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Leadership Journal 
July 1, 2002
Being a Contribution

The major leadership question facing Boards of Directors and CEOs of companies today is:

"Can I find people who care more about the customer, the shareholder and the employee than themselves? Are people available who believe so much in the shareholder, customer and employee that their decisions will be demonstrate this?"

Yes, there are some. However, selfishness and self-centeredness do abound.

The true hallmark of a leader is to be selfless. Leaders are always considering ways to support customers or staff. Their belief is, "If I make a contribution today to the growth of my staff, it will bolster morale and move us closer to our team’s objectives." It is a frame of mind. Instead of seeking your self-interests, consider waking-up in the morning and being a contribution. What a different mind set. Your days will have a sense of purpose and excitement for the opportunities ahead. Your focus will be on contributing to people and their success. It is a noble vision for your day. It is an uplifting way to lead a company, a team, a family and even your life.

Try these "contribution assignments" over the next few weeks:

ASSIGNMENT: How have you contributed over the past week?

First week:

• Identify any thing that you said or did that you are willing to call a contribution (example – writing a thank you note to an employee, intervening in a difficult situation or supporting a difficult decision).

• Describe the contribution. How was it? Was it out of character? How did it make a difference? What were the reactions of other people? How was your behavior different than in other situations? (Think about how you describe yourself in the light of contribution.)

Second Week:

• Take notice of how other individuals are or are not a contribution as the week goes by. You are to notice only. Please do not correct or coach anyone. Journal about your reactions to what you saw. In your next staff meeting, share your thoughts. Allow time for response.

Third Week

• The third assignment is to cast yourself as a contribution into the week ahead, Like a pebble into a pond, imagine that everything you do sends ripples out beyond the horizon. Think about yourself and your team.

Naming oneself and others as a contribution produces a shift away from self-centeredness and engages us in a relationship with others that is an arena for making a difference. Rewards in the contribution game are of a deep and enduring kind, though less predictable than the trio of money, fame and power that accrue to the winner of the success game. You never know what they will be, or from where/whom they will come. Try it.

 



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