Effective leaders have frequently been distinguished by their motives and needs. In general, leaders have an intense desire to occupy a position of responsibility for others and to control them. There are four leadership motives, all can be considered task related.

Effective leaders have a strong need to control resources. Leaders with high power motives have three dominant characteristics: they act with vigor and determination to exert their power. They invest much time in thinking about ways to alter the behavior and thinking of others. They care about their personal standing with those around them.

The power motive is important because it means that the leader is interested in influencing others. Without power, it is much more difficult to influence others. Power is not necessarily good or evil; it can be used for the sake of the power holder (personalized power motive) or for helping others (socialized power motive). Leaders with a personalized power motive seek power mostly to further their own interests. They crave the trappings of power, such as status symbols, luxury, and money.

Leaders with a socialized power motive use power primarily to achieve organizational goals or a vision. As a result, he or she is likely to provide more effective leadership. It is important not to draw a rigid line between leaders with personalized power motives and those with socialized power motives. The distinction between doing good for others and doing good for oneself is often made on the basis of very subjective criteria.