Over the past 25 years I have worked in the field of behavioral science as a practitioner of performance improvement of individuals, work units and whole organizations. What I am about to share has been distilled from this experience, especially over the past decade working with Fortune 100 companies, as well as medium and small size businesses, both public and private. These concepts and models hold true in each of these environments and in the realm of your personal life.
The power of being self-directed
The hallmark of leadership is to be self-directed, to be in tune and aligned with one’s purpose and passion. This does not mean you need to stand alone, although it is sometimes better to do so than to give up your ‘sense of being’ to be accepted by others. Becoming self-directed is enabled by the first two principles: To Know One’s Self and To Establish One’s Own Values and Beliefs.
There are some simple questions to ask yourself or another to assess a sense of being self-directed. “Do you have a three- to five-year plan for your life/career?” “Do you know where you want to be and how you will get there?” “If you had to define and describe what is most important to you in your life/career, what would they be?” “What are the three to five key areas in your life that you need to keep in balance to sustain your short and long term well-being?” These same questions phrased a bit differently could be asked of a work unit or business to assess its self-direction. We usually refer to this capability as a strategic planning process.
If you take these same questions and make sure you are addressing them in your business, you will be creating the culture to be self-directed. It needs to become a way of life!
Establishing a sense of ownership and partnership
Having a new entrepreneurial spirit requires that you take responsibility for your own behavior and your positive contribution to others. These relationships can be work or career related or more primary such as family or friendships. A person needs to have role clarity and understand what the mutual expectations are in all their significant relationship. That is, relationships that are meaningful to the fulfillment of a shared ‘purpose and passion.’
To what extent do you operate this way in your own life and career? Have you put in place practices and procedures in your workplace that foster these attitudes and behaviors?
Dr. Bob Ruotolo is a professional speaker, author and business consultant. He has consulted to Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized and start-up businesses. He is also an executive coach and life coach. He can be reached at Quantum Performance Institute, LLC, 602-490-8061
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