Category: motivation

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motivation

What if I’m not in charge?

a woman standing in front of the group
Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.com

Is anybody totally in charge? Bosses have bosses. Even those at the top answer to a board of directors or a balance sheet. Many of us ask, “What if I’m not in Charge?”

A few years ago, I attended a conference where a speaker coached us on how to lead when we aren’t the boss. Clay Scroggins advised that we have more control than we realize, even when we aren’t the leader.

Sketch notes on "How to lead when you're not in charge"

I was delighted to learn he now has a video series by the same name.

Even if we don’t have the official title, each of us has control over ourselves and how we react to different situations. I have found that when I have relinquished that control, I have made it difficult for me to lead myself and have made it harder on my leaders.

We have more control than we realize, but that also means we must take responsibility for our own actions. What if I’m not in charge? I can start leading myself, for starters. And isn’t that the most important person to lead, after all?

Categories
Career motivation

What can I contribute?

group of people doing an environmental cleanup
Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

When it comes to jobs, very few come to a workplace asking, “What can I contribute?” Alas, we are more likely to ask, “What’s in it for me?”

"To ask, 'What can I contribute?' is to look for the unused potential in the job." Peter Drucker

But Peter Drucker’s quote reminds me when we are inwardly focused, we miss out. What if we see a job as an opportunity to contribute something only we can give?

Some would call that servant leadership.

Cartoon of a dog and cat about servant leadership

Each of us is unique in our talents, experiences, and personalities. We have skills that no one else has. Perhaps that is exactly why we are in the position we are today for a very specific purpose.

Instead of asking, “What can I get out of this?” Perhaps the better question is, “What can I do today that adds value to my organization?”

Categories
motivation storytelling

This bird has flown

birds flying on the sky
Photo by Valeriia Miller on Pexels.com

Lamenting about a wild bird that has flown away does little good. No matter how you wish it would come back, it’s improbable the bird will fly back. Let’s face it: this bird has flown!

As I see it, the point of storytelling isn’t to lament about the “good old days.” Maybe they were good. Or maybe our selective memory forgets that the past had just as much pain and struggle as the present. After all, were the good old days really that good?

When we tell our stories, we hope others will learn from our mistakes and triumphs. Otherwise, we might sound like the boring old guy Bruce Sprintgsteen sings about in Glory Days. (Between this song and referencing Norwegian Wood, I’m in a bit of a classic rock mood today.)

A good story has both the good and the bad, its victories and failures. Because life is never as perfect, nor as hopeless as we believe.

Tell your story today. But don’t make it sound like a greatest hits album. After all, this bird has flown.

Categories
Business motivation

The Upwardly Immobile

gray trunk green leaf tree beside body of water
Photo by Daniel Watson on Pexels.com

At one time, Japan was considered the world economy to compete with. Today, while it is still a world leader, it has struggled. A quote from The Essential Drucker caused me to pause and consider it may be because of the upwardly immobile.

Peter Drucker quote on the upwardly immobile Japanese

When he wrote this, he realized Japan’s economy would have to change because lifetime employment made it nearly impossible for knowledge workers to move and adapt.

But it appears that hasn’t happened. Japan continues to struggle with deflation and stagnation. The failure to change has come at a great cost to the nation.

What made Japan a success for over fifty years has become a liability. When we cannot, or refuse to change, our past successes become a liability and burden.

Mobility is more than the freedom to move from Indiana to Florida or maybe even Arizona!

A farmer looks at a saguaro cactus with corn characteristics

It is the willingness to change and try different things. The upwardly immobile is an oxymoron. No matter our age, let’s continue to be part of the upwardly mobile.

Categories
creativity motivation

Getting Our Ducks in a Row

There is a time to ad-lib and go with the flow. And there is a time to get our ducks in a row.

The closest I have ever seen ducks get in a row

At libbing is fine for creativity. But getting everything organized and in its place is better for productivity. That’s a hard lesson for a creative like me who wants the muse to lead me wherever she wants to go.

Ducks are hard to get lined up. They scatter if you approach them. My creative mind likes to do the same thing. Thankfully, I’ve discovered there is a time for the muse to lead and a time to get productive. Know when to get your ducks in a row.