The ABC’s of Leadership (Day 3): Commit / Create

Commit to Create.

The relationship between commitment and doubt is by no means an antagonistic one. Commitment is healthiest when it is not without doubt but in spite of doubt. (Rollo May)

Day 3 – ‘C’

ABC’s of Leadership (Create / Commit)

Building is awesome!  There’s nothing like starting  from one point, or even no point at all, and making something that you, or others can enjoy.  Don’t believe me? Look at a child’s face when the building blocks all snap together, or the enthusiasm when a startup software company finally gets their product working.  And, if you really don’t believe me, look at high-performing organizations.

Most high-performing organizations are full of, you guessed it, strong leaders.

In fact, creating more leaders may be THE most important thing any leader can do.  Organization culture professor and author, Edgar Schein, agrees.  In his book, ‘Organizational Culture and Leadership’, he notes that, given the importance placed on leadership, organizations need to take an increasing look at organizational culture, and how that culture creates leaders.

Leaders don’t create more followers.  They create more leaders. (Tom Peters)

So how do you create more leaders?

First, it’s important to remember that leadership is a verb – this means, it’s about action (or lack of action).  According to Forbes.com contributor My Say’s 2013 ‘How to Build a Great Company Culture’, leadership drives culture.  Want ethical behavior? Make sure your executives steer with that.  Want happier employees? Consider making sure your leaders show the importance of work/life balance.

Second, recognize that leadership means doing the hard thing – consistently.  It means suffering so others might thrive.  Leadership, and a culture of creation, requires commitment.

Your leadership is like a lid of a ceiling on your organization. (John C. Maxwell)

Want more on leadership? Check out my partner Dale Richardson’s thoughts in his Live the Goals podcast here!

“The ABC’s of Leadership” is a web series highlighting principles of leadership.

Each day, we’ll highlight a new focus area and concept.  Done in partnership with Dale Richardson, a Podcast Host and John Maxwell Team certified speaker, trainer and coach, we’ll also offer a podcast exploring each idea further.

Tune in daily!