Presumably, many of our politicians are motivated by the elusive drivers of wealth and power. Are you like that? Do you long to have millions/billions of dollars in the bank and loyal minions who live only to take orders from you? Do you love and feel you deserve the adulation of adoring crowds? From the following, choose any or all questions, or make up questions to fit the answers you want to give.
Do you like being in charge of people, to give instructions, to direct other people’s work? Do you enjoy knowing that you have the power to hire and fire and that the people under you need to try and please you personally? Or maybe you like being in charge of a well-run team that functions efficiently and supports the members, and that when a job is well-done, everyone shares the credit, but you know it was your leadership that made it happen the way it did?
Are you working hard and longing to have lots of money in the bank? Not just enough to feel secure and fairly comfortable, but a whole lot more (possibly billions) than you will ever need? Is your sense of being a success or failure in life tied to your net worth?
For myself, I hate being in charge and getting my work done through others. I had a brief stint as an Executive Director and it didn’t suit me. I don’t want to be a leader or be in a situation where my job is to give orders and direct people. I was a freelancer for almost 30 years, and being the Lone Ranger who sells my time by the hour suited me perfectly. Even though it meant I was without any health insurance for most of that time.
I am also not driven to make money. I only want enough to be okay, which is what I am now. I’m not wealthy, well-off, or even comfortable, but I’m okay, and that suits me.
I have no interest in power. As far as money, I would like enough to maintain my current lifestyle, have a few luxuries, and no longer have to work so that I can spend my time pursuing other interests. My short answer response regarding money would go like this. Money comes and money goes, but when you’re time is gone, it’s gone, and no matter how rich or powerful you are you only get 24 hours in a day. Time is much more important than money or power.
I definitely do not want to be in charge of other people; what a pain in the ass. My side business will not grow because I insist on doing all the work myself and not hiring anyone, and I’m absolutely fine with that.
My sense of success is coupled to my net worth only in the sense that my net worth is a means to an end: my goal is to retire earlier than most folks do, and with enough money so my wife and I can fly first class anywhere we want to and stay in nice hotels when we get there.
Power? Yes, but not in the issuing-direct orders sense; I’d hate being a manager or commander. But being able to sneakily pull levers of power or manipulate behind the scenes? You bet.
Money? Yesssssss…
Up on Housing Project Hill, it’s either fortune or fame.
You must pick one or the other, though neither of them are to be what they claim. - Bob Dylan
I suspect most folks are curious what it might be like to experience things like fame, fortune and power, but don’t get the impression it serves as a driving force in life for very many people. Maybe experience these things for a week or a month; long enough to figure out the grass isn’t necessarily greener.
I hate being in charge or having authority over others - it makes their work and failures my responsibility (and probably my fault, since I’m not great at communicating).
I want more money than I know what to do with, but that’s really about being buttressed against any want or emergency than just loving large numbers.
Nope and nope. My wife and I have actually been working toward having less, and being happier. We run a small business that we will never grow beyond a certain point. We set an annual $ amount (modest by any stretch of the imagination) that is comfortable for us, and we give away everything above that amount (a small amount of that “excess income” we invest for our and our kids’ future, but most of it we actually give to charities, church, family members, political causes we care about, etc).
We’d rather have excessive amounts of time for family and relaxing than money (or power). I can’t tell you how much happier and calmer we both are since we began pursuing fun experiences and free time, rather than climbing the career ladder and pursuing more money and power.
I walk over to a hotel lobby at lunch sometimes just to get away from my desk; it’s a very swank hotel. The billionaire who owns the place (and most buildings in the area) just walked past me and is sitting having a sandwich. I’m looking at the back of his head from here.
Anyway, he must be 70 by now but is still very active in all of his businesses. I don’t know why; he’s a billionaire!
If I was him I would have packed it all in 40 years ago, after the first 100 million.
(I just googled him. He’s 74.)
So money would be nice, but at what point do you lay back and turn off the world?
Yes. When people in power offer to pay me money for my skills, I’m motivated to do the work they pay me to do. The more money, the greater my motivation.
Some people really love what they do, and some people take great pride in their professional accomplishments. You mentioned that this hotel owner is a billionaire and owns many buildings in the area; I expect he takes pride in believing that his wealth and vision was instrumental in making it happen, and he also likely enjoys being an active participant in his hotel enterprise. If you are fortunate enough to have found something that brings you joy and fulfillment on a daily basis, it makes sense not to give it up just because you’re “old”.
Two other such people that come to mind are John Bogle (currently 88) and Warren Buffett (currently 87), both of whom are still active in their financial endeavors. For some of these sorts of guys it is about the accumulation of wealth and status for its own sake (see Trump and Shkreli for two prominent examples), but for some, the wealth piles up, and they go “huh, now what” - and the “what” ends up being charitable giving. People like Bogle, Buffett, and Bill/Melinda Gates have donated billions of dollars toward the public good. I imagine it feels pretty nice to be able to do that.
