Cartoon – The Contributing Chicken and Committed Pig
Tag Archives: Commitment
Cartoon – Is your Mother available?
NEW QUESTIONS FOR LEADERSHIP TIPPING POINTS
The opportunity and ability to step into a tipping point makes us feel responsible, powerful, and apprehensive.
Every decision both responds to and creates a tipping point.
New questions for leadership tipping points:
Ease:
The pursuit of ease makes you matter less.
Ease in small doses expands capacity, but in large doses destroys us.
- How might this decision challenge you in new ways?
- How might new challenges become personal growth points?
Please know that I’m not encouraging workaholism. However, making a difference requires getting your hands dirty.
Direction:
Every decision contributes to trajectory.
The consequence of decisions is real direction, not intended direction. You’re always heading somewhere.
- How does this decision reflect a “running toward” attitude, rather than running away?
- What are you running toward?
Long-term or short-term:
The appeal of short-term perspectives is immediate gratification, sometimes at the expense of long-term value.
Crisis requires short-term perspective. Put the fire out! But constant “crisis mode” sacrifices the future on the altar of urgency.
- How does making this decision reflect a long-term perspective?
- How does making this decision reflect a short-term perspective?
Relationships:
Life is relationships, nothing more, nothing less.
- What new relationships might result from making this decision?
- How does this decision impact current relationships?
- How might new relationships expand capacity and/or capability?
Service:
Tipping points include opportunities to both receive and give value.
- What new opportunities for service are available?
- How might your strengths find new expressions?
5 general questions:
- How does making this decision reflect a commitment to something greater?
- How are you expressing your best self?
- How are you expressing the self you hope to become?
- How much of this decision is motivated by fear?
- How much of this decision is motivated by dissatisfaction?
What questions might leaders ask when facing tipping points?
3 WAYS TO LEAD IN PRESERVING OUR INDEPENDENCE
Amidst the social gatherings and backyard barbecues of the Independence Day celebrations that we have each year, there are many important and dramatic stories about the sacrifices of our founding fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence.
Some of them are inflated, but what is true is they knew that it was a bold, courageous step that would prompt a strong response from the mother country. What they expected was brutal military action against them by the best organized and equipped army in the world. There were personal and professional risks for those leaders.
The Price of Freedom in the POW Camps
The same challenges were true for our senior leaders in the Vietnam POW camps. There was a lot at stake as they wrestled to set an example for the rest of us to serve with honor in difficult times.
As POWs, we battled daily to have the freedoms that we enjoy in the U.S. We know what it’s like to live without freedom, and we don’t take it for granted. I know it can sound a bit trite, but it’s true—Freedom is not Free.
“FREEDOM IS THE BURNING DESIRE OF EVERY HUMAN BEING, BUT IT COMES WITH A RESPONSIBILITY.”
It can only be maintained by what my organization calls the core of courageous accountability – Character, Courage, and Commitment.
The Courageous Accountability Model(tm) is featured in Lee’s book, Engage with Honor: Building a Culture of Courageous Accountability.
The Internal Battle
Human nature naturally goes toward the easy way out. The truth is that honor, character, courage, and commitment do not have many easy days.
“LIVING AND LEADING WITH HONOR REQUIRES SACRIFICE, AND IT’S MAINLY LETTING GO OF OUR EGO AND SELF-INTEREST.”
We’re always bound to self-interest, yet we must learn to periodically rise above it and that takes sacrifice to put the good of others first. That’s what our founders did, what the military does, and what our elected representatives are supposed to do.
In fact, we all play a role in preserving our freedom and national security.
Safeguarding our Freedom and Independence
As we reflect this month on our national independence and individual liberty, it’s a good time to reflect on our individual responsibilities for preserving these liberties that we can so easily take for granted.
So you might ask, “What can I do to help safeguard our independence and freedom?”Playing off our brand and mission at Leading with Honor®, we are engaged in a battle to be leaders who live with honor.
Here are three important points:
- Lead and manage yourself. Live as a person of honor. If you need some guidance, download the Honor Code.
- Set the example. Influence the next generation and help them understand that freedom requires responsibility.
- Hold your elected leaders accountable. Make sure that they’re serving with honorable behavior that serves the best interest of freedom and our country’s founding principles rather than themselves.
The Sacrificial Payoff
This mindset is not easy. It takes courageous, character, and commitment that’s supported by self-awareness and discipline. To be frank, living and leading with honor doesn’t come easy. It requires an ongoing battle with the dark and lazy side of human nature. it’s easy to just settle, drift and become indifferent and apathetic about our greatest treasures as a nation.
So as you gathered with your family and friends, I hope that you paused to remember your responsibilities as a citizen and as a protector of our freedoms.
It’s very clear that our founders understood that when they signed off on the Declaration of Independence and closed with these words:
“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
Please share your comments and experiences below, too.
PROTECT YOUR FREEDOM BY ENGAGING WITH HONOR
The foundational pillars of Character, Courage, and Commitment form the bedrock to lead with a model of courageous accountability shown in the article. Want to learn the full model to continue growing as an honorable leader?
For a limited time, we’re offering the Engage with Honor Launch Package when you purchase a copy this award-winning book.
Cartoon – Does anyone remember what it is we’re supposed to do?
How to Get Your Team to Follow Through After a Meeting
Here are the questions to ask of yourself and your team:
- Is each action item essential to completion of the project?
- At the time we commit, do we fully intend to do whatever it takes to deliver?
- Are we clear about what needs to be done, who will do it, and when it will be done?
- Do we have the ability to say no or negotiate when we can’t fully commit?
- Is it OK if someone follows up to check on our progress?
- Do we have a system to keep track of action items and their completion?
- Do we have an agreement to communicate if something comes up that might interfere with our completion of the task?
This problem-solving discussion will increase everyone’s level of awareness for making and keeping commitments as well as surface problems that keep them from doing so.
Getting to a higher level of completion on action items leads not only to exponential progress toward goals, but also to a tremendous sense of accomplishment — both personally and for the group.
7 Core Behaviors for Honorable Leadership – Does This Include Everything?
7 Core Behaviors for Honorable Leadership – Does This Include Everything?
“7 Core Behaviors for Honorable Leadership” – does the Honor Code include all the important elements for a foundation of honorable leadership?
1. Tell the truth even when it’s difficult. Avoid duplicity and deceitful behavior.
2. Treat others with dignity and respect. Take the lead, and show value to others.
3. Keep your word and your commitments. Ask for relief sooner than later if necessary.
4. Be ethical. Operate within the laws of the land, the guidelines of your profession, and the policies of your employer.
5. Act responsibly; do your duty, and be accountable. Own your mistakes, and work to do better in the future.
6. Be courageous. Lean into the pain of your fears to do what you know is right even when it feels unnatural or uncomfortable.
7. Live your values. Be faithful to your spiritual core, your conscience, and your deepest intuitions.
Cartoon – Management Today
7 THINGS DRIFT TAUGHT ME ABOUT COMMITMENT
https://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/7-things-drift-taught-me-about-commitment/
I’m reflecting on a young man who doesn’t care much for making commitments. I’ll call him Drift. He’s easygoing, generous, kind, carefree, and transparent. I like him. Drift doesn’t demand much from life. He takes things as they come. In his role, you might be surprised to know that Drift is committed, dedicated, flexible, helpful, and reliable. He doesn’t make commitments because it’s the right thing to do. He makes commitments for his reasons, not someone else’s. Frankly, Drift makes a bigger contribution than many who fit more traditional patterns.
HENRY KOTULA 