Never Settle

It is not possible to truly succeed as a leader if you are willing to "settle".  When you settle, the decision to accept less than what is required, desired, or planned for is made.  This is nothing less than deciding to fail, its saying that whatever the goals or targets were, they are not worth my time and energy to work towards.  

Team members are very adept at recognizing a leader who lacks the inner drive to succeed, and once this is found out, why will the team push for a goal when they know that the person in charge will accept less.  Finding the inner strength to keep pushing one's self, and one's team, is a key ingredient to building an accomplishment driven mind set.


Establishing your credentials as the leader means showing a willingness to do what it takes to get the job done, not just sometimes, but every time.  It also means having the strength to push your team, to hold that same high level of accountability for them as well. This is not as easy as it might appear for as the leader you must take the time draw out the best your team has.  It may mean cajoling them when their confidence waivers, pushing them when they want to throw in the towel, and reminding them of their strengths when their hope is flagging.  Every good coach knows that  players must be held to high expectations and then regularly reminded of  their abilities to reach those goals and more. 


Have the drive to push for your dreams, and not to settle for less than you deserve.  When the team feels this force within you, it will fuel their desire for success.


Remember:


The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.
-Maureen Dowd