I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.
Momentum enhances traction. Whether in general life or leadership, it is desirable for propelling us. In fact, leaders often wrestle with the question on how to build great momentum.
In personal lives we wonder how to get momentum for new ventures we’ve taken on and at other times for things we’ve been at for a long while. Momentum is built. Some times things do just happen and, voila! Some of our endeavors get a life of their own, so to speak.
When this happen the scramble is often how to keep up. When we feel we have a handle on things the next thought and challenge is how do we maintain this. For some, the thought is, “How can we even make this bigger”.
Movement and momentum seem to compliment each other. Somehow we carry a fear of either not being in motion or moving too slow. When things have been difficult, we’re glad to have little movement, and we appreciate with a phrases such as, “at least we’re moving forward”.
have you thought about what you need to stop lately? || image by Tomas Fano | cc
You and I have to be careful that our desire for even the tiniest step does not come from a place of fear of stopping. Stopping a particular activity, be it in your personal capacity or at an organizational level, may mean the death of some things.
We often do not want to be responsible for the death of some things. We get better when we stop some things. Chances are, you thought of something you could stop just after reading the previous sentence. We get better when we stop some things.
The death some things is often the womb of other things. In fact some things can never get life as long as other things still have life. Death of our activities and endeavors may be the best thing for greater ones waiting to come to life in and through us.
Fight the fear of stopping what you know you need to stop, so you can get better, greater in areas you desperately need to. Feeling sorry and guilty for parasitic activities may kill not only your dreams but you also.
Sometimes stopping may not be permanent. This is called rest. Sometimes stepping away from the frustrating mundane allows us to recoup and return with fresher vision and greater passion. We fear stopping because we think things will fall apart if we do; yet nothing ever does.
Think about the times you really could never get around to doing something. Or you were down the flu. When you got back on feet there were more times that nothing really changed much that there were times they completely came undone.
Continuing in endeavors that you know you should be stopping does nothing to better anything. You don’t need more courage to stop. You just need to decide and act. Stop what you need to stop. Start again on the same thing when you’re renewed. Or, start something completely new. Build your momentum. Never be afraid to ask, “Is this time to push for greater momentum or to stop?”
What makes stopping for you a difficult thing to do?
There is an inherent desire in us to be distinct, to stand out. There’s something ‘uncool’ about being a copy of another. Something interesting, though, is that we sometimes feel we’re different from our competition or those around us because we are doing something new and unique that someone else or another enterprise is already doing. It’s like teenagers trying to stand out yet looking exactly like their peers.
being different for the sake of it does not guarantee impact || image by JP<3! | cc
Some questions worth exploring:
Why
Sometimes the reason enterprises do something is what separates them. For instance, two enterprises might manufacture the same product for different reasons; one to support the underprivileged and the other to make as much as they can for themselves. The products may essentially be the same but the motives not. Does this really make them different? Does this give a competitive advantage to the other?
How
Because of diverse opinions and approaches, the same end may be pursued by different means. Means have different by-products. Means matter; they determine “residue” on the way to results. Some means are destructive and others add value on the way to the ultimate goal.
When
“When” something is done can be a matter of motives. When can determine the difference it makes. Timing makes a difference. For instance, it is more pertinent and makes a greater difference to offer a helping hand when it is necessary. When all the work is done, it is no longer relevant.
The Bottom Line
“Being different” per se, is not enough as a goal. The ultimate goal of “being different” must be the reason for being different. Choose your own “different” but not for the sake of it. Does your “different” matter? Some things may matter to you but what ultimate difference do they make to the outside world? What impact does your enterprise make as a result of being or seeing itself as “different”. What impact do your different values make beyond the internal environment of your enterprise? Being different as a value does not matter if it is only upheld internally and does not make a difference in meeting need outside of your team’s context.
Every enterprise and leader must answer this question:
How different are we and, what difference does our being “different” really make?
Unity is not necessarily agreeing on the same thing all the time.
Unity is agreeing on vision and placing the same worth on the same values for the same reason.
Disagreements can be healthy for your cause. This is in the context of leadership. Arguments help for the greater. They help us find loopholes in our thinking and strategy.
Great leaders do not disagree for the sake of it; they disagree to make things greater
Heretic leaders inherently challenge the status quo. However, they are more effective when they are challenged in their challenge of the same. Be bold. Be /ˈherətik/.
How do you think disagreements are not handled properly, making them unhealthy for leaders?
Leaders are guardians of vision. Leadership’s responsibility is ensuring that vision is realized. Vision is the why; the why organizations exist. The why is the reason organizations gather resources and arrange them.
While leaders are responsible for vision, they can sabotage their vision. Leaders often work hard to guard vision by sabotaged by external forces and overlook that they can be their own vision’s enemy. Leader, this is how you sabotage your vision:
while leaders can enable vision, they must be careful they’re not the ones sabotaging it
You sabotage your vision when you need validation for everything you do in pursuit of it. Not everyone will believe in you all the time. Not everyone will be as passionate about your vision as you are.
It is tantamount to sabotage when what everyone says about it takes precedence, not the convictions you carry. You must guard your convictions for your vision.
Challenges
You sabotage your vision when you allow challenges to dissuade it from pursuing it. Leadership is not easy. Challenges should not be the determinant on whether you pursue vision.
If you allow challenges to determine whether you pursue vision or not you will never achieve anything significant.
Resources
You’re not always going to have all the resources you need in achieving your vision. Waiting for all (possible) resources you need is sabotage to your vision. If you wait for perfect conditions to sow, you might never.
Vision can be realized using the little you have where you are. ‘Aggressive hustle’ is very important for successful leaders. You sabotage your vision when you don’t look for other ways to either making your vision happen or means to gather the means.
Downplaying
When you downplay the importance of what you’re doing e.g. When you share what you’re about as if it doesn’t matter, or apologetically. You’re sabotaging your vision when you have no passion or excitement when sharing it.
You’re not likely to build a following or grow support for you vision when you do not come across as excited about it to others.
If you really don’t believe that what you’re doing changes the world or contribute significantly to others’ lives, then stop doing it and do something that you feel matters to you and the world.
You
You sabotage your vision when your character is of disrepute. Who you are is as important as what you do. Bad or questionable character on the part of leadership is bad reputation for the organization and bad for “business”.
This also applies in recruiting leaders. Competence + bad character = bad recruit. The quality of people you recruit reflects on you as a leader and the enterprise at large.
What other ways have you seen vision being sabotaged?
