The current departure of teachers from the profession has sounded the alarms that we are facing a crisis in education. The rate of teacher retention has fallen and the influx of new teachers into the profession has declined. Using motivational theories from Herzberg, McCelland and others, this study focused on intrinsic motivation factors and how school leaders use them to best retain teachers in the classroom. In this study, school leaders with high retention rates between 2016-2019 were interviewed to gather their thoughts on intrinsic motivation factors and how they use them within their schools. The principals noted that autonomy, leadership opportunities, building leaders' support, teacher passion, rapport, sense of belonging, collaboration, school culture and teacher recognition were the best ways to promote teacher retention. Strategies such as providing teachers with a voice, developing professional learning communities, providing personal recognition and understanding personal interests helped foster an environment of high teacher retention. Factors hindering the use of intrinsic motivation on teacher retention include mental and physical exhaustion, motivational debt, technology, and life post-COVID. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]