Leadership Advantedge: Leadership | Influence | Talent | Neuroscience

Motivation is chemistry.That feeling you call motivation is to do with the dopamine inyour brain, specifically the increase in dopamine in your “nucleusaccumbens” is the brain’s feedback for predicting rewards. Dopamineis known as a neurochemical of pleasure, and sure, dopamine makesyou feel good, so why can we also get a spike of motivation intimes of great stress? Indeed, why are some people motivated tojump off suspension bridges? Dopamine is the neurochemical associated with pleasure but itsreal role is in motivation[/caption] The role of dopamine goesbeyond our feelings of pleasure; it performs its task before we obtain the rewards. Dopamine’s actual job isto encourage us to act to achieve or avoid something.  To act or to avoid? Motivation can be encouragement toact or to run awayMany successful golf players (and business leaders) aremotivated by their dissatisfaction with their performance. It canbe a very powerful motivator. You would expect someone who is thusmotivated to improve their game to be sim