The manifestations of drive
In my first blog about drive I explored the definition, some of the key characteristics commonly found in people with high levels of drive, and started to think about the manifestations – positive and negative. In this blog I am going to explore these manifestations in more detail and look at examples where drive has enabled people to excel. I will also look at the impacts on driven individuals, and those around them, when it becomes the overriding, dominant personality trait.
In a recent TED talk about “Reinventing Organisations”, Fredric Laloux gives his perspective on the future of organisations, placing self-management at the heart of organisational success. If his predictions are right then organisations will need people with high levels of drive, those who are motivated to get the job done and make choices about their lives and careers.
Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott’s recent book, “The 100 year life”, explores how “the traditional three-stage life of education, career and retirement will be replaced by a multi-stage life with new stages, new ages and with the potential for much greater individualised sequencing”. If we overlay these observations onto Laloux’s predictions for organisational change, we are going to need individuals who are able to make informed choices and act upon them. Individuals will be increasingly mindful of fulfilment as well as the traditional definitions of success. They will need a sufficient level of drive to navigate their way through a longer, less structured life.
We can reasonably conclude that being driven is a positive trait, creating conscientiousness, motivation and a strong work ethic, and leading to high performance and success.
However, when drive becomes a dominant personality trait, and isn’t balanced out with self-care, we start to see negative manifestations emerge. There are common issues which arise when drive takes over, including: poor sleep patterns, increased worry and anxiety, over-working or over-training, burnout and self-harm in the form of eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse. The recent press has been full of stories from celebrities in the worlds of sport and entertainment, talking about these battles. Dame Kelly Holmes has spoken publicly about how she cut herself with scissors to relieve the anguish of injuries that she feared would end her career. Four times Ironman World Champion, Christie Wellington, revealed her battles with an eating disorder, and the depression that affected Frank Bruno, cricketer Marcus Trescothick and Freddie Flintoff, have been widely reported. The death, by suicide, of Robin Williams is just one example of the pressures upon those driven to succeed at the highest level.
In the world of business, discussions about the negative aspects of excessive drive are only just starting. Many of the organisations that I work with are increasingly talking about wellbeing and mental health. In my blog, “The air is thin at the top”, bit.ly/2ze3bdc, I talked about the experiences of Lloyds Bank CEO, Antonio Horta-Osorio. His levels of drive were described as “almost absurd”, and even now he talks about how he “…can be a little bit obsessive, but I know how to control it. I am a good patient”. Business leaders talk about a crippling of creative thought as excessive drive leads to increased anxiety and introspection.
Another highly pressured environment, where drive has been crucial to succeed, is the medical world. In a recent discussion with a doctor who also works in postgraduate education, we talked about the pressures on junior doctors today. Despite the easing of the excessive hours culture, their anxiety levels are rising. The continual risk assessments and fear of making a single mistake has a huge impact and affects judgement. Every shift sees a drive to be perfect.
So how do we create sustained high performance and success? Harnessing the many positives that drive brings and at the same time create balance and wellbeing.
There are several key factors that need to be in place for this to be achieved:
• Individuals need to build resilience, and organisations need to enable this
• Organisations need to encourage people to show up to work in their entirety, not in a professional mask or specific way
• Continued self-development and learning, to enable choice and increased self-awareness
• Organisations need to promote wellbeing, in a meaningful way
All of these manifestations of drive are aspects we will have observed in our own lives, whatever our profession. Another aspect many of us will have observed or experienced is what it’s like to work for, or be coached by, the obsessively driven individual, where balance and a focus on wellbeing are absent. In my career I have experienced bosses who wanted results at any cost, resorting to, or turning a blind eye to, bullying and harassment to ensure this was achieved. Examples of this have also been reported in several sporting disciplines in 2017, including the Olympic Para Swimming team. In this example coaches have been accused of applying excessive pressure, and bullying athletes, in the pursuit of excellence.
Would organisations attain higher, sustained productivity, if greater attention is paid to employee wellbeing?
When wellbeing is an integral part of an organisation’s culture, whatever the field or sector, an individual’s commitment and motivation are higher, and productivity rises. Many leaders fear that a lack of pure focus on the end goal will result in a failure to achieve that goal. When we consider the impact of future changes, like those described by Laloux and Gratton, we need to look differently at the way leaders create the environment for sustained success.
In the third blog of the series I am going to consider the role of professionals in understanding drive, and supporting individuals to achieve sustained success. If you have any thoughts about drive and wellbeing in this context please let me know.
