Boring executive cars are bad for employee motivation…

Posted by Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten on Oct 18, 2006 in Business Theory, Fun, Gadget, Innovation, Inspiration, Money, Personal | 2 comments

A few days ago I was driving along in my car when I noticed a Renault in my rearview mirror. It passed me by and I looked inside. The car was driven by a chauffeur and a CEO type was sitting in the back reading papers.

A few months ago a CEO I know showed me his new car. This man makes close to a million a year and he can afford pretty much any car money can buy.

His new car was blue. And that is all I can remember about that car. It wasn’t a Jaguar, Daimler, Bentley or Rolls but a simple but expensive Renault, Audi or Citroën.

I asked that guy why he didn’t drove a flashy car? A red Porsche or a black Maserati or something cool and with character to which he replied that as a dutch CEO you can’t drive a hot car like that. You have to act ‘normal’ and try not to make anybody jealous in your organisation.

As I noticed the nondescript Renault pas me by I suddenly realized that these CEOs got it all wrong. I think it would be a huge motivator if your boss would show up in the most beautiful car that money could buy. I think you wouldn’t be jealous or annoyed but you would think:

“I have to work harder so I can become the boss one day and buy a car like that too”
I can image that if you drive a Renault as a junior manager and you see the BIG BOSS driving by in a Renault (even an expensive one with chauffeur) you just think:

“Why should I work my ass off to be like him? He drives a Renault, just like me. I don’t see the upside”

So lets try this for a while. If you are a CEO please buy a red Ferrari, a silver Maserati or a turbo charged Porsche and see if people get more motivated in your organization.