[inerg]

I would argue it's a mix, some need pressure from their boss while others require a sense of purpose to what they're doing. Both feed into to each other but depending on a persons internal drive one factor or another will be best in helping keep someone productive and on task.

Equally I'm finding that at the upper leadership level (c level) a lot of companies are directionless which feeds down the whole chain and makes it difficult for middle managers to convey the importance of the work to be done. I'm sure this differs for blue collar work though since the tasks are more set in stone by design documents and safety codes.

I'm personally still trying to figure out if the lack of direction from above comes from a mixture of lack of personal interest and leadership training. Or if overall leadership training has fallen to the wayside and many lack the ability to properly communicate and plan for the future.

To be fair though I haven't had any experience as a manager or c level so I very much could just be lacking perspective.