I’d rather take orders, than lead. I don’t want to be responsible for anyone but me and my family. Now, I CAN be in charge, and I do a damn good job of it. I’ve managed many engineering projects in the field and I’ve lead countless tours and classes. But I’d rather work around any deficiencies than attempt to command someone to follow my lead. It’s easier to dance than it is to wrestle.
Money? It’s highly overrated. Well, it’s not, but the desire for it is. I like having a cash cushion but I don’t need to be a millionaire.
While those guys/girls are fighting for money and power, I’m having a ball not worrying about it. To me, there’s much more value in fun and leisure. AFAIK, this is the only trip to Earth that I’m going to get. I’ll work enough to take care of my family and save for our future. But after that, I’m punching-out to go ride motorbikes or something.
I don’t particularly want fame or power, but money sure would be nice. It’s a shame I’m not interested or willing to do what it takes to become wealthy. Job-wise, I miss the temp gig I had several years back. I could work from home and set my hours however I wanted since it was project/deadline-based. Nobody cared what I did or when I did it, as long as the work was done, I didn’t have anyone under me and I had 1 guy I reported to directly. If it was a permanent job, it would have been damn close to being my dream.
I don’t want a lot of money, really. I’d just like to be comfortable and not have to worry about finances.
I have no interest in having power over others, but I do dislike others having power over me.
Money isn’t much of a motivator for me, probably due to growing up with a Granddad who was, especially in his old age, somewhat obsessive about collecting money. It got… a bit extreme, towards the end, and it was very obvious that it was’t really making him happier.
I would like to get comfortably off, own my own place, and have a nice cushion of savings so I don’t really have to worry, but past that, no. I don’t want money to have power over me either.
I doubt many people who want power in the sense of people working for them, just so they can be the boss and lord it over their subordinates, get very far. Some surely do, but I think it’s the exception and most people who have any success as bosses view responsibility for subordinates as a burden. It’s just that maybe some people are less averse to it.
Power in the sense that if you need to you can call (other) govt or private sector leaders and they will at least take your phone call and make some effort to accommodate you within reason and the law (or outside of reason and the law ), or just a lot of people really caring what your opinion is. That’s attractive I think. And being a boss is a likely necessary condition to get to that point, just like it’s a likely (not 100%) necessary condition to making a lot of money, along with intense focus and long hours* which are potentially trade offs again the benefits of reaching that point.
*not to sidetrack into the classic/hackneyed debate about how much success is due to hard work v luck. You can’t decide whether to have good luck. You can decide whether to work yourself silly and accept burdens like the responsibility for subordinates, and those two things will increase your odds of success all else equal.
Yes I am motivated by both. I work for money. I choose a role in management because it is both easier (for me) and it pays more. The more people in my organization means the more budget I control means the more money I earn. I have long held the belief and communicated this to my command structure that I can do an unlimited number of roles in the organization if staffed appropriately.
I think it’s easy to dismiss “money” and “power” when you’ve never had it, but I bet (not personally being fabulously rich or famous), it can be intoxicating. Thus, the fear of losing the money and power you have becomes a great motivator.
I mean, for the plebes, we are used to things like waiting in line, or taking turns, or having to follow the rules. But imagine that you start to spend time knowing that you are always accommodated when you show up; that nobody ever complains if you are late; that people work furiously to make sure your needs are met; that you are always the exception to the rule, whatever rule that may be; that you are given and shown the best at all times.
What, then, at the prospect of not having that anymore? It’d be downright depressing to go from knowing that you can walk into any restaurant and be seated immediately to calling up for reservations and be told that they are booked solid for two weeks, and there’s nothing they can do for you. What do you mean, I can’t walk into Tiffany’s and borrower a $30,000 necklace for a night on the town? What do you mean, the doorman wants to see ID? What do you mean, I have to wait for the flight to arrive? What do you mean, I have to be charming to get people to listen to me? I think the need to maintain the lifestyle is all the motivation some people need.
I have never been one to really relish power but have enjoyed being in charge of the shops I have run over my life. It is rewarding to have a vision and be able to bring the vision to a reality when you know it would be impossible to do on your own. Money has never really motivated me beyond the idea that profit is proof of concept. I have always enjoyed owning and running small businesses besides working a full time job. I find it rewarding when you have a theory and a plan that actually works out as evidenced by becoming profitable. My lack of respect for money has cost me dearly as I have lost on my biggest investments. I have always done better investing in myself and my own company.
Money would be nice. Financial security is the dream.
Power? Not really. I sometimes have ideas for a business which I would run, or have creative control, but it just sounds like hard work and long hours. If it was something I loved it would be worth it, but if it’s also discouraging me from trying, that’s probably a sign that even a small level of power is unappealing.
I don’t know if either would be considered motivation, considering how lazy a lump I am.
), or just a lot of people really caring what your opinion is. That’s attractive I think. And being a boss is a likely necessary condition to get to that point, just like it’s a likely (not 100%) necessary condition to making a lot of money, along with intense focus and long hours* which are potentially trade offs again the benefits of reaching that point.