The Satisfaction of Achievement

If you can master a task in less than thirty minutes, at best it will provide very short term satisfaction. But when we spend our time, money, and effort to master a skill over years, the satisfaction that it brings can be life long.

Why can we be so impatient when it comes to achievement? At times I wonder if the pace that we demand achievement has damaged some of our foundational values.Know what you want to achieve.

1. Know your yourself and your achievement goals. Do you have the right goal, and are you equipped to achieve it? Where can you grow yourself and your knowledge to increase your ability to achieve?

2. Invest the time. Make time every day to take one step closer. Twenty minutes a day of effort is over 120 hours a year. If you spent this time dedicated to growing yourself towards your goal, what would be the impact? What if you spent twenty minutes a day for ten years? Do you have the commitment to yourself?

3. Enjoy the process. Be happy about the time you spend growing yourself. Find an alignment that makes it enjoyable, not a chore. Make it fun, and it will become a journey that fills you with satisfaction.

Make a difference in your environment by linking your foundational values with your achievement goals. What are you working on today that brings you satisfaction?

Yet Another 5 Things to Know About Leadership

Round three of things you need to know about leadership. Becoming a leader is a journey, and here are another five things you really need to consider in your leadership.

1. Coachable. You are coachable if you remain humble are open to continual learning, and never lose the adventure of discovery.

2. Self-Discipline. Leadership is about taking people to a new place, but also keeping the standards that are put in place. If you want your team to be disciplined and responsible, then you must show the same qualities.

3. Generosity. You must be generous with the one thing that everyone wants… your time.

4. Initiative. As a leader you are expected to create momentum with the group. Get them started. You can only do that if you have the initiative to get yourself started.

5. Focus. With all the chaos and demands of the day, you must have focus on the outcome you desire. You must continually keep the focus on the future you want to create, and not hesitate to move towards it.

I think fifteen things about leadership are enough to keep you thinking. Leadership is a journey. What steps are you taking today?

5 More Things to Consider About Leadership

Leadership is complex. There are many skills that play a part of being a great leader.  After last week’s article I know I just touched a few. Here are five more to characteristics to consider.

  1. Vision. A leader must have a vision of the future. People don’t follow someone that is not working towards some new goal. Even though people resist change, there is no need for them to follow someone without a vision.
  2. Communication. Of course you need to be able to communicate the vision. If you cannot communicate your plan, no one will want to follow. Effective communication is not just telling the story, it is connecting the audience to the story.
  3. Listening. Since communication requires both talking and listening, this is a skill that cannot be overlooked. It requires practice. Listening helps you connect and can set you apart from other leaders if you do it well.
  4. Competence. This seems like a bit of cheating to list competence here. To be a good leader, you need to be a good leader, right? I think it belongs on this list because a great leader is always learning to be a better leader. Being a life long student of leadership can improve your skills.
  5. Serving Attitude. A true leader serves others. With this attitude people will follow you because you have aligned your path with theirs. Include their individual needs with the needs of the team and your success will be amplified.

Well that is more to consider when you want to increase your leadership skills. What are you doing this week to increase your influence with others? How can you practice growing these skills?

5 Things to Consider About Leadership

Leadership has many definitions and can be described by many attributes. Here are 5 critical attributes of leadership to consider if you want to be a better leader.

  1. Character. People recognize your character. It is what is visible to others. Character is what you say, what you do, how you respond to challenges, and how you react to changing circumstances. A leader must have character that attracts others. Strengthen your authentic character and you will strengthen your leadership potential.
  2. Commitment. Can you think of one great leader that did not show great commitment to their cause? I am not sure there are any. People do not want to follow someone that gives up easily. You must pursue your goal through adversity if others are to believe you are committed.
  3. Courage. People like to back an underdog because the underdog is willing to take a risk and put everything on the line to win. Are you willing to take risks? Is your leadership able to influence people to find success where others have given up? People won’t follow courage paired with stupidity, but they will follow courage paired with intelligence.
  4. Passion. Passion on the simplest level is loving what you do. When you love what you do it shows. People can sense passion. When you have it, the passion amplifies other attributes of leadership. Passion is the multiplier effect.
  5. Responsibility. When you are responsible, you get the job done. You take ownership of both failure and success. Responsibility is the trait that keeps you working long hours to meet deadlines, even when they are self-imposed. Responsibility provides the constant desire to achieve your commitments. People will follow a leader that takes responsibility for the team.

Leadership grows through experience and the desire to get better. If you reflect on your leadership in the last week, what attribute would you want to strengthen?