2. Use noncontrolling language. Next time you’re about to say “must” or “should,” try saying “think about” or “consider” instead.

Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.

As organizations flatten, companies need people who are self-motivated. That forces many organizations to become more like open source projects.

Offer praise only when there’s a good reason for it. Don’t

By offering a reward, a principal signals to the agent that the task is undesirable.

“Careful consideration of reward effects reported in 128 experiments lead to the conclusion that tangible rewards tend to have a substantially negative effect on intrinsic motivation,”

Big Idea: Continual improvement.

Real achievement doesn’t happen overnight. As anyone who’s trained for a marathon, learned a new language, or run a successful division can attest, you spend a lot more time grinding through tough tasks than you do basking in applause.

One of the best ways to know whether you’ve mastered something is to try to teach it.