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The Twelve Principles of Personal Leadership

Principle #4 – Driven to Achieve

-One Leader’s Perspective

By Greg L. Thomas

One of the classic dictionary definitions of the word drive is; “to supply the emotional or physical energy that leads somebody to act or behave in an extreme way”. This is an important principle of personal leadership! Servant-leaders are not content with the status quo; they are always looking for ways to improve themselves and the world around them. Whereas most people are content with the way they are, or the way our present world is structured, genuine leaders are motivated by a better vision of the future. Personal leadership demands that this better future start within the self. It is this inner vision that generates the drive needed to achieve great things. It is our personal vision that fuels drive, and without that vision we will quickly run out of gas and lose our commitment. We can expand our understanding of this principle by examining how an automobile is driven!

An automobile is a machine that internally has an engine pushing the vehicle in a certain direction. We call this driving the automobile and it responds toward the direction we guide it. Typically, when we are driving toward a desired destination a number of obstacles are often encountered. For example, if we drive a car uphill or against the wind there is greater resistance against the vehicle. When this occurs we are able to take steps to signal to the engine that greater momentum is required to overcome the added resistance against the automobile. This is also true when we drive in the rain, or on snowy roads! Inside the engine is the power to generate the right resources at the right time to continue on our journey. The automobile is designed to respond and provide extra horsepower to overcome natural obstacles. The same can be said of the drive required to achieve the goals and vision we desire.

Much like an automobile that has an internal engine, we have a human mind that has incredible untapped resources. Scientists are just now beginning to understand the enormous creative potential that exists within each person. It is our mind, when inspired by a clear personal vision, that will prod us to move forward through obstacles that are placed in our path. The greatest enemy of achievement is a half-hearted effort, and this is always caused by an inability to push ourselves when we face resistance. It is our own drive that will propel us toward our goals even when all the odds seem to be against us. It is also our demonstration and example of relentless drive that will inspire others to help and join us in a worthy cause. Drive is contagious and seeing people who have this quality motivates others to want to be part of something bigger than themselves! If you seem to lack the drive needed to prod yourself to achieve the things you desire, it is because you do not have a clear inner vision of a desired future! Similar to the way an athlete prepares for an event by “envisioning” the perfect performance, our vision must become real to us. We must get excited about it and picture it so vividly that we can imagine how achieving it will feel, taste, smell and look. This is the kind of vision that prods us to move mountains if necessary to get things done! Possessing a clear vision generates drive, and it is this characteristic called “drive” that never allows us to give up and quit.

An example of a man with a tremendous drive was the famous inventor Thomas Alva Edison. In his lifetime he achieved an unbelievable 1,093 U.S. patents. There were many other fine inventors in the late 19^th century and early 20^th century like Elihu Thomson, Nikola Tesla, Elisha Gray, Edward Weston and George Phelps. However, what set Edison apart from others was his clear vision of a better world. He envisioned a concept we now call “innovation” that included invention, research, development and commercialization. While others were content to simply invent and seek patents, Edison knew that the continued development and commercialization of discoveries were necessary to truly change the world for the better. His unquenchable drive is responsible for the invention of the phonograph, motion-picture camera and practical improvements that made the telegraph, telephone and incandescent light bulb a reality. His vision created entire industries including electric utilities and the film & recording industry.

We will now focus on just the drive that Edison demonstrated in his improvement of the electric light bulb. In 1811, Sir Humphrey Davy discovered that when an electric arc was passed between two poles, light was produced. By 1841 experimental arc lights were installed in Paris but they burned out too quickly. It was theorized that if the right conductor or filament was discovered and it was electrified in a container without oxygen it might be possible to create a practical electric light. Sir Joseph Wilson Swan was the first to construct an electric light bulb, but he had a problem maintaining a vacuum in the bulb and it burned out too quickly. About the same time Swan was working on his invention, Edison was also working on a similar project. What Edison achieved is the product of a clear vision that motivated his unwavering drive to make something happen. From 1878 to 1880 Edison and his associates worked on over three thousand different theories to develop an efficient and marketable light bulb. The key would be in discovering a useful filament, and what Edison did achieve is a tribute to persistence and drive.

In 1876, Edison opened the first laboratory dedicated to industrial research in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Because of Swan’s experiments, Edison became convinced that carbonizing materials would lead to the right kind of filament. He tested the carbonized filaments of virtually every plant known. The “Wizard” of Menlo Park” even contacted biologists and asked them to send him rare plant fibers from the tropics! He would conduct so many experiments that he maintained his own glass blowing shed where the fragile glass bulbs were crafted for his constant experiments. He later wrote, “Before I got through I tested no fewer than 6,000 vegetable growths, and ransacked the world for the most suitable filament material.” Most people would have given up at 10 experiments, or 100 or 1000 but Edison would not be defeated. Eventually he used a carbonized cotton thread filament and it produced a soft orange glow for 15 hours! By 1880 he had developed a 16-watt bulb that lasted 1500 hours and a usable light bulb was ready to be produced and commercialized. His unrelenting drive paid off and he forever changed the modern world. His personal example of drive and commitment inspired those who worked with him. Not only did Edison have a large amount of drive but he was not single-minded! He did not work on just one thing and become oblivious to everything else around him. He had the propensity for working on several different projects at the same time.

