When you are desperate a number of things naturally happens. First, you become laser-focused on the issues. You are not concerned with minor things that have no impact on overcoming the obstacles facing you.
Secondly, you are fully engaged. You are bringing your best thoughts, your creativity, innovation, and your expertise to impact the situation. You know that you must bring you’re “A” game if you are to succeed.
You also bring every resource you have or can find to bear on the situation. You know that the odds may not be in your favor, and you need every advantage and resource you can find to overcome. You also know that you cannot succeed without your greatest resource which is your team.
Finally, when desperate you can’t rely on excuses. Just saying it’s hard or that it’s not fair is not going to change things. You must act and act now. There is an urgency to move things forward.
What if you acted as if you were desperate every day? What if you didn’t allow yourself to use excuses, or to coast, or to procrastinate?
Leaders that excel must have a laser focus on their goals and what they need to accomplish.
Beginning your day with trying to get organized and figure out where to start is too late. We need to plan at least a day or a week ahead, so we begin our day with the knowledge and certainty that we are ready to go.
Further, as leaders, we need to prepare ourselves to bring our best creativity to our work. This doesn’t begin on Monday morning but in advance. Getting enough sleep, feeding your mind positive and thought-provoking information, re-fueling emotionally, and surrounding yourself with positive people will go a long way towards creating the right energy and resilience for our work.
Your work as a leader is too important for you to be passive. Your mission and vision should cause you to get out of bed and move with purpose into and through your day; maintaining a laser focus on what is truly important and essential.
What type of leader will you be? Let’s decide to be “Desperate Leaders” who focus our attention, energy, and resources on the things that will create success.
