An organization's purpose is to accomplish goals that no individual could achieve alone. The challenge as a leader is to resist treating your organization as one unit and instead be mindful that it is made up of many individuals, with varying personalities and needs. What inspires and motivates one person may not have any impact on another. Leaders who understand their individual workers are able to guide them to realizing their collective growth potential, regardless of the field or industry.

But people don't naturally project their passions and motivators, so how can you decipher and...