“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.“ W.H. Murray
Last month we discussed how to make the right choices in life and business. We talked of positioning ourselves as business leaders in such a way that we make good, solid choices.
This month, I would like to follow up that article with one concerning commitment and business. Will the two topics complement each other? I believe the answer is yes. In fact, I see the topics as dependent on one another.
Here is my premise: When we work through the process of making a choice and we lack commitment to that choice, ineffectiveness is sure to follow.
First, a few assumptions I hold related to commitment:
- Commitment is more than a head game.
- Commitment is positive.
- Commitment itself is a choice.
- Commitment flows from powerful leaders.
- Commitment is the driving force needed to push our choices into reality.
Now let’s fledge out each of these assumptions.
Commitment is more than a head game.
While our commitments start as a thought process, they cannot stay in our head. One way to state this is:
Commitment is a verb – it’s an action word.
Deciding to commit to a choice is only the beginning – now comes the real work. We must act on our commitment to that choice or, as I said earlier, ineffectiveness is sure to follow.
Commitment without action is worthless. When we have done the due diligence and made a right choice, we must act for that choice to have:
- Impact
- Meaning
- Power
- Results
Commitment is so much more than a head game. It involves action.
Commitment is positive.
When business leaders decide to make a commitment to a goal, plan, strategy or new direction, they have made a positive decision.
Let me try to draw the timeline out a bit:
The leader has painstakingly worked through all the considerations needed in order to make a right choice.
The leader now makes a conscious commitment to that right choice and moves out in action related to the commitment.
The choice and the commitment are going to have a meaningful, powerful, results-oriented impact on the leader’s business.
That is positive. When we follow this series of actions, no matter what the outcome, the result is positive. This realization can help us as leaders to see our role and our work in a very different light.
Commitment itself is a choice.
This might seem obvious, but it is important for this reason:
Not committing to a choice that has been deemed “right” is a sure and certain way to open the flood gates of ineffectiveness in our business. Not committing is a choice we make to not do the right thing, the best thing, and the needed thing to move our business forward.
Simply put: committing or not – we make a choice – the difference is very important when it comes to good business.
Commitment flows from powerful leaders.
Over the years, I have heard trainers or speakers say that the mark of a powerful leader is his or her ability to make choices.
This is true, but the statement does not go far enough. In my estimation, real, powerful leaders are the ones that can make a choice, commit to that choice and take direct, intense action related to the choice.
This ability flows naturally from powerful leaders. It is second nature to the way they conduct themselves, their teams and their business. It is fun to watch it unfold.
Commitment is the driving force needed to push our choices into reality.
Each time we make a choice we are setting a goal that wants to be achieved.
As Mack R. Douglas reminds us that the good news is:
“The achievement of your goal is assured the moment you commit yourself to it.”
Commitment is the vehicle—the force—that drives our choices from concept to reality. The power of a simple commitment has transformed many leaders and their respective businesses. Without that power, I have seen business after business and leader after leader flounder and fail.
I think commitment is lacking in so many areas in our society these days. In developed and free nations, people are blessed with the ability to make choices, but often we lack commitment.
In business we are confronted with the need to make right choices on a minute-by-minute basis. Each leader and team member is charged with making choices as a significant part of their daily activities. Those choices then require a commitment. This is the game we play in the workplace and in life.
The process is really simple if you think about it: Make a choice. Commit to the choice. Act.
Are you ready?
DeLores Pressley, motivational speaker and personal power expert, is one of the most respected and sought-after experts on success, motivation, confidence and personal power. She is an international keynote speaker, author, life coach and the founder of the Born Successful Institute and DeLores Pressley Worldwide. She helps individuals utilize personal power, increase confidence and live a life of significance. Her story has been touted in The Washington Post, Black Enterprise, First for Women, Essence, New York Daily News, Ebony and Marie Claire. She is a frequent media guest and has been interviewed on every major network – ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX – including America’s top rated shows OPRAH and Entertainment Tonight.
She is the author of “Oh Yes You Can,” “Clean Out the Closet of Your Life” and “Believe in the Power of You.” To book her as a speaker or coach, contact her office at 330.649.9809 or via email [email protected] or visit her website at www.delorespressley.com.
