Employee motivation is unarguably one of the most important factors of a productive workplace. Not just the success but the very survival of any organization in difficult times depends on how motivated its employees are.
Moreover, without the employees being motivated, their engagement and productivity are likely to stay low. As a result, for a company to move forward is not possible.
So, the role that motivation can play in making the most of your workforce is the pivot.
Nevertheless, what we often forget is that without the top leadership being motivated first, it is difficult to expect it from the rest of the employees.
Additionally, being motivated and understanding the importance of motivation alone is not sufficient.
You need to hit the right spots that will drive employees to work hard and do wonders. But how can this be achieved? Simply, by studying and understanding employee motivation better.
There are many articles that one can find on the internet regarding employee motivation. However, they are not the best substitutes for the employee motivation books written specifically on making employees motivated.
So, for you to understand better how you can instill motivation in your employees, we bring you the five books on employee motivation that we think you should read to have a motivated workforce working for you.
1. Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
Author: L. David Marquet
David Marquet was one of the experienced officers in the US Navy. He was later transferred as a captain in a nuclear-powered submarine.
The fleet had issues such as poor performance and worst retention.
In one of his days as the captain, Marquet unknowingly gave an order that was impossible to achieve.
This task was not only impossible but was also very dangerous upon trying.
The team, however, still tried its best to successfully follow the order.
Later, Marquet gained knowledge of this. And he asked his team why they did not tell him that the task had considerable risk involved.
The team replied that they were ordered to do so.
That led the author, the then US Marine officer, to come to a realization.
Marquet realized that the Marine force was in dire danger due to the traditional leader-follower culture.
This employee motivation book is based on the true story of David Marquet. The story of how he went from keeping power to distributing it down to all the ranks.
This model makes everyone develop a sense of responsibility. And that results in motivating the people to work better.
2. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Author: Daniel H. Pink
As opposed to this belief that money as a reward is the highest motivating factor, Daniel H. Pink writes otherwise.
In this book on motivating employees, the author references the research on Employee motivation. However, Pink reveals that the organizational practices have been in total contrast.
The author concludes with three elements for motivation from the research: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
This book consists of the results of scientific research on employee motivation. And it draws inferences from it.
Nevertheless, the author of this book also suggests the actions that are necessary for achieving employee motivation.
Read: The Best Advice You Could Ever Get About Employee Motivation
3. Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t
Author: Simon Sinek
Not everyone loves their job. Many of us do not.
It is similar to winning a lottery or hitting the jackpot, where only a few get lucky. And so, only a few can claim to love the job. While others just cannot.
A world where people love and are passionate about their jobs is not eutopic since many organizations have been successful in achieving it, as the book says.
Such organizations make work rather fun by making working together more enjoyable. So, this employee motivation book suggests that if you cannot make the job roles of your employees loveable, then make group work exciting.
The author of the book strongly links the motivation of employees for work with their ability to work as a team.
So, to conclude, for people to love their jobs, they must first love working with their peers.
In addition to this, the author goes on to provide a reference from the Marine forces, where officers always eat last, thus the name of the book.
In many organizations, the culture of self-interest is very common.
Employees seldom care about the interest of their employer company, let alone of their peers’. However, in successful organizations, the workplace culture is poles apart from such a mindset.
In successful organizations, leaders tend to sacrifice their interests. They bring others to the front. They let others have the limelight. And they put themselves before others when needed.
Not only does it lead to people loving their job, but employee motivation also reaches new heights.
So, we can also conclude that leaders/ managers also have a crucial role to play in devising a motivated workforce. And that it is not entirely the responsibility of an employee or the company itself.
4. The Enemy of Engagement: Put an End to Workplace Frustration – and Get the Most from Your Employees
Author: Mark Royal and Tom Agnew
The author of this book makes use of the latest research on employee motivation by the Hay Group.
As the name suggests, this employee motivation book discusses the factors that hinder the performance and thus the motivation of employees. These factors are excessive procedures, lack of resources, overly narrow roles, etc.
Moreover, the book also proposes the necessary practices that can be used to eliminate these factors.
The author of this book reveals the results of the studies conducted by the Hay Group. In one of the studies, it was found that due to the unfavorable working conditions, the employees become unproductive.
This book also provides its readers with researched-backed tools and practices. To find and overcome the factors leading to lesser employee motivation.
5. Why We Do What We Do
Author: Edward L. Deci
Arguing against the system of rewards and punishment, the author writes that it is autonomy that matters most, for employee motivation.
The author further writes that it is by virtue of autonomy that motivation is instilled into the employees.
This book on employee motivation is a complete guide not only for the managers but the parents and teachers as well.
It is for anyone who wishes to promote efficiency and motivation by making people autonomous in their course of action.
Read: 7 Ways to Completely Ruin Your Employee Motivation
Bottom line
Employee motivation lies at the heart of organizational success. It tends to make employees more engaged with the best books on motivating employees, which results in an increase in their productivity and performance levels.
All in all, motivating your employees should be a priority.
Lastly, yet importantly, rewards and recognition play a major role in terms of employee motivation. So, you can also leverage employee recognition and rewards to boost the motivation of your employees.
That said, rewarding employees for their recognition of good work is not easy.
But, a relevant platform, such as BRAVO!, makes it easier for you to appreciate and reward your employees for their hard work. And consequently, making employees motivated becomes easier as well.
So, the rewards and recognition platform, BRAVO!, leads you to develop a motivated workforce, which adds to its advantages.
You can book here to have a practical demonstration of BRAVO! on employee motivation.
FAQs
For new managers, “Drive” by Daniel Pink and “The Motivation Myth” by Jeff Haden top the list of employee motivation books. According to a 2023 LinkedIn Learning survey, 78% of successful managers cited motivation-focused literature as critical to their development. These books provide actionable frameworks rather than theoretical concepts.
HR professionals recommend quarterly engagement with employee motivation books to stay current with evolving workplace dynamics. The Society for Human Resource Management reports that leaders who regularly refresh their motivation strategies see 31% higher team engagement scores compared to those who don’t prioritize continuous learning in this area.
Absolutely. Modern books about employee motivation like “Remote” by Jason Fried and “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott address distributed workforce challenges. A 2024 Gallup workplace study found that remote teams whose managers applied motivation principles from current literature showed 27% higher productivity than teams with traditional management approaches.
Employee motivation books specifically focus on psychological drivers of workplace engagement and performance, while general leadership books cover broader management topics. According to Harvard Business Review research, specialized motivation literature typically includes 40% more actionable frameworks and case studies relevant to frontline motivation challenges.
Companies implementing strategies from top employee motivation books report 24% higher retention rates according to Deloitte’s 2024 Human Capital Trends report. You can typically expect improvements in three key areas: increased employee satisfaction scores, reduced absenteeism, and measurable productivity gains within 3-6 months of consistent application.
Research from the Audio Publishers Association shows that retention rates for audiobook and traditional reading are comparable (87% vs 92%) for employee motivation books. The portable format actually increases completion rates by 34% among busy professionals, making audiobooks an equally effective format for absorbing these crucial motivation concepts.
Establish a monthly reading cycle focusing on one employee motivation book at a time. McKinsey’s organizational development research indicates that collaborative learning increases implementation rates by 65%. Create structured discussion questions, assign chapter leadership roles, and connect concepts directly to current workplace scenarios for maximum impact.
