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How One Science Leader Rebuilt Motivation and Culture—Without Guilt, Shame, or Burnout
posted in Business Coaching
Adam Kreek
In one of our coaching engagements, a scientist and leader came forward with a familiar problem:
He knew what needed to happen. He knew how to make it happen. But it wasn’t happening.
Despite years of success and high standards, his team lacked follow-through. He felt stuck.
The core issue? A resistance to action—rooted in perfectionism, fear of failure, and fear of judgment.
This was more than a productivity issue. It was a values misalignment.
Understanding the Root Cause: Motivation Gone Wrong
This leader had been shaped by cultural values that emphasized hierarchy, harmony, and obedience. These traditions gave him strength—but they also encouraged silence, over-commitment, and suppression of individual initiative.
He was operating with motivators like guilt, fear, and pressure. These motivators can be effective in short bursts. But over time, they lead to disengagement, frustration, and burnout.
Instead, we turned to Self-Determination Theory, a proven framework that states:
People are most motivated when they experience autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
So, how do you apply that insight to the messy, day-to-day work of running a lab or leading a team?
We started building structure. Not for control—but to unlock autonomy and growth.
A Simple System: The New Management Cadence
We introduced a rhythm of meetings and check-ins to bring clarity, accountability, and focus to the team.
1. Annual Planning (Once per Year as a Team)
This is the team’s deep dive and strategic reset.
The goal is to reflect, plan, and align the lab’s collective efforts with shared values and long-term goals.
Agenda:
- Welcome and Good News
- Why Does Our Work Matter? (Purpose)
- Storytelling: Real-world impact of past research
- Review the past year using “Win - Gap - Learn”
- Discuss the importance of goal setting
- Express belief in the team’s ability
- Set bold lab goals: BHAG, 4HAG, 1HAG
- Have individuals set SMART goals
- Present and align personal yearly plans with the team sprint calendar
- Share the new management structure
- Close with top takeaways and next steps
2. Quarterly Team Check-ins (3x per Year)
These meetings are used to track progress, adjust course, and stay focused. The entire team participates.
Each session revisits:
- Team goals
- Sprint plan
- Progress through Win - Gap - Learn
- Reprioritize and adjust for what’s changed
3. Monthly 1-on-1s
Structured yet simple, these are short, focused conversations between the lab lead and individual team members. Based on The One-Minute Manager approach:
- Highlight a win
- Reflect on a recent gap or challenge
- Extract a learning
- Set or revisit an individual goal
- Reinforce core lab values
The Bigger Lesson: Motivation by Design
This isn’t just meeting hygiene. It’s motivation by design.
When you build a structure like this, you’re not micromanaging. You’re creating a repeatable, value-driven rhythm that reinforces what matters—both to the organization and the individuals in it.
You’re replacing guilt and shame with clarity and belief.
You’re shifting from control to confidence.
You’re creating an environment where high performance is normal—and burnout is not.
This leader’s transformation started with a realization: He didn’t need to do more.
He needed to lead differently.
He learned a lesson from his upbringing—one he saw in action through his own mother:
If something is important, repeat it until it becomes part of who you are.
That’s what leadership is: repetition, structure, and values brought to life.
Final Takeaway
If you’re running a team, a lab, or a business—it’s not just about outcomes.
It’s about the systems and structures you build to make those outcomes sustainable.
You’re not just running a lab.
You’re building a culture that performs with purpose.
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Adam Kreek and his team are on a mission to positively impact organizational cultures and leaders who make things happen.
Kreek is an Executive Business Coach who lives in Victoria, BC, near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and Seattle, Washington, USA, in the Pacific Northwest. He works with clients globally, often travelling to California in the San Francisco Bay Area, Atlanta, Georgia, Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. He is an Olympic Gold Medalist, a storied adventurer and a father.
He authored the bestselling business book, The Responsibility Ethic: 12 Strategies Exceptional People Use to Do the Work and Make Success Happen.
Want to increase your leadership achievement? Learn more about Kreek’s coaching here.
Want to book a keynote that leaves a lasting impact? Learn more about Kreek’s live event service here.
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