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The Twelve Principles of Personal
Leadership
Principle #1 –
The Right Visionary Goals – Part 2
-One Leader’s Perspective
By Greg Thomas
What happens when
you fail to meet a goal? Everyone experiences failure and disappointment in
their life. The difference is that some people don't quit and are willing to
learn from their failures. Failure isn't simply a lack of succeeding,
rather it's a lack of ever trying to succeed. What happens when you fail to
meet a goal and how should you respond?
My question is, how do you know you really
failed? How do you define failure?
Again, I would like to quote from the book I mentioned earlier, titled
"Keeping Pace." Dr. Fitzgerald wrote another thought provoking
article entitled, "How to be a Failure." On page 9 he writes, "Failure is always
relative to perspective. There is an old Norwegian
tale about a fisherman who with his two sons went out on a daily fishing
run. The catch was good, but by mid
afternoon a sudden storm blotted out the shoreline, leaving the men groping for
the direction of home. Meanwhile a fire broke out in the kitchen of their
rustic cottage. Before it could be extinguished the fire had destroyed the family’s
earthly possessions.
Finally, the father and his sons were able to row their boat ashore. The
man’s wife was waiting to tell him the tragic news of the fire. "Carl, the
fire has destroyed everything," she said tearfully. "We have nothing
left!" But Carl was unmoved by the
news. "Didn't you hear me,"
she asked, "the house is gone."
"Yes, I hear you," replied Carl, "but a few hours ago we
were lost at sea: for hours I thought we would perish. Then something happened. I saw a dim yellow
glow in the distance. It grew larger and
larger. We turned our boat toward the light. The same blaze which destroyed our
home, was the light which saved our lives."
What Is REAL
Failure?
I find this to be an interesting story.
Mr. Fitzgerald continues in this article, "Little commentary is
needed on the lesson of that story. Failure is often success when seen from a
different point of view. History is full
of this kind of thing.
And indeed that is a very important point made by Mr. Fitzgerald in his
article. So what happens when you fail
to meet a goal? It just may be a stepping stone to success in another
direction. We have several options when
this happens. The first option, obviously, is to keep trying...to reestablish the
goal with increased commitment. The second
option is to modify what we originally desired. Ask yourself whether that goal
was really important to you. Is the
goal aligned with our personal mission statement? If you feel it is, keep
trying, go forward, and don't look back with regrets.
Remember, it has become history and
is now in the past. We can't change the
past. You and I can only change our
tomorrows. We can become masters of our own destiny by doing something today
that will change tomorrow's outcome, but we can't do anything about yesterday.
The third option we have is to
eliminate the goal entirely. Don't
become discouraged if you decide to change or eliminate a goal. Instead, much like Mr. Fitzgerald wrote in
his article, look at other possibilities that may have been created in the
process. Think of the lessons you learned.
Reflect on a few important things you did achieve. Meditate on the
personal and individual growth you were able to develop in the process of
reaching out toward that goal. But by no
means look at yourself as a failure! Never forget that failure is often success
when seen from a different point of view.
We are in large part masters
of our own destiny, but we are also subject to unforeseen circumstances. Time and chance can prevent or delay us from
achieving some of our major goals. There are often situations in life which are
beyond our control. It may be a personal tragedy or you may experience a period
of depression. Winston Churchill sometimes suffered from deep depression, yet
his bulldog determination is legendry. It may be a natural tragedy, or a
personal handicap. You may be faced with the death of a loved one or be in the
midst of a difficult personal relationship with another. When these tragedies
or events happen, they are clearly "time and chance" circumstances
that may prevent or delay us from achieving a goal! Don't give up, but go forward and keep trying
to accomplish your goals. Allow yourself a period of time to naturally mourn or
grieve over personal tragedy. Then redouble your efforts to successfully
achieve your goals. Also, remember to be patient with yourself. Good things,
like fine wine, take time and patience.
Insights Into Goal Setting
How we can turn our
written visionary goals into achievement?
At this point, we have written down several goals using the outline I
described earlier in Part 1. Now that we have committed them to writing, what
are the insights that you and I need
to understand in order to transform these goals into a personal accomplishment?
The nine following insights I
will now mention are how you should adjust
your thinking toward goal setting.
Insight #1 is the need to
acknowledge that we are absolutely responsible for our own success. Success requires action and sincere effort on our part,
not just mere words. We need to become
pro-active in our lives, and stop making so many "some day" promises
to ourselves! Too many people limit their potential by blaming their lack of effort on everyone but themselves. They
want to be victims and blame their parents, or their school, or their
environment. Diligent effort and a sense of purpose can create opportunities for you. Use daily
opportunities to march through the doors of personal growth. Here's a simple
phrase to repeat, "If it is to be, it’s up to me." Yes, there will be the times when everything
seems to be going wrong. If we are fortunate, our friends and loved ones will encourage,
motivate, and comfort us during our "dark" moments! It’s a great
feeling to have loved ones we can count on.
