For a moment: forget any schooling, corporate training, sacrifice, and all of what brought you to where you are today as a leader.
Have you ever just sat for a moment and thought about how lucky you are to even be on this Earth? It’s crazy to think about, but the odds of your unique blend of DNA even existing is less than winning the lottery while being struck by lightning!
We know that motivation and discipline are two key aspects to ensure long term success, but how do we keep it going when the going gets so tough? Should we work on getting motivated or on creating discipline?
Even in uncertain times, getting a quick spurt of motivation in the moment is not that hard. Motivation is about the “why” — the gratification that comes from doing something for a specific immediate outcome. The problem is that quick spurts of motivation are not sustainable. On the other hand, while creating discipline for the long haul is more difficult, it is sustainable. Motivation is about the “why,” but discipline is about the “how.”
The great leaders of our time have had the ability to get a populace enthused about the future, but our great leaders have rarely come from the corporate world. It’s because emphasis hasn’t been placed on the development of strategic narratives until recently. On the flip side, statistics show those companies with strong narratives – Starbucks, Alcoa, Walmart – have the most engaged employees. The difference between a merely satisfied and a fully engaged employee? As it turns out, 100%. You can’t do much better than that.
You’ve got a great job – you love it! It comes with excellent benefits, you work with good people, but you know in your gut there is something more for you. You know because you still feel this tug of feeling unfulfilled. Alternatively, maybe a situation in your personal life is not only pulling your…
Summertime means vacation time, which often leaves workplaces with a skeletal workforce. This variable can often make it difficult on the leaders who are carrying the responsibility of meeting major deadlines, keeping customers satisfied and keeping productivity and performance levels humming along. Because of this, I’ve seen many leaders give up their own vacations to…