January 1, 2004 What Must Be Believed

What comes to mind when you read about people like:

The Wright Brothers         Alexander Graham Bell

Harriet Tubman                Chuck Yeager

Henry Ford                        Sir Edmund Hillary

One of the first obvious things is each of these people accomplished something that had never been done before. Their achievements were so substantial that they became very famous. Some of their breakthroughs are now a daily part of our lives. Hard to imagine a world without planes, phones and automobiles, isn't it?

It's interesting to look back and ask how these individuals were able to do what they did. Everything they accomplished was considered impossible at the time, whether it was producing an affordable automobile or conquering Mt. Everest . So what was it that allowed them to defy the laws of possibility and prove conventional wisdom incorrect?

I do not know all of the things that contributed to their successes, but there is one consistent and greatly important item that they all shared in common. There was no doubt that each of them believed what they were pursuing could, in fact, be done.even though the world likely viewed them as either hopeless dreamers or complete idiots. Think about that for a moment. Establishing an underground railroad to enable slaves to find freedom-come on. Flying faster than the speed of sound and living to tell about it-that just can't be done. Based on valid evidence and scientific knowledge at the time, what they were working on was considered to be impossible. Period.

These great adventurers were neither immune to those current beliefs or crazed lunatics. In fact, when Edmund Hillary was preparing for his summit attempt, he was quoted as saying,

"We didn't know if it was humanly possible to reach the top of Mt. Everest . And even using oxygen as we were, if we did get to the top, we weren't at all sure whether we wouldn't drop dead or something of that nature."

You can find almost identical statements from the test pilots attempting to reach Mach one. Still they proceeded. Despite it all, these people chose to believe something different from what the world was telling them. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The beliefs people hold can be powerful motivators. In fact, there are three basic beliefs that have a direct impact on your peoples' levels of commitment and effort toward the goals you are pursuing. First, a person must believe that a goal is attainable. One is much more likely to fully strive for a goal that is at least in the realm of possibility, than one believed to be totally impossible. No big surprise there. (Although many times, smaller milestones that can be accomplished along the way provide enough cause for people to keep pursuing an impossible dream. More about that later.)

Second, an individual must believe he or she can be successful in the endeavor. In order for people to be totally committed to a course of action, they must believe they have the capabilities to pull it off. Otherwise, why even try. (No amount of inspiring messages or personalized coaching would ever convince me to invest one second or one dollar in an attempt to out-race Lance Armstrong through the mountains of Europe . Someone will do it, but I do not believe it will be me!)

Finally, one must believe the goal being pursued is worthwhile or meaningful. John Robbins, son of the founder and heir apparent to the helm at Baskin-Robbins, chose to sever all ties with his destiny in ice cream and devote himself to social issues of more importance to him. As he put it, "inventing a thirty second flavor was just not an adequate response." Growing the business was certainly achievable and John was clearly capable, it just served no real purpose for him any longer.

Refer back for a moment to the people cited earlier. How did they stack up against these three basic beliefs (goal attainability, personal ability to succeed, and worthwhile pursuit)? Do you think they would have continued their relentless trials, experiments, shortfalls and setbacks if they did not believe the goals were meaningful? Would they have pursued the impossible if they did not think they had a chance of finding success in some fashion? Who knows, perhaps it was their beliefs in themselves and the fact they could fulfill at least some meaningful purpose in their work, that spurred them to believe the unattainable could actually be done.

Everything we take for granted today was at one time considered impossible. It is very likely that much of what you perceive to be impossible today will one future day be taken for granted. People every day are continuing to re-define what is possible. That is part of what leadership is about, getting others to accomplish the extraordinary - what has never been done before.

As you think about the year ahead and some of the goals you are seeking to achieve, individually or as a team, consider the three basic beliefs to help you determine why you or others might be dragging their feet when it comes to putting forth the effort needed for success. If any one (or more) of these points is in question, so will be the chances of you and your team having an extraordinary year.

With that in mind, here are some final thoughts to keep in mind as you lead your team to fulfill this year's expectations. Do not assume they believe something can be done just because you believe it can. Do not assume they feel capable just because you believe they are. And do not assume that working hard on an important goal is as meaningful for them as it might be for you. They must believe these things in order to put forth the passion, energy, resilience and plain hard work needed to turn impossible dreams into proud achievements.

Best wishes for a remarkable year.

Reflection Questions:

1. What beliefs do you or your team hold that might be holding you back?
2. What can you, as a leader, do to allow people to embrace more enabling beliefs about themselves and their work?