In every business I’ve worked with across industries, sizes, and stages there’s a common thread that determines whether a company performs at its peak or just ticks along: what drives the people inside it.
Is your team just clocking in and out each day, collecting their paycheque, doing what’s expected and nothing more?
Or are they driven by something bigger growth, purpose, challenge, pride in the work, or a shared vision for success?
The difference between these two is massive. I’ve seen teams where salary isn’t even in the top three motivators. These are the companies that consistently exceed targets, foster strong internal culture, and attract top talent without throwing money around. In those environments, pay increases come as a result of success not as the only reason to show up.
But on the flip side, I’ve also seen teams, sometimes including senior leadership, where money is the primary or sole motivator. And in those cases, you’ll usually find something else:
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Siloed departments
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Low collaboration
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Mediocre output
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High turnover
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Blame culture
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Resistance to change
When pay is the main driver, people tend to do the minimum required. Their focus narrows. Team spirit disappears. Innovation stalls. That’s because there’s no shared goal just personal gain. And when personal gain becomes the only thing people care about, businesses lose their edge.
So, ask yourself honestly:
What’s driving your team?
What’s driving you?
Are you cultivating a culture of curiosity, shared achievement, pride, and purpose? Or are people just counting the hours till payday?
True performance comes when people care when they feel connected to something larger than themselves. That might be:
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Building a product or service that genuinely helps people
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Achieving growth that opens up new opportunities for the team
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Seeing customer success as their own success
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Learning and improving every week
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Being part of a team where everyone has each other’s back
These are intrinsic motivators that create resilience, loyalty, and passion. They build organisations where people stay longer, contribute more, and help drive transformation from the inside out.
As a business owner or manager, one of your most important jobs is to build and protect that kind of culture. To ensure people know where the business is heading, how their role contributes to it, and why it all matters. That starts with leadership being driven by the right things too.
Because if you’re only in it for the money, you’ll never get the best from your team. And if your team is only in it for the money, your business won’t perform at its potential.
There’s always a bigger purpose if you’re willing to define it and back it up with the right behaviours, recognition, and strategy.
If you’re unsure whether your business has that purpose baked in, or how to identify the right drivers for long-term performance, culture, and growth, we can help.
Head over to Josty.nz to explore how we support business owners and leadership teams to embed meaningful drivers, improve team alignment, and achieve sustainable success.
