Many of us have heard the story of the three women who were busy working on a construction project.  The first woman is asked, “what are you doing?”  The first woman says, “I am laying bricks.”  The second woman is asked, “what are you doing?”  The second woman says, “I am building a wall.”  The third woman is asked, “what are you doing?”  The third woman answers, “I am building a cathedral!”

Our immediate takeaway from this story is that woman number three “gets it” and will be abundantly successful in life.  The other women don’t have what it takes to grasp the reality of their pursuit, and are less inspired to complete on their project.  For the first two women, we must motivate them, cajole them, or grant them stock options to complete the cathedral.  It is the third woman whom we celebrate.  She can “see” the magnificent cathedral, and through her vision, she will make it happen!

But, wait a second!  Is the third woman destined to complete the cathedral, or is she destined to spend the next ten months “thinking” about the cathedral, worrying about which architect to choose, contemplating whether she has what it takes to be a cathedral builder, or stressing over the planning required to create the greatest cathedral known to mankind?  Will she “wish” the cathedral, or will she commit to build it?

I don’t know about you, but I would hire the woman laying bricks!  Many of us get rather lofty ideas, whether it is to write a book, ask for a raise, or find a new career.  Our focus is on the results, the book, the money, the new profession, or the world’s most magnificent cathedral.  Instead of moving into action, we get overwhelmed by the enormity of the task at hand.  We listen to overwhelm; we don’t declare a commitment.

“If I try to write a book, I’ll fail.”  “If I ask for a raise, he will say no.”  “I would love a new job, but I don’t know if I will make it in a new industry.”  “I want to build a cathedral, but it must be the BEST cathedral, or why bother?”  Basically, we play a LOSER’s game.  We focus on the results, we focus on the reasons, and we focus on excuses.  We forget that it is action that leads to results.  We let our feelings drive our behavior, instead of the commitment to create extraordinary results.

So many times, leadership is described as amazing foresight and vision.  Leaders are seen as those who bring new ideas to the world, and magically work gets done!  Well, leadership has no magic.  Leadership is the commitment to take action on an extraordinary idea.  Leadership is the commitment to act without attachment to the outcome.  Leadership is persistence when it is uncomfortable.  Leadership is about, “what can I do now?”

I worked with a successful business owner, let’s call him Frank, who told me that he was committed to creating the business of his dreams.  He built it from the ground up, he did all of the hiring, he worked like a dog, and he let the business run him (straight into the ground.)  He forgot about his commitment.  He didn’t push his employees to exceed their own expectations.  He refused to hire better people.  He hesitated to fire salespeople whom he knew didn’t have the capacity to share in his commitment.  He spent his energy wishing for the cathedral, instead of standing in his commitment to lay the bricks.

As I write this newsletter, now in its fourth month, I remember that it took me several months to get started.  I was attached to how DIFFICULT it would be to write 12 monthly newsletters instead of standing in my commitment to provide leadership coaching on a massive (FREE!) scale to make a difference in people’s lives. 

Standing in my commitment, I write.  Standing in the belief that a monthly column is difficult, that everything has been said before, and that NO ONE will read it anyways, would have been living outside of my commitment to make a difference.

As you approach obstacles in your leadership that keep you from hiring someone you require for your business, FIRING someone you absolutely don’t require, getting started on a new project, hiring a high performance marketing team, or confronting someone about an issue you deeply care about, ask yourself these questions to give you leverage to complete on your commitment:

• Have I publicly declared my commitment?

• Are my actions a result of my commitment?

• Is my inaction the result of my focus on results, reasons, or excuses?

• Am I making requests of others that demonstrate my level of commitment?

• Am I asking “what will I do today,” and not “why is this so difficult?”

• Am I being courageous, risky, and provocative, or am I letting my feelings drive my behavior?

When you say you are committed, but you are not laying bricks day after day, you are not committed.  You are fooling yourself.  When you let the enormity of an extraordinary result zap your passion, you are not committed.  When you wake up and discover, yet another reason, why your project is too difficult, you are not committed.  Your inaction speaks louder than your words.  To move forward, find someone, and answer the six questions above.

When your actions demonstrate your commitment, the world sees you laying bricks.  Observers of your actions are inspired by your commitment.  By laying the bricks, day after day, you demonstrate your ability to stand inside of the commitment you declare.  As you make a difference in the world through your action, you inspire others to make commitments of their own. 

Are you ready to live your life according to audacious commitments?  Have you ever considered that you are always and already committed to something?  Living inside of commitment to many seems like a lot of work.  However, living inside of an extraordinary commitment is about the greatest freedom one can find.

If you are ready to step into the commitment that leads to extraordinary companies and create unimagined results in your life, please contact Mitch Simon at 858.449.9463.  I am committed to you making a difference.