(First published July, 2018)
I have been trying to think about leadership without commitment. I can’t. They simply cannot exist without each other.
Have you ever decided to leave a company and be faced with the dreaded two weeks or so until you really physically leave? This is a dead zone. Your commitment has gone. Without commitment you are dead to the organization.
Commitment is all about the drive to make something work. A relationship, a business and even yourself.
ProjectTimes.com published an article recently entitled: The Five Commitments of Leadership written by Mark Leheney. Mark lists the five commitments as:
- To the self – how much you work on developing yourself as a human being, to be the best leader you can be. In fact, it is self-awareness that is the first major step toward becoming truly committed.
- To people – how much you really focus on connecting with those around you in order to work effectively with them.
- To the organization – how much you are devoted to the intentions and performance of the place where you work so that you show up with maximum energy and conviction.
- To the truth – how much you tell and invite the truth, even when it is hard, in order to keep yourself, others and the organization on a right course.
- To leadership – how much you answer a call to lead and choose to engage in proven, effective leadership behaviors.
As a leader, you are constantly under a watchful eye by your employees and your team. Your commitment to the organization, the brand and all of your people is always right up front. If it slips, weakens or goes away the audience will see it immediately.
You need to be committed – day in and day out.
“If you expect your team to work hard and produce quality content, you’re going to need to lead by example. There is no greater motivation than seeing the boss as committed as everyone – down in the trenches working alongside everyone else, showing that hard work is being done on every level.”
Peter Drucker said “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans.”
So, every day we need to look at the mirror and confirm our commitment. If the answer is at all grey or wavering, we need to stop and address the reasons why. Possibly a short term period of questioning – easy to fix. Maybe a few days of looking for greener pastures – hopefully short term. Maybe something is not going our way. Time will heal that one.
But in any case, if we have tried to fix the situation and we are still not committed it is time to make a big adjustment. Maybe even time to move on. A great leader will see this clearly and make the right move.
Commitment is one of the keys to great leadership. Without it, you are lost.
“By proving your commitment to the brand and your role, you will not only earn the respect of your team, but will also instill that same hardworking energy among your staff.” Forbes.com
