The psychology of motivation

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The psychology of motivation. In this episode Judith Germain speaks to Efren A. Delgado about discovering your unexpected enemies, allies and purpose. Efren shares details about his background, including his love of music (especially classic rock and Baroque classical), his work as a bodyguard, and his previous career as an FBI agent in both the National Security and Criminal Divisions. He explains the different missions and focuses of those two FBI divisions.

Key Takeaways

  • Efren’s book, “The Opposite is True”, explores counterintuitive psychology and discovering your unexpected enemies, allies and purpose
  • Discusses the importance of objectivity, humility and selflessness for living a meaningful life
  • Contrasts “Socialised Mavericks” (good guys) vs “Extreme Mavericks” (villains)
  • Efren is working on a fiction sequel to George Orwell’s 1984 as his next book

Topics

Background and Book Motivation

  • Efren was bullied as a child, which motivated his purpose of protecting people
  • His book stemmed from wanting to grow from that adversity
  • Explores flipping negatives into positives through objectivity

The “Tool Belt of Uncomfortable Truths”

  • Need to assess reality objectively and embrace uncomfortable truths to live meaningfully
  • Emotion is powerful but must be guided by logic/reason to be constructive
  • Humility and selflessness enable wisdom and fulfillment

Socialised vs Extreme Mavericks

Efren believes that:

  • Socialised Mavericks are ethical, empathetic “good guys” who live selflessly
  • Extreme Mavericks are “villains” driven by envy/jealousy to undermine others
  • Need to be deliberate protagonists in our own stories, not passive bystanders

Judith shares her views on his observations.

In this conversation Efren discusses his concept of “oil and water” – the contrast between emotion/passion and logic/reason. He uses the metaphor of a military tank to illustrate the importance of directing one’s emotional energy towards a clear purpose and goal, rather than acting impulsively. He emphasises the value of objectivity, humility, and self-reflection.

Efren A Delgado is a speaker and author of The Opposite is True. Efren reveals the counterintuitive blueprint for understanding yourself, others and how to achieve meaningful success – exposing how true strength lies in humility, not oppression.


Maverick leadership is all about thinking outside the box and challenging the status quo. It’s about having the courage to take risks and the confidence to lead in a way that is authentic and genuine.

But amplifying your influence as a leader isn’t just about having a strong vision or a big personality. It’s also about having the right leadership capability and being able to execute on your ideas and plans.

The consequences of not having the right level of influence as a leader can be significant. Without the ability to inspire and motivate others, you may struggle to achieve your goals and make a real impact.

How Influential Are you? Take the scorecard at amplifyyourinfluence.scoreapp.com and see. 

Efren A Delgado can be found on LinkedIn here. His website is here.

You can listen to Episode 423 on any of the popular podcast platforms or apps (including Spotify, and Audible). If you prefer to listen to your browser you can do that below. Enjoy!