Prentice Hall Press in 2000 and now distributed by Penguin-Putnam who acquired  Prentice Hall in 2002. The point of this article is that correct motivators can be extremely effective in leading followers, colleagues, or anyone else, but that the key words are "the correct motivators." Motivators may be different for different people at different times. Yet, there are basic motivators which are frequently ignored and can be put into play immediately, no matter in what field or industry we are practicing leadership.

The Principles of Scientific Management 

            Frederick Wilson Taylor

This is the first time that The Journal of Leadership Applications has linked to an entire book. However, this month you get Frederick Taylor's entire classic through the courtesy of The Gutenberg Project. Taylor research and wrote at the beginning of the last century. This  classic work, known as a milestone in the development of management has the theme that management needs to be "scientific" and consider human psychology. It has much to teach us still.

Evaluation Strategies, Self Esteem, and Athletic Performance

John Gotwals
University of Alberta

Heidi A. Wayment

Northern Arizona University

This study, published online in the Current Research in Social Psychology  (December 12, 2002) V. 8, N. 6) looks at the relationships between self esteem, self evaluative information use, and athletic performance  among  103 intercollegiate athletes.  Higher self esteem was associated with better athletic performance. Athletes using negative performance information from the past performed more poorly. As leaders, the lessons are crucial for all of us. They say not only that our own self-confidence is necessary for good leadership, but that organizations must believe in their themselves in order to accomplish difficult tasks successfully, confirm one of "The Eight Universal Laws of Leadership": Expect positive results.

William A. Cohen, Editor

Click here to: return to this issue's Cover Page with links to all articles in this issue.