Do you ever stop to think about why you’re doing what you are doing?
Is it time to think about what you really want? The results, the relationships, the outcomes? Have you got a plan?
At the root of reaching high levels of individual and team performance is a commitment to the promises and agreements we make. By this I mean that we agree to take action and plan to do certain things that will enable progress.
The scale of the impact and result will hinge on the size of the promise.
Promises & agreements must be planted on solid ground. i.e. a clear understanding of your values, principles and mission (what you are ‘up to’ in the world). In other words, you, the leader have established a strong underlying reason, a sense of ‘why’ you must do what you are doing. Once that purpose has been established, you’ll have a clearer perspective on things that happen that ‘work’ or ‘don’t work’ in relation to your goal. One very powerful byproduct of taking these steps is that you get to be, or are forced to be straight with people about workability and develop more assertive behaviours over time.
Write out a personalised mission statement for yourself and/or your team.
Here’s an example…
I am a stand for openness and respect on my watch, I am a person that drives results and is committed to building a culture of fairness and collaboration. I want my team to be seen as helpful in our organisation, they communicate well, both internally and externally.
Here’s my own personal example. This statement keeps me focused, and in the face of a challenge it’s a clear reminder that it’s not about ‘Me’. The statement sits at the top of my electronic to do list, It’s visible, so I see it and that it sinks in.
Reminder of what I’m committed to: A stand for possibility itself, unstoppable and fully self expressed. Bigger than the stories we create – Developing strong leaders.
Challenges in your team, business, personal and professional relationships aren’t going away, so you’d better have a really good reason to push through as a stand for what you really want.
It really isn’t enough to just be passionate about it. If you want to play a bigger game and get better results than you are now, then you’ll need a bigger reason than just passion to be the driving force. What is it that you are standing for? Make it about others, make it big – if its to small you’ll not be challenging yourself – if it’s just about the money, well, I’ll let you ponder that one for yourself…
Our subconscious minds are at play all the time, even while we’re sleeping, often fed with subtle smidgins of fear and doubt as we go about our days. They are often run by our surroundings and the current state of performance and attitudes around us. Consider that, that is what is feeding the subconscious and is also fuelling the results you get, or don’t get.
Rooting to a deeper sense of why, and being reminded of this daily is key here. If you are someone that has a tendency to doubt, resign and play the sceptic, then I recommend a regular practice of getting out of those patterns – Read developmental material, take actions that go beyond what is comfortable, get a coach, make friends with people that will hold you accountable.
Here are two external resources that I have found tremendously useful for working out how to get practical about the above
1) A video about principles:
2) An audiobook you can use as a personal coach:
Anthony Robbins audiobook on iTunes or Spotify: The Edge