David C. McClelland

“What do people really want from work? They want to be competent and to achieve.”

“The need for achievement is a desire to do something better or more efficiently than it has been done before.”

“Understanding human motivation is the key to improving the quality of our lives.”

“Great achievers are driven, not so much by the prospect of reward, but by the desire to do things better.”

“The need for affiliation is the urge to have harmonious relationships with other people and to be accepted by other people.”

“Regardless of our gender, culture, or age, we all have three motivating drivers, and one of these will be our dominant motivating driver.”

“People with a high need for power have a strong desire to influence and control others.”

“It is the need for achievement that is the most critical for a country's economic growth and success.”

“The best executives are those who have a high need for power, but it is 'socialized power' rather than 'personalized power.'”

“Motivation is not a fixed trait; it can be learned and developed.”

“Organizations should be designed to bring out the best in people, to tap their latent achievement motivation.”