Activation: Reversing the Paradigm of Performance
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For decades, leaders have been told that performance depends on Motivation—something outside the individual pushing them to act. That belief shaped how we taught, led, coached, and even parented. The idea came from early behaviorism, which insisted that human behavior was simply a response to external stimuli. It became the foundation for reward-and-punishment systems around the world.
But it was never the whole story.
Our work began with a simple but radical premise: the traditional view of Motivation is 180 degrees wrong. Human beings don’t perform at high levels because of what is done to them. They perform because of what is activated within them.
The Power of Activation
Activation is the internal energy source that drives thinking, feeling, and action. This energy originates from within a set of core human receptors (see above) internal mechanisms that determine how we interpret experiences, make sense of the world, and choose our behavior. When these receptors are activated, engagement rises. When engagement rises, performance follows.
The difference between external Motivation and internal Activation becomes clear with a simple example.
A Simple Illustration
In one of my classes, I placed a phone on a stool and had the custodian call it repeatedly. The noise became distracting, then irritating. Students began shifting in their seats, eventually blurting out, “Answer it!”
When I asked why, they said, “Because it was ringing.”
That’s the classic Motivation logic: external stimulus → internal reaction.
But then I asked a different question:
“Do you always answer when your phone rings?”
Every person admitted that they check who is calling and often choose not to answer. They don’t respond to the stimulus—they respond to an internal judgment based on connection, relevance, or personal meaning.
The energy to act—or not act—comes from inside. The decision is rooted in perception, emotion, and internal priorities. That is Activation at work.
The Receiver-Centric Perspective
This insight led us to a foundational principle of our development work: the Receiver is the most important part of any performance equation. This is represented in our S – R - O model:
S – Sender
R – Receiver (R is larger- most important)
O – Outcomes
Most leadership systems focus on what the Sender should do—what message to deliver, what technique to apply, what tactic to use. But lasting performance change happens only when the Receiver interprets the interaction in a way that activates their internal energy.
When people are activated, their engagement scores rise, and their performance rises with them. Across seven longitudinal studies, we’ve seen a consistent pattern: when individuals understand and apply the Receiver-centric model, their self-efficacy increases, and burnout decreases. In short, they gain energy instead of losing it.
How Leaders Actually Activate People
Activation doesn’t happen by accident. Leaders create it through a set of core behaviors that shape the psychological climate around them. These behaviors were inspired by work in the helping professions, particularly the insight that real improvement occurs only when five specific interpersonal behaviors are present.
In our framework, these behaviors are captured in a simple, memorable structure that guides leaders in every interaction. When practiced consistently, they create a psychological climate of safety, trust, and alignment—conditions where Activation naturally occurs.
Positive Modeling Behaviors – Effective Sending Behaviors – F.R.U.C.E.
F. freedom – All receivers in any activity of interaction and communication want to be a part of any decision making so being in an environment that encouraged that people responded positively
R. real – Humans have natural radar detectors for B.S., and they are also drawn to people who are just who they are….‘REAL’. No pretense, no phoniness, and when we interact, we should encourage that from our clients, customers, and team members.
U. unconditional positive regard – Simply, I’ll love you no matter what. It’s unconditional. People spill stuff. It’s an accident, hand them a rag.
C. congruency - Do you walk the talk? Knowing where someone is at is crucial for building trust.
E. empathy – Do you truly understand what it is like to walk in someone else’s shoes? Can you feel what someone else is feeling?
The Shift Leaders Must Make – Creating Positive Psychological Climate
Psychological safety. The safety is inherent to the positive modeling behaviors that all people who interact and communicate with each other along with the clients we served having the confidence that all interactions are safe. This climate is not soft, sentimental, or abstract. It directly shapes performance. Teams with an activated climate outperform those relying on external pressure, correction, or compliance-based systems. The data is unmistakable: when internal energy is high, results go up. When internal energy is low, no amount of external effort compensates.
The Activation model asks leaders to make a fundamental shift:
Stop trying to push people into action.
Start creating the conditions that activate the energy already inside them.
This requires a renewed focus on:
How people receive information
How they make meaning
How they connect emotionally
How they feel within the relationship dynamic
How they interpret their role and value
These are the elements that decide whether someone will give you compliance—or genuine engagement.
A New Paradigm for Performance
The world has clung to the external-stimulus model for more than a century because it seems simple and predictable. But it hasn’t produced the outcomes we need. Most workplaces still see engagement levels hovering around 30 percent. That means most people aren’t truly connected to their work or their potential.
Activation offers a path forward.
It gives leaders a framework grounded in internal energy, Receiver perception, and relational climate. It provides the philosophical foundation for a performance system that respects human intelligence, autonomy, and desire for meaning.
Most importantly, it works.
When leaders activate people—rather than motivate them—they create a sustainable source of energy that transforms how individuals think, feel, and act. And that internal energy becomes the engine for performance.