But in essence, absolute responsibility for our own success really
depends on us, and only marginally depends on others or "time and chance”
circumstances.
Insight #2 is to accept the
certainty that there is not now, nor ever will be enough time to do all
the worthwhile things you want to do in your life. Now that may
not sound like a new revelation, but let me assure you that many people are continually frustrated
because they refuse to accept this fact. Think about all the books you want to read, and all the places you'd like to visit and all the thrills you would like to experience! There simply isn’t
time to do it all or experience it all. This is a fact of life, and highlights
why it is so important to prioritize
our greatest desires. When we prioritize our desires and learn to say “no” to
our unessential or unimportant needs, we are well on our way toward a greater
degree of happiness. That's also why I believe we should not write down more
than three or four major goals at any one time.
Insight #3 is to take control
of your life by providing yourself with more
useful time. A small amount of time each
day can equal a tremendous number of valuable hours redeemed. Let me give you an example. If you were to find ways within each day to
redirect simply 15 minutes, how much time during the next year do you think you
would be able to dedicate or redirect for items of a higher priority? Perhaps you want to achieve some short-term
goals but can’t seem to find the time to get started. If you were to find a way
to save 15 minutes each day... you could create 2 and 1/4 working weeks
per year extra! Yes, I said...two and a
quarter working weeks per year extra!
Saving 15 minutes per day will equal over 91 extra waking hours during the next year! How about 30 minutes a day? If you could find a way to condense something
you are doing now to save 30 minutes a day, you would claim 4 1/2 working weeks
per year extra. This is over one month
of time or 1/12th of an entire year! If we could find a way to reduce or
eliminate unproductive activities that we are now doing, to set aside this
extra time to work on our goals, we could create many additional working weeks
per year. This certainly is a major
way to turn our attention toward accomplishing our heartfelt goals. Remember,
just a small daily savings of time of can result in hundreds of hours of
precious time to reinvest! Organize your life, and manage your usage of time.
Sit down and list all the activities you are doing each day to analyze the valuable moments you are
spending. Where can you redirect and
reinvest your time?
Think of all the time that we could save and re-direct. Perhaps we are spending too much time on a
particular habit or hobby we have formed over the years. We all have daily
activities we could condense. Chances
are we have developed daily activities that may no longer be of any real importance to us or anyone
else! As human beings we tend to form
ineffective habits that become great
"time wasters." Time
management is not just watching a clock, or counting minutes, or turning
calendar pages. Time management is about controlling our lives more effectively
instead of allowing external events to control us. Effectiveness is the result
of doing important things right. We
should not only want to be efficient, but we should also want to develop the most effective usage of our time! Ask
yourselves this question often: "Is what I am doing right now the most
effective use of my time?"
How can you better organize your
time? As I mentioned earlier, there just
isn't enough time for us to do all the things we want to accomplish. How effectively we use our time basically boils
down to recognizing 2 different lifestyle
activities. The first type is what I
call "HIPAYS" activities. These are high payoff activities that are directly related to our goals. They
are activities that we can't delegate or ask someone else to do for us. Quite often they are activities that are
rather unpleasant and usually are higher risk
or more difficult activities. On the
other hand, all of us also have a second type of lifestyle activity I call
“LOPAYS”. These are low payoff
activities usually not related to our goals.
These are activities that we may feel
are important, but they really offer us little in return. These are often
activities that are not related to our goals. They are comfortable, oftentimes
uncreative, and perhaps trivial. They typically have simply become a routine in
our lives. They often are activities that present no challenge or risk
whatsoever. Many of these LOPAYS are habits we have acquired over the years
which now serve no real purpose. Here's the way to focus more intently on your
goals. Begin to eliminate some of these low
payoff routines. We can do this by learning to say "no," to
unimportant or unproductive activities. We also need to mentally separate our
LOPAYS from the HIPAYS. High payoff activities should be most
important to us, activities that are related to our jobs, to our families, and
to our goals. Learn to say “no”, and don’t feel guilty for setting priorities
in your life.
Here's an interesting philosophy for you to think about..."people
without goals are often used by people who have them."
Think about this deeply and you will discover it is true.
People who have direction in life, those who have goals, and who are
deeply motivated with purpose in their lives, are the ones who lead the masses
of people who have no goals or real direction!
It’s the leader and follower principle. In almost any society, you will
find that the goal setters such as
entrepreneurs, political, military, and religious leaders are the "movers
and shakers" of any society.
