We explore how emotions – even “negative” ones – act as octane that motivates us. Then, we explore the different motivational styles of successful people – task-driven and deadline-driven – and why understanding your own natural style of getting things done, while embracing those of others, will help you build and maintain strategic momentum in your business environment.

1. Emotions as Motivators
& Motivational Styles: Task vs. Deadline-Driven
with Dr. Mary Lamia

2. #StrategicMomentum

3. UNDERSTANDING
Emotions as Motivators

4. Negative Emotion ≠ Bad Emotion
Nov. 2017 & Jan. 2018 Emotions as Motivators with Dr. Mary Lamia | Flywheel Associates 4
• Negative emotions are motivators, just as much as positive ones.
• A lot of people believe they are motivated by their thoughts – they
are completely rational – but emotion is motivation; they are
intrinsically linked.
• Negative emotions like fear, distress, anger, disgust, and shame
motivate us to do something to avoid experiencing them or they urge
us to behave in ways that will relieve us of their effects.
• They're not good or bad or right or wrong or something we should
avoid or embrace – they're just motivators.

5. #StrategicMomentum

6. Understanding Fear in Business
• Fear can be an incredibly powerful motivator – especially when it is
combined with other emotions.
• Fear is an immediate reaction to something that threatens our
security or safety. However, it’s often in oscillation with anxiety,
which lasts longer.
• There is an optimal level of fear and anxiety that can help any
individual keep their momentum going and keep them pursuing goals.
• That level depends on your own emotional memories and awareness
– so understanding your emotions will give you a distinct advantage
in business.
6Nov. 2017 & Jan. 2018 Emotions as Motivators with Dr. Mary Lamia | Flywheel Associates

7. #StrategicMomentum

8. Fear + Shame = Shame Anxiety
• One emotion that is frequently found in combination with fear is
shame.
• When fear and shame commingle to form shame anxiety, it can be
especially powerful because it accompanies the thought that you're
going to fail.
• Fear of failure is a source of motivation for a lot of successful
people. We are motivated to do something to avoid experiencing
failure, which leads to taking proactive steps to achieve our goals.
8Nov. 2017 & Jan. 2018 Emotions as Motivators with Dr. Mary Lamia | Flywheel Associates

9. Unless we learn to accept that we are experiencing a certain
emotion, we will never learn from them...We generally think
that the best course of action is to suppress an emotion or
ignore an emotion or to get rid of it rather than figure it out.
People who can understand their emotions do have an
advantage, especially in business.
- Dr. Mary Lamia

10. Understanding Emotional Styles
Nov. 2017 & Jan. 2018 Emotions as Motivators with Dr. Mary Lamia | Flywheel Associates 10
• When navigating through interpersonal conflicts and emotional
situations, communication (with an emphasis on listening) is key.
a. Start by accepting the other person for who they are in the moment, which is
probably not going to be anything like you.
b. Invite the other person to express themselves, and then listen.
c. Be aware of the mood of the communication because the tone of the
discussion is very important. This enables you to be in contact with the other
person at an emotional level, rather than just a cognitive level.
d. Focus on mutual respect. Don’t evaluate what they're saying in terms of your
standards, but instead to measure your own standards against what the
other person is saying.

11. #StrategicMomentum

12. UNDERSTANDING
Motivational Styles

13. #StrategicMomentum

14. The divergent ways in which high-achieving people are motivated to complete
tasks is based on when their emotions are activated and what activates them.
14Nov. 2017 & Jan. 2018 Emotions as Motivators with Dr. Mary Lamia | Flywheel Associates
Deadline-Driven vs. Task-Driven
● Complete tasks at the last moment but do
it consistently and on-time.
● Motivated by emotions that are activated
when a deadline is imminent.
● Feel compelled to take action right away
when faced with uncompleted tasks.
● Motivated by stimulus (the task) that
activates their needs to relieve
themselves of the effects they feel.
DEADLINE-DRIVEN
High-Achieving Procrastinators
TASK-DRIVEN
High-Achieving Non-Procrastinators

15. #StrategicMomentum

16. What Constitutes Success?
Nov. 2017 & Jan. 2018 Emotions as Motivators with Dr. Mary Lamia | Flywheel Associates 16
Is getting something done ahead of time better than getting it done
right at the deadline? NO.
In high achievers, two things remain constant:
1. They never ever miss a deadline, even if they are the most severe
procrastinators.
2. Their work always reflects their best efforts.
So it doesn't matter how you are motivated – you just need to
understand what emotions drive and build systems to leverage them.

17. Leveraging Motivational Styles
• Understand what motivational
style works optimally for you.
– Understanding how to use your
emotions will help you put in your
best effort and maintain momentum.
• Understand other people’s
motivational styles and use the
right criteria when you evaluate
them in a work environment.
17Nov. 2017 & Jan. 2018 Emotions as Motivators with Dr. Mary Lamia | Flywheel Associates

18. #StrategicMomentum

19. Conflict & Resolution Between Styles
• We have to take into consideration the people around us and let
them know how we work best so that they're not annoyed by (or
misinterpret) our behavior.
– Task-driven people annoy procrastinators just as much as procrastinators
annoy task-driven people, except procrastinators have been so stigmatized
and shamed about their motivational style.
• It's not about how they get something done – It’s about whether
they get the work done before a deadline and have they done
their best?
19Nov. 2017 & Jan. 2018 Emotions as Motivators with Dr. Mary Lamia | Flywheel Associates

20. #StrategicMomentum

21. Tune in to STRATEGIC MOMENTUM PODCAST to hear from more guests like Mary Lamia!
About Dr. Mary Lamia
Dr. Mary Lamia is a professor, psychologist,
and author who has spent her career studying
and encouraging emotional awareness. She’s
written numerous books for kids, teenagers,
and adults, including What Motivates Getting
Things Done and The Upside of Shame.
Resources:
● Learn more at MaryLamia.com
● Read: What Motivates Getting Things Done:
Procrastination, Emotions, and Success
● Read: The Upside of Shame: Therapeutic
Interventions Using the Positive Aspects of
a "Negative" Emotion

22. To learn how we can create momentum for your
business, contact us at info@flywheelassociates.com
STRATEGICMOMENTUM.CO/EPISODES/9 // STRATEGICMOMENTUM.CO/EPISODES/12

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