Different people are motivated and driven by different causes, factors, and reasons. The important task for any leader is to recognize the motivators that have the largest influence on individual members of the team. Equipped with this knowledge and insight, a leader can better meet the intrinsic needs of members of the team, increase satisfaction among employees, promote a positive culture, and boost productivity.

Here is a partial list of common causes and factors that motivate most human beings. The list is organized in alphabetical order, with no particular significance attributed to any one motivator. Study the list carefully and try to understand everyone around you within the context of these motivators. This understanding will guide all your interactions in an intentional and holistic manner, allowing you to connect with others in a meaningful and mutually beneficial way.

• alignment (with hierarchy, dogma, rule of law, paradigm, etc.)
• altruism
• anger
• attention
• autonomy
• beauty (physical, spiritual, environmental)
• being valued
• blaming others
• challenge
• comfort
• community
• creativity
• democracy
• destruction (inflicted on people, property, organizations, order, rule of law, etc.)
• developing others
• direction
• discovery
• disorder
• diversity
• ego
• elitism
• empathy
• equality
• equity
• excelling
• excitement
• exclusivity
• fame
• family
• fear
• flexibility
• freedom
• friendship
• fun
• giving to others (one's time, talent, money, etc.)
• greed
• happiness
• hard word
• hate
• health (physical, mental, psychological, emotional)
• helping others
• impact
• inclusivity
• influence (over others and circumstances)
• innovation
• intelligence (any one of nine types: 1. mathematical/logical/analytical, 2. spatial, 3. linguistic, 4. musical, 5. bodily-kinesthetic, 6. interpersonal, 7. intrapersonal, 8. naturalistic, 9. existential/philosophical)
• jealousy
• laziness
• learning
• love
• mentoring others
• misery (for self or others)
• money
• novelty
• order
• ownership
• philanthropy
• power
• pressure
• prestige
• problem solving
• purpose
• recognition
• relevance
• sabotage (done to self or others)
• safety (physical, psychological, emotional)
• self-preservation (at any cost)
• service
• social responsibility
• solitude
• spiritual bonding
• teamwork
• tradition
• variety