Inspiring action
Leadership begins with me! You cannot be a great leader until you are able to lead yourself successfully. Great leadership begins with self-leadership! How are you leading yourself for starters? You lead yourself by motivating yourself to take action, to dream more, learn new things to help you do your job better, the discipline to stay focused no matter the negative elements. How are you inspiring yourself on a daily basis so as to avoid the trap of maintaining the status quo? The status quo may be comfortable but it is the enemy of progress and advancement? Will you be described as inspiring action no matter your level in the organization? Will you work for you? Reflect on this statement for a minute or two. Will you work for you? This is a deep question that needs a deeper dive if you were to understand the full implication of the question.
Dolly Parton said “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader “ If you are a parent and a great parent at that, it is your responsibility to inspire your children to fulfil their potential and more. If you are a leader in an organization, it’s your job to inspire and create an enabling environment where people feel great coming to work every single day. I used to tell leaders in my leadership seminars that great leadership is where you leave your work station and work continuous as if you are still around. Will your team be sad when you leave the organization for another job or they will celebrate your departure? These are questions that you and you alone can answer.
Here are a few suggestions to inspire personal action and others to take action:
• Start with the why? Simon Sinek in his book START with the WHY stated that when people are given the reason why, given a purpose for why things are being done, people are moved to action. Simply put, when the why is clear, the how will follow! Load your mind with compelling whys and you will see yourself taking massive action. Help your team to understand the why, and they will find solutions to problems and take creative action.
Focus on your purpose and vision – what do you really want to achieve in the workplace, career and in your life? How would you like to be viewed in your work environment? When your purpose and vision is clear, you inspire yourself and team to action.
Stretch to be more, do more, and achieve more. Decisive action follows the prepared mind.
Set clear personal and work goals without which you will be fulfilling some else’s agenda. You are better than you think!