[November 15, 2013] Commitment is the one senior leader attribute that makes all others possible.
Leaders understand that success is not a single event. Success is a continuous experience. That is why senior leaders are zealous about commitment, for the reason that it provides them the intense, inner motivation to sustain success over the long haul.
Commitment simply means you do something you want to, not because you have to. Zealous commitment for senior executive leaders means they are driven for more fiercely than others – making them more likely to be winners. They certainly are not so committed because of money.
In the current November 2013 Sky Magazine1, famous New York City chef Mario Batali successfully runs 27 restaurants of many types. He says that the “dollars and fame aren’t that important…”
Commitment, combined with ambition, fuels the passion, the inner fire, to achieve the best for the leader’s organization.
“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” – Mario Andretti
Given the world’s current economic instability and changing business models, organizations are reorganizing in such a way that employees must act more independently and with less guidance. This uncertainty puts stress on the leadership to do more in order to get the maximum value from each employee.
Of course, people do vary in their level of commitment, as do leaders. Ultimately, this is the senior leader challenge – how do they supply the inspiration for others? They can appeal to the employee’s personal gain or to the employee’s motivation to help others – or both.
Commitment is hard work and must also mean respect for others, rewards for good behavior, support to other leaders, and many other external behaviors that helps drive commitment in others.
“Commitment requires hard work in the heat of the day; it requires faithful exertion in behalf of chosen purposes and the enhancement of chosen values.” – John Gardner
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[1] The People’s Chef: How Mario Batali Conquered the World, One Impeccably Sourced Ingredient at Time by Andrew Zimmerman. Sky Magazine, November 2013.
[2] A good book on commitment is: The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success by Nicholas Lore.