My favorite author is Patrick Lencioni, who's written twelve books about how to become a better Leader. In his latest book, The Motive, he suggests that the main question may not be How to become a better Leader. The Real question could be Why you want to become a Leader? As Lencioni's latest book asks, what's your Motive?
Twenty years ago, I found myself without a job and I decided to jump out on the high wire without a "net" and become a Leader of Leaders! Why would somebody do that? Was that ignorance, ego or what? Simple and scary..."To Increase the Effectiveness and Enhance the lives of those in the Room!" That was a big Purpose/Motive and it was meaningful to me.
In this Leadership Journey, my favorite questions for Leaders are Who Are You, What do You Want and What Price are You Willing to Pay? These are three of the hardest questions I've found and most people in my Group won't take the time/effort to answer them. In twenty years, I've had about six people take the risk/time to put their answers in writing. For those that did, their life changed because they determined their "Why/Motive."
Some Leaders start the journey to make a lot of money, become famous, have power, publish books, etc. I've found that if I achieve my WHY, everything else will take care of itself. And, I found quickly that the wire without a net is risky and requires sacrifice and many Leaders are afraid of failure, looking bad, being made fun of, and/or being found out that they don't know what they're doing...the imposter syndrome!
My experience is the Why/Motive pushes the Leader past the Risks, Sacrifices and Fears!
What about You?
What causes you to want to be the Leader?
What is your Why/Motive?
What is your biggest Fear when you're out front on the high wire without a net?
What is your biggest payday as a Leader?
