“Motivation: [I]t isn’t possible to talk about renewal without touching on the subject of motivation. Someone defined horse sense as the good judgment horses have that prevents them from betting on people. But we have to bet on people — and I place my bets more often on high motivation than on any other quality except judgment. There is no perfection of techniques that will substitute for the lift of spirit and heightened performance that comes from strong motivation. The world is moved by highly-motivated people, by enthusiasts, by men and women who want something very much or believe very much.”
— John Gardner in “Personal Renewal”, an outstanding address to McKinsey & Company partners in 1990. Full text here at PBS.
