As a leader, your ability to inspire and drive people is pivotal. Motivating others isn’t just part of the job—it’s the essence of effective leadership. But how do you truly motivate people to perform at their highest potential? The secret lies in understanding what drives them.

I wrote a blog post many years ago about an effective framework to uncover people’s core motivations. It’s a simple yet powerful way to decode what makes individuals tick and channel that understanding into impactful leadership. Here’s the gist:

1. Ask an employee to write down the names of four people who have positively impacted their life—people they respect, admire, or look up to. The people can be famous, familiar, real or fictional, dead or alive.
2. Ask your employee about each name, one at a time. Ask open questions to get them to tell you as much as possible. Who is this person? Why is he or she important to you? What qualities does this person hold? Once you figure out why your employee has named this person, write down the key values revealed.
3. When you’re done with the exercise, notice the three most common values and you will have the core values of the other person as we tend to be drawn to people whose qualities mirror our own.

This is a very effective method that tells you a lot about a person’s core values and motivations.

What drives people?

People are motivated by a variety of factors. They are primarily driven by one or more of the following motivations:

1. Lifestyle: They’re motivated by the kind of life their work enables them to lead. Think flexibility, financial security, or time for hobbies and family.
2. Purpose/Impact: These people are driven by the meaning behind their work. They want to know they’re contributing to something bigger than themselves.
3. Next Steps: Career progression and clear opportunities to grow fuel these individuals. They need to see the path ahead and how today’s efforts lead to tomorrow’s successes.
4. Competition: These individuals thrive on outperforming others or themselves. Metrics, rankings, and challenges light their fire.

Take me, for example. I’m primarily in the Purpose and Competition group. To tap into my competitive side, you could say, “Jorge, you have a blank slate. Go out there and find out what we can do 10x better.” This type of challenge invigorates me because it speaks to my drive to excel and push boundaries.

On the other hand, to ignite my Purpose/Impact side, you could frame it differently: “Jorge, imagine how many lives we can transform by solving this problem. Your work could set a new standard.” This approach appeals to my desire to create meaningful change and leave a lasting legacy.

The key takeaway here is that motivating high-impact people isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires you to:

1. Listen deeply: Have conversations that go beyond the surface. Ask questions about what excites them, what they hope to achieve, and what they value most.
2. Observe patterns: Pay attention to how they react to different types of tasks, feedback, and challenges. These behaviors often reveal more than words.
3. Tailor your approach: Once you understand their primary drivers, align your leadership style to amplify those motivations. Frame tasks, goals, and feedback in a way that resonates with their core drivers.

Bottom line: Leadership is about unlocking potential. When you understand what motivates someone at their core, you’re not just managing them—you’re empowering them to do their best work. That’s how you drive high-impact people and, in turn, create high-impact teams.