Insight #4 is to acknowledge
each day as a single gift and
prioritize each one. Life is precious and we only have a certain amount of time every day. Begin to take steps
today to make your day more effective and productive. We often spend too much
time in motion and not enough in action. This is usually caused by a lack of
organization. Start out each day with a "to-do" list of all the
events and activities you want to accomplish. If you’re a busy business person,
a "to-do" list is a must! Place your day’s activities on this list in
order of importance beginning with the most
important as item number one, the
second most important as number two, etc. There are two different but effective approaches to accomplishing the items
on this list each day according to your personality. One method is to begin
with the first item on the list and
work downward. This insures that you complete the most important activities on
the top of the list. The second approach is especially effective for those who
procrastinate. With this method you complete the most difficult activity first, followed by next most difficult, etc. Depending on your temperament, one of
these methods will work for you. Set micro
goals to accomplish a certain number of activities before lunch, or before
your morning break. Then reward yourself when you reach these goals with a
beverage, snack or other personal incentive.
Insight #5 is to develop a deep sense of personal commitment. Do you remember the story of Hernando Cortez,
the famous Spanish explorer? He and his
men landed in
Winston Churchill
was also a man of great personal commitment! In the 1940's the Nazis had
established a goal of conquering
"Please
understand that there is no depression in this house, and we are not interested
in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist."
Winston Churchill had such a deep level of commitment, he wasn't about
to accept defeat. He didn't even
believe in the possibility of defeat.
By his personal beliefs, inner strength and dedication, he motivated and
prodded himself onward even through the darkest
days of the war. Churchill continued a personal sense of deep commitment
even when other nations expected
We too need to have a tremendous and enduring sense of commitment. Like
Churchill, we need to have supreme confidence and act as though we cannot
fail. We need to muster the ongoing
commitment to complete what we have started. Don't permit yourself to become
a defeatist. Don't focus on the problems in life, but focus on possible
solutions. Remember to look at all problems as opportunities and challenges.
When one door closes another one opens.
Here's a minor behavior modification you should immediately adopt.
Forget, and eliminate the use of the word "try." I'm amazed at how often in the business world
I hear the word "try" spoken. People often say "I'll try to get
it done, or I'll try to do this, or I'll try to do that." What they really
mean is that this is a low priority
item for them, and it will get very little effort, if any at all! If you want to be more productive in your life, stop being noncommittal by using this word.
Decide that you are either going to do something… or you're not! Either decide you
are going to make a commitment to get
something done, or simply decide it is not worth doing at all. The very word
"try" is an indication it is a LOPAYS. If it is important to a loved
one, or your employer then certainly do it anyway. But, if it is not, consider
declining the request and saying “no”. I encourage you to eliminate the word
“try” from your vocabulary. Whenever you
make a commitment, promise yourself success, and dedicate the required time to get it done.
Insight #6 is
understanding the process of
making a "right decision”. It is
true that in moral or ethical dilemmas there is often a clear principle of right
or wrong. Yet, in many areas of life, we must face the fact there may be more than just one "right"
decision. When confronted with a problem
or obstacle, we should learn to make a good solid decision based on what we
know and the information we have. Then we need to make it the right decision!
Allow me to explain. Many people feel the answer to every problem is either "black or white." To some folks, every answer is either
right or wrong, good or bad, black or white. Again, while this is
usually true concerning moral and ethical decisions, other areas of life
require a broader perspective. With
almost any decision we face, there are often many possible solutions we can develop
into good decisions. You and I are faced with many daily decisions. Rather than
face these decisions with a narrow or single "right or wrong"
philosophy, there may be many potentially sound decisions you could make! With effort, time and commitment we can make a good decision into a right
decision. Let me repeat...In most cases
there is no such thing as only one
right decision. Learn to make a good decision, and then to make it the right
decision.
Former President
Eisenhower once said, "A wrong decision is better than
indecision." Why? Because when we make a wrong decision, at
least we have made a decision. And with
commitment and greater understanding, we can change a wrong decision into a right decision. But if we are indecisive, we waste valuable
time. Time is one of our most precious resources and it will often make
decisions for us if we are unwilling! If
we slowly evolve from indecision into finally making a decision, and that decision is
wrong, there is typically not enough
time to change it, or modify it, to make it work. What are the steps to make a
right decision? First, when we are
confronted with a decision that we must make, gather all the facts, talk to others who are knowledgeable
about the subject. Get all the input and counsel that you can from a
variety of sources and listen to
others. Next, armed with all of this information, make a good sound decision. Finally, invest the time and commitment needed
to make this good decision into the right decision.
