Leadership Thought #323 – Are You Just Going Through The Motions?
If a leader is not adequately motivated, it will eventually trickle down throughout the organization. We all look to our leaders for both inspiration and direction. Every organization must maintain a certain edge in this regard and must continually fight complacency. It is hard to stay on top. You must never accept the status quo or rest on your laurels. High-performing leaders are never just going through the motions. They show up to work every day with a sense of purpose and a responsibility to do what is needed and what is right. They don’t need other people or external factors to force them into action. They are self-motivated to build the best possible organization they can.
I firmly believe that once you have worked the kinks out of your operation, it should run smoothly. If you stay focused, committed, and disciplined, business success is easy to maintain. You can also have work-life balance!
However, you still have work to do until you have served every customer who could benefit from your products or services and every employee has reached their full potential. Distractions such as pleasure pursuits and non-core business activities can cause you to lose focus and undermine the foundation of your success model. Many leaders have suffered the consequences of losing interest in what made them thrive in the first place.
Professional and personal reinvention is a good thing. You never want to get stale or bored with your role. There are many opportunities to grow and develop within what you are already doing. You need not search far to discover something significant that demands your focus. There is no justification for merely following a rote routine. If you find yourself in a rut or lacking inspiration, consider taking a personal retreat, joining a peer group, participating in leadership development seminars, reading a reputable business book or magazine, attending industry conferences, and spending more time with your customers and employees. I guarantee you that the opportunities for inspiration abound if you take the time to uncover them. If you try all of this and it still doesn’t work, then you should either step aside or sell the company, as it may be time for you to move on.
Related articles
- Executive Coach’s Tip: What Are YOU Doing to Get Better? (careersuccess.typepad.com)
- Peer Advisory Groups Will Throw You For A Loop (vistage.com)
- Complacency Kills (fireofficermentor.com)
- Leadership (thinkingbookworm.typepad.com)
