How McClelland’s 3 universal motives can illuminate your blindspots

You might love your leadership role and inspire fierce loyalty — but what if that comes at the expense of a disastrous balance sheet? Here’s a way forward.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Behavioral drivers in business include the three universal motives identified by Harvard organizational psychologist David McClelland.

• McClelland’s motives are the desire for achievement, the search for affiliation, and the quest for power. How we prioritize them sends a clear signal to others.

• Finding and addressing a “motive blindspot” can enrich your philosophy of business.