What really drives employee motivation and engagement? For decades, this question has shaped discussions about workplace dynamics and performance. With two-thirds of American employees experiencing some level of burnout (Moodle), plus global employee engagement at a low of 21% (Gallup) it’s essential for leaders to actively cultivate cultures that support high performance, motivation, personal growth, and sustainable well-being.
To address this challenge, we conducted a study to investigate what leaders say drains and drives their motivation, and how this links to burnout. Our insights report – Fuel motivation through progress at work – provides a snapshot of the current mood in the leadership workforce and practical strategies to help leaders, and their teams, feel more engaged, motivated, and purposeful.
Our study analyzed data from 59O leaders who completed Adeption’s Grow-Perform-Sustain (GPS) assessment. Developed from the research of leadership expert Nick Petrie, the GPS assessment aims to foster both high performance and overall well-being.
From this analysis, a key finding emerged – the power of having a sense of progress at work. The data showed:
- On average, people have less of a sense of progress than they do purpose, autonomy or interest in their work
- However, a one-point increase in an individual’s feeling of progress reduced their burnout score by 12.1%.
- Aspects of work strongly linked to motivation are interconnected through the sense of progress and purpose they foster. Conversely, demotivators are consistently linked to a lack of progress.
- Average motivation significantly decreased when individuals felt a lack of progress in their work.
To dive deeper into these insights, download the full Insights Series Report and discover practical leadership tips for cultivating a greater sense of progress within yourself, your teams, and your leadership development programs.