We adopted a puppy last week. His name is Axl.

When Axl sits, he gets a treat. When he stays, he gets a treat. When he comes when called, another treat. The simple system of training a dog works beautifully—desired behavior, immediate reward, quick results.

It’s easy to see why we’ve designed our organizations with this strategy of rewarding specific behaviors with external prizes—it works. Axl is learning to sit because I am teaching him what I value and giving him something he values in return. Human beings can be conditioned in the same way.

But when leading people, not puppies, there are real costs to a transactional approach. Especially when it comes to leading change, we humans need more than treats.

So this month we’re getting real about rewards: Why do we do what we do, really? Beyond the paycheck we need to survive, what actually drives us (and our people) to be engaged, to push through difficult days, to embrace change?

The answers might surprise you. Because the things we’ve been conditioned to want aren’t what we need.

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"We live in a culture fueled by the consensus of these 3 toxic myths: there's not enough, more is better, and that's just the way it is."

— Lynne Twist, The Soul of Money (a beautiful, paradigm-shifting book)

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WANTS X NEEDS

The Real Rewards: From Getting to Growing

Like dog treats, pay increases, bonuses, perks and parties are all examples of extrinsic rewards. They are both expensive and, as you may have discovered, ultimately unsatisfying. We will forever chase the next promotion, the next recognition, the next prize that will finally make us feel enough.

But in extrinsic terms, there is no enough. Like sweet Axl chasing his tail, we never get what we’re after. And we suffer mightily.

The culture suffers too, because just like when training an animal, you get exactly what you reward. In the short-term, extrinsic rewards can drive results, but they also seed unintended consequences.

Bonuses for individual performance? You've created the conditions for competition over collaboration.

Pay raises tied to hours worked? Efficiency and innovation will soon dip.

Recognition only for hitting targets? Watch creativity and risk-taking disappear.

Being paid well for our hard work matters, obvs. But fair compensation, generous benefits and recognition for work well done are table stakes. On their own, they aren’t sufficient to ensure engagement, and not nearly powerful enough to sustain true transformation.

For us to actually care about what we’re doing, to invest ourselves deeply and stick with it when it’s hard, we need intrinsic rewards. The kind that don’t rely on external factors, but come from within us. The kind that actually fill us up, give us that elusive sense of enough, even as they are themselves limitless.

We’re intrinsically motivated when we do something for the love of the thing itself, usually because it rewards our innate human need for:

• Growth: Not in terms of climbing the corporate ladder, but expanding ourselves by gaining new skills and moving toward mastery
• Autonomy: Having the freedom to make our own choices without external influence, working in the ways that work for us
• Purpose: Feeling connected and contributing to something greater than ourselves, which might be an organizational vision or an interpersonal relationship

[NOTE: The concept of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation comes from Self-Determination Theory by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. Daniel Pink offers an accessible and compelling overview in Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.]

Let’s test this theory: Think about the last time work truly energized you.

It probably wasn't to do with your salary. It may not have even been about praise from a client or colleague. I’m willing to bet it was when you were learning something new. When you had freedom to solve a problem your way. When you saw clearly that your work mattered. When you felt connected to your team. When you made a real contribution to meaningful change.

These are things that we (and our people) don’t necessarily know to ask for, but they’re what we need. Unfortunately, the vast majority of businesses are not designed to meet those needs. Is it any wonder we’re seeing engagement plummet, burnout skyrocket and employer trust erode?

extrinsic haiku

they have discovered
money makes us happier
only to a point

then, with every raise
come diminishing returns
in happiness terms

and while having wealth
brings happiness, seeking it
makes us unhappy

In Practice: From Transaction to Transformation

In the Radiant Leader membership this month, we’re shifting out of “that’s what the money is for” transactional motivation and into real rewards for transformational impact. And we’re doing it on two levels:

For ourselves: How can we get clear on what we actually need? And are we brave enough to ask whether our current situation can provide it?

For our teams: How can we ensure we're meeting our people's intrinsic needs—even when all they know to ask for are extrinsic rewards? When someone pushes for their next promotion, what are they really asking for? Recognition? Growth opportunities? More autonomy? A sense of their value to the organization?

Mini-Retreat: The Real Rewards

Do you know what drives you? What motivates you to do your best work? How about what drives your team?

In this month’s Mini-Retreat, we'll look beyond the obvious rewards (money, recognition, achievement) to discover what truly fulfills us. You'll learn the crucial difference between extrinsic and intrinsic rewards, and why chasing the wrong rewards can leave us successful but unsatisfied. Together, we'll explore how to align our external goals with our deeper needs, creating sustainable motivation that doesn't burn us (or our people) out.

Friday, June 13, 2025​
5 - 6:30 p.m. GMT
12 noon - 1:30 p.m. ET
9 - 10:30 a.m. PT

Mini-Retreats are free for RadiantLeader.co members, who can RSVP here. 💛

Last Word: Enough

As we close, let’s revisit Lynne Twist's toxic myths of scarcity that keep us yearning for what we don’t have, and unsatisfied with what we do. There is not enough. More is better. That’s just the way it is. Take a moment to reflect on what feels lacking right now—time? money? work? status? achievement?—and ask:

What is enough?

How would I know I have it?

How do I know I don’t have enough now?

What would I be able to do if I could stop chasing my tail?

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Onward together,

Kristen Lisanti
​Radiant Change​
​Training Leaders to Transform Cultures