Motivation is the internal process leading to behavior to satisfy needs. Have you ever wondered why people do the things they do? The primary reason people do what they do is to meet their needs or wants—or to bring happiness.

So motivating is about answering people’s often unasked question, “What’s in it for me?” by helping them meet their needs and wants, while achieving organizational objectives. Effective leaders are good motivators, as they influence others, as they satisfy their own needs and the followers’ needs to benefit the organization, which is the goal of human relations.

Managers often view motivation as an employee’s willingness to put forth effort and commitment to achieve organizational objectives. This is often called employee engagement or organizational citizenship behavior.