“The Power of Leadership”

Yesterday we introduced a simplified definition of Personal Leadership: I know what I want.  I say what I will do.  And I do what I say. And began with a little lesson on the, ‘I know what I want’ concept.

Today we look at the second piece: I say what I will do.

There are several formats for saying what you will do which are all very simple in theory, but not so easy in practice.  Remember that only about 3% of people actually know what they want, fewer still will be able to say what they will do about it!

The largest part of this piece is a plan of action for achievement of the goal(s) we’ve stated.  How EXACTLY do you intend to accomplish that goal?  It’s the when, the where, the who, and the how of getting to your target destination.  Again, many different tools and processes will work, that’s not my concern here, my concern here is that we have something which looks like a map and something that acts like a timeline.

You will predict the most appropriate course of action and plot a schedule for its completion.  You will schedule your action down to the blocking of specific time periods for planned actions on planned days.

Accountability is the best tool for pushing us beyond our self imposed limits and comfort zones and this is the time to volunteer for accountability.  Say what you will do, to someone trustworthy to understand your goal and who will agree to check-in on your progress to assure you’re staying on your plan.  Have them watch for excuse language and catch you right away if you’re failing to hold to your plan and are trying to justify why it can’t be done.

Next Stop: “I do what I say.”

“I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?” – Yogi Berra

Have a great day!

Shawn
Performance Institute – A Global Leader in Human Capital and Business Development

Russ M. Miller, LLIF – Chairman & CEO

Sunny Hong Zhang – Managing Partner – China

Shawn M. Miller – Managing Partner – USA

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