The Leadership Mistakes that Demotivate Employees

The Mammoth in the Room

Many companies struggle with employee motivation and job satisfaction despite their best efforts. Drawing on Frederic Herzberg's Motivation Hygiene Theory, we explore the critical difference between hygiene factors, like salary and working conditions, which prevent dissatisfaction, and true motivators, such as autonomy and recognition, which drive engagement and performance.

We’ll talk about how management often burdens employees with fixing systemic issues like bureaucracy, which only worsens the problem instead of addressing its root cause. We’ll also discuss why focusing on hygiene factors leads to frustrated employees and missed opportunities for meaningful change.

You’ll learn why, as a leader, you need to take ownership, foster trust, and prioritize intrinsic motivators to create a thriving workplace. Tune in now for valuable insights to boost employee engagement and leadership effectiveness.

In this episode:

- Frederick Herzberg's Motivation Hygiene Theory

- The bureaucracy reduction paradox

- Why leaders fail to motivate employees

- Why shifting focus to motivational factors is critical

- How building trust motivates employees

Grab your copy of Nicolas' book, The Mammoth in the Room, here: https://mammothleadershipsciences.com/book/

Resource Mentioned in the Episode:

Frederick Herzberg’s Approach – Simply Psychology - https://www.simplypsychology.org/herzbergs-two-factor-theory.html#Frederick-Herzbergs-Approach

Get in Touch:

Website: https://www.mammothleadershipsciences.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaspokorny

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MammothLeadershipSciences