You may be saying to yourself that this is certainly an impressive example of personal drive prodding one to achieve great things. But… you may be saying to yourself… look at all the resources he had! The rest of us don’t have laboratories to perform experiments in. We don’t have a team of workers to help us make our dreams come true. Most of us don’t have financial backers or investors to help us fund our vision of a better future! Yes, there is no doubt that at this point in Edison’s life; he had acquired many resources to bring “innovation” to the world. However, don’t lose sight of my major point! All the resources in the world won’t compensate for a lack of drive. On the other hand, with a large amount of drive and little else, great personal visions can come to fruition. I would now like to relate to you an example I have personally witnessed in my own lifetime.

In the 1970’s I had an opportunity to attend a small private college in Pasadena, California. I attained my undergraduate degree at this institution. Like most colleges in America, it was founded by a religious leader who had a clear specific vision within his own mind. With an advertising background, he had previously experienced a number of business failures during the “Great Depression”. With his knowledge of advertising he wanted to create a news oriented magazine that would appeal to a vast audience. Its articles would analyze world news events and be blended with a subtle religious message. He envisioned an international magazine with millions of potential subscribers!

In 1927 this individual made a “mockup” of the magazine he envisioned. Yet there were many obstacles that got in his way including a lack of finances and other limited resources. For about seven years he was unable to continue his dream and virtually nothing happened with the magazine. I am sure that other priorities constantly came up, and many other needs arose to impede his goal. For most people, this would have been the end of their dream of a new magazine. Most would have allowed the idea to “die on the vine”. But, he never gave up on his vision and prodded himself to slowly but surely continue the project. It was not until February of 1934 that he published the first issue of the magazine. He published about 250 copies by hand on a mimeograph machine and was both the Editor and author of most articles. However, other roadblocks occurred and he was unable to publish the magazine regularly, and by the middle of 1935 it ceased publication! He had virtually no financial resources, no associates to help him write or edit articles and obstacles in every direction. What this man did have was a lot of drive and a vision! Again, by now most folks would have given up on their dream and moved on to other things. Many would say to themselves at this juncture that “I tried and it just didn’t work out” and they would give up satisfied that they did their best. Yet, this religious leader (who was by now making regular radio broadcasts), was not a quitter. He had the drive to see his vision come to completion even if he would be forced to delay this heartfelt goal due to numerous challenges and circumstances. He drove himself to never forget his deep inner vision of the new magazine he had in his mind.

It was not until January of 1938, (2 1/2 years after he ceased publication) that he began printing the magazine once again. It was now 11 years since he had originally conceived the concept of this publication. It was again a hand produced mimeographed magazine with only 1050 subscribers on his mailing list. Over the next few years the future of the magazine was in question due to continuing challenges with finances. Eventually the magazine was regularly published on a monthly basis, and it grew steadily in subscribers from the 1940’s through the 1980’s. Over the years it grew from being an 8-page, black and white mimeographed publication to a 36-page full color publication. By the time of the editor’s death in 1986, the magazine had over 6 million subscribers and was published in 7 languages! It was estimated that 20 million readers worldwide read the magazine each month, and it was published by one of the largest printing houses in the United States. Numerous times this vision of an international news publication faced near extinction, but it was the drive of one man who prodded himself and others around him to overcome substantial roadblocks. The editors theology may have been controversial and nontraditional, but it is hard to argue with what he accomplished, fueled by his personal drive.

In conclusion, the ability to push yourself during difficult or stressful times is an essential principle for personal leadership! You may have established the right visionary goal (#1), you may have invested well in the education needed to excel in your chosen field (#2), and you may be living a positive lifestyle that enhances your health and personal well-being (#3). That is wonderful but if you lack the drive needed to prod yourself toward a vision, you will have a greatly limited ability to lead. If you don’t believe in your own vision and show others how excited you are to achieve it, why will they want to follow or join you?

Much like the analogy of a vehicle we discussed earlier, there will be times when you have to use more energy to prevail over added resistance. Yes, due to circumstances there may be times when you are even forced to delay your dreams, but don’t ever give up on them or on your own ability to overcome the challenges. When this happens, spend some time reminding yourself of who and what you are. Imagine what it will be like to finally attain your dream. Fire yourself up by thinking about what a better future can and will be like for others and yourself.

Then promise yourself that when your drive gets you to the destination, you will never take it for granted!

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About the author:

Greg has an extensive thirty-five years experience in public speaking and has spoken to hundreds of audiences worldwide. Greg has a Master of Arts degree in Leadership from Bellevue University, where he also has served as an adjunct professor teaching courses in business management and leadership since 2002. His first book, 52 Leadership Tips (That Will Change How You Lead Others) was published in 2006 by WingSpan Press. His second book, Making Life's Puzzle Pieces Fit was published in March 2009. Both are available at amazon.com. Greg is also the president of Leadership Excellence, Ltd and a Managing Partner of the Leadership Management Institute. Leadership Excellence, Ltd. effectively builds individuals and organizations to reach their highest potential through enhanced productivity and personal development using a number of proven programs. He is also the president and founder of weLEAD Incorporated.