Insight #7 is to appreciate
and use humor everyday in your life. I'm
amazed at the number of people I meet who seem to have lost the ability to
express humor in their lives! Sadly, all the pressures and complexities of our
21st century has made many us anal
retentive. If we are going to remain sane, and have a balanced life, we
must be able to laugh at life’s
foibles and ourselves. If we want to achieve our goals and enjoy them in the process, we must be able to chuckle at the
absurdities of life. Do you fully
realize the therapeutic and healthy
value of expressing humor? Have you learned the importance of relaxation and a
good snicker? I will discuss more of these important traits in principle #3
when our subject is on a healthy lifestyle. I'm reminded of a statement Ronald
Reagan made after he was shot during an attempted assassination. The President of the
Charley Plumb was a P.O.W. in
Insight #8 is that we need to
stay focused on our goals. There is
an old fable that makes a good point about the importance of focused
thinking. The fable goes like this:
There was a wise and aged archer who was training 2 young warriors in his
craft. High above them in a tree was the
target. Each young warrior took an arrow from his quiver, and readied his bow
at the target up in the tree. At this point, the old teacher, a crafty and
seasoned archer asked his students to describe everything they could see. The first archer said, “I see the sky, I see
clouds, the tree, leaves, branches and the target." The wise old archer said, "Young man,
put down your bow." The second
archer said, "I see only the target."
He was told to shoot, and his arrow struck the center of the target! The
same principle applies to you and I as we strive to
hit our targeted goals. We must first focus our thinking before we
can accurately hit our targets and goals. We live in a technological age with
many constant distractions. Remember that every new hobby or “toy” we purchase
will consume more of our time and energies. The modern media complex is ready
and able to gobble up tremendous amounts of our time and the result is a lack
of focus. A small amount of television time or magazine reading can be relaxing
and beneficial, especially when we are selective in what we observe. However,
television and magazines can easily become great time wasters and frankly much
of it is mindless babble.
Insight #9 is to remember
what you truly value! One dictionary
definition of the word "value" is to "rate at a certain
price." How do standards, ethics,
and scruples harmonize with your
daily lifestyle? As human beings we are
often motivated by the desire to be accepted, respected, and needed by
others. Teenagers often have difficulty balancing the values they have been
taught against their need to be accepted by their peers. How about you? The question we need to ask ourselves is who
do we want to be associated
with? Who do we want to respect us? Not
everyone we associate with is going to respect us or accept us! We can't please
everybody and we shouldn’t try to. Which people in your life are most
important? Do you strive to only please
yourself, or your loved ones, your friends, or your associates? Remember that
trying to please everyone is very costly. You can't please everyone unless you’re
willing to sacrifice certain values
and priorities! Only you can decide who and what is really important to
you! If you stand for nothing you will
fall for anything. You need to decide which principles are most important in your life.
By doing this, some people will not be pleased to associate with you any
longer. Some will slander you behind your back and try to undermine what you do
or say. You will probably lose the
respect of some. But, attempting to be accepted by everyone is very costly and
usually requires two different sets
of standards and values. Don't become like the character in an old Grocho Marx skit who stated, "Those are my principles,
if you don't like those I have others!" Remember that life becomes truly
fulfilling when our goals are an extension
of our basic values and mission statement.
I encourage you to choose the
most important things in life to you!
Focus your thinking in the HIPAYS and on the very people who are most important in your life. You can choose to affect your own destiny.
Establish right visionary goals. Not by
just dreaming about them, but by committing them to writing. Take a certain
amount of time each day to dedicate toward the achievement of your goals.
Create long-term and short-term goals. Understand that our goals are going to
change throughout our life. There will
be times when you decide to change or eliminate your goals. There will be goals
that you and I cannot achieve. Unfortunately, time and circumstance may prevent us from achieving important goals
we have established.
Turn your goals
into action by having a deep continuous sense of commitment. Develop a
"can-do" attitude, and act as though you cannot fail. Welcome and use
humor in your life. Don't take yourself too seriously and reward yourself for
your accomplishments. Refine your decision making process. Learn to make good
solid decisions. Then work to make a
good decision into a right decision. Focus your thinking on HIPAYS and to learn
to say "no" to unproductive activities. Make your life more effective
by better use and organization of time.
Establishing the right visionary goals will change your life. Leaders are goal setters and goal accomplishers!
Get started right now…
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About the author:
Greg has over 20 years of sales and
marketing experience within the electrical distribution industry. Some of his
positions have included being a National Sales Manager, National Marketing
Manager and for the past 12 years that of Regional Sales Manager. He also has extensive experience in public
speaking and has written articles for various publications. Greg has a Master
of Arts degree in Leadership from Bellevue University where he presently serves
as an adjunct professor teaching courses in business management and leadership.
He is also the president and founder of weLEAD
Incorporated.