Commitment and Recilience
Last Friday, as usual, I woke at 5.45am, threw on my exercise gear and hit the footpath for a 30 minute run. Morning exercise is a daily ritual for me; come rain, hail or shine.
This particular morning (if you’re in Melbourne, you may recall it) there was rain. A lot of it. Buckets, in fact. But this is my workout ritual and I am committed to exercising at this time. It’s the only time I can make it happen during the day and I see it as a critical investment in my health and wellbeing.
While I am a highly motivated person, there is a fair element of effort in this regime, too. Over the years, I have built on my resilience in order to make this happen. I push through the weather conditions, the snooze button and the temptation to quickly check emails, instead of going for a run. This is because I know that there is a greater personal benefit in the run than anything else.
As I carved my way along the path and through that downpour of rain, I looked out for some fellow runners. This morning I noticed I was alone. It struck me that this was a clear example of the power of resilience. It also made me wonder about the mindset of the people who may have committed the night before to be out running, or heading to the gym – but were still in bed. These are people who are heading off to work in an hour or so. What had stopped them from getting out of bed? What was the state of their resilience?
Further, if they were having trouble getting out of bed to exercise, what was the state of their commitment to their job in the day ahead? Was their passion ignited when they stepped in the front door of the office and shook off the umbrella that morning? Or was their heart in their boots? What will happen when things inevitably get a bit tough?
Commitment and resilience go hand-in-hand in your work teams. To get your team on board, committed and delivering on your vision, you need both.
Look around in your next team meeting and consider your people. Do you feel confident in their commitment and resilience? Do you know how they feel? How well do you know their character and their mindset?
As a great leader, you need to build the team’s trust in you, each other and the business to bring them along on the journey. This starts by having a deep understanding of your people, their aspirations and their mindset.
My run energised me and set my day on the right path. If you’re not sure if your team is on the right path, it’s time to dive deeper and understand what’s happening behind the scenes and inside the heads of your people.
As a great leader, you need to build the team’s trust in you, each other and the business to bring them along on the journey. This starts by having a deep understanding of your people, their aspirations and their mindset.
Published August 30, 2016