A Price We Pay
Self discipline is a price we pay when we want to achieve something with a desired result.
For example – I want to get healthy, so I need self discipline to prepare and clean my veggies and not eat convenience processed foods like cookies and chips. Another example for me is working out daily, I need to get my butt up early, have a plan, and execute that plan so I can fit comfortably in my jeans.
Now think about work, it does takes self discipline to get up and go to work daily, to be on time, and be productive – in return we receive a pay check. But what about people that want to grow in their career as a leader – to influence others and be a leader people want to follow? What kind of self discipline will this take and what will be the price we have to pay to get the desired results?
Think about the questions we asked you yesterday.
1. What am I doing as a leader to grow myself daily?
2. How can we expect to take others farther than we have gone ourselves?
3. What does it really mean to live your life going uphill everyday?
Keep reading for some answers I have learned over the years in my career as a leader.
Personal development is a MUST to become a leader people want to follow. Self discipline geared toward intentional personal growth will take us from where we are to where we want to be. We have to grow ourselves to develop others.
We grow and develop by reading leadership books, listening to leadership Podcasts, reading blogs and white papers, watching digital leadership trainings, and meeting with mentors – then we become a “student” of leadership. Students who dig deep and put in the time will develop influence, insight, and knowledge – people will want to follow us!
Think of it this way as we wake up tomorrow. Say to yourself – “what can I do today that will get me closer to being a leader with influence, a leader that people want to follow?” Then do it!
We can only develop others to the level we are at in our leadership. If we are not learning we can not influence others past what we know. Following someone who really does not know much and only has a title of leadership is not ideal and turnover can become a problem.
Some leaders seem to be natural born leaders…is this a true statement? I say no, they may have great attributes that help grow their skills quicker up the leadership ladder, but I believe leaders must be developed. We have to grow ourselves into passionate leaders with the self discipline of intentional growth.
Warning, warning!!!!
It is a slow daily uphill climb to be that leader people want to follow. Becoming a leader with influence does not happen overnight, over night success does not exist! We must be climbing uphill day after day and year after year – practicing our trade, developing ourselves, and leading our teams. This take self discipline with consistency. If we want to coast through each day of our work life and just “get by”, then we will coast as a leader and people most likely won’t want to follow us.
We have to be willing to pay the price to be a leader with influence that people want to follow. It takes a lot of work to grow, a lot of self discipline, and if we are lazy…people will NOT follow us!
We must grow ourselves to develop others – this is how we become leaders with influence that people WILL WANT to follow.
Create your personal growth plan today and know that self discipline is part of this journey.
Self discipline comes before success but the results will be worth the cost!
Stay Rooted,
Lisa
