“Action is the foundational key to all success”. –- Pablo Picasso
Success is not sometimes in the taking action phase; it’s ALWAYS in the taking action phase. The longer I lead, the more I understand this to be true. Good intentions are completely worthless if you never turn them into good actions. How many times have you made a decision that you didn’t take action on? Transformation is a result of application. If you want to see transformation, don’t talk, act; don’t say, show; don’t promise, prove!
There were a few years where we would take our management team to a large annual landscape industry convention in Louisville, KY (GIE for those of you that know). When we’d leave, we would all be fired up with ideas and things we learned of. But as each day passed when we’d return, this energy and momentum would slowly fade away.
Eventually, a lot of these takeaways would collect dust on our notepads. We adopted a new approach, which is one that I speak on a lot at these events now (funny how that works) — Plan to take action on just ONE thing you take away from a learning event. Taking action on something is better than ten new ideas or decisions never acted on!
Every successful person I have ever been around has a high capacity for taking action. They understand that it takes hard work to accomplish their goals.
Why is it that actions don’t happen? Even when we know that we need to do something, we still refrain from doing it. Usually the reason is because we get comfortable with the Status Quo. We might not take action because we are comfortable with the current situation, even if it’s not ideal. Change can be challenging, and the discomfort of change can lead to inaction.
If you are one that struggles with taking action, here are some suggestions that I pray will drive the charge towards action forward!
1. Quit Being Afraid of What Might Happen: Fear has the power to paralyze you and keep you from taking action. How has fear hindered your progress? Where does that fear come from? Maybe it’s a fear of failure. Or if you’re like I once was, I feared not having all the answers! Identify what you are afraid of that might happen, then you will better understand how to take action to overcome that fear.
2. Set Clear Priorities – Identify What Matters Most: Prioritize tasks and decisions based on their impact and urgency. This helps us focus on what truly matters and avoid getting bogged down by less important tasks. Use a Decision-Making framework to distinguish between urgent and important tasks, helping to prioritize effectively!
3. Build Confidence by Reflecting on Past Successes: Remind yourself of previous successes where taking action led to positive outcomes. This can help boost confidence in making decisions. Regularly ask for feedback from trusted peers or mentors. Constructive feedback can provide reassurance and help refine your decision-making process!
4. Simplify Your Decision Making By Limiting Your Options: Too many choices can lead to analysis paralysis. Narrow down your options to a few viable ones, making it easier to decide and act, then set time limits. Give yourself a specific amount of time to make a decision. This prevents overthinking and encourages quicker action!
5. Create Accountability: Make your intentions known to your team or peers. Public commitments can create a sense of accountability and motivate you to follow through. Delegate specific responsibilities to team members and hold them accountable for progress. This not only ensures action is taken but also empowers your team!
6. Become a Morning Early Riser: Thomas Jefferson woke up early every day. There was actually a 50 year period in Jefferson’s life during which the sun never caught him in bed. Jefferson had an appetite for action. Maybe you’re not ready to race the sun every morning, but you can adopt a “mind over mattress” mindset by starting to get up an extra 30-60 minutes earlier. When you wake up, think about new ideas that inspire and motivate you, then journal them down. You will be surprised by how this jumpstarts your productivity for the day. I challenge those under my charge regularly to be a person of action early in the day. I believe when we start our day early, whoever acts more during the day becomes more, does more, has more, and can help others more!
Amigos, don’t miss this. We must not wait to find the perfect solution or to ensure that every detail is just right before we take action. The “ideal” circumstances might never come, leading to missed opportunities. I hear the statement “I wish I could do more” from leaders all across North America. The demands on their time, their skills, and their presence are always escalating more each day, always making it seem like there’s never enough of that leader to go around, leading to less actions being taken. More meetings, more coaching, more decisions, more vision-casting. The escalation is in outputs, the “checked-off boxes” that make those around us feel better. We end up scheduling ourselves to the wazoo, increasing our daily activity while not necessarily increasing our action taking.
The world is not made better by our intentions; it is made better by our intentional actions. As leaders, we must always do more, but we must do more of what makes us better! Start today by taking action on just one small thing. Then another tomorrow. And watch how even just 5 minutes of action can and will manifest itself into incredible growth and excellence within your leadership vs. 5 years of good intentions!
So, what will your first action item be?