Leaders go to work. 

If you are a leader, then you have work to do. Your work never stops. The reason your work never stops is that your influence doesn’t stop. Your influence may fade or it may flicker, but until you lose your influence, your work doesn’t stop. You do get to rest, but you rest so you can get back to work.

Leaders are always departing. Losers are always arriving.

In my 38 year leadership journey, I have seen this principal to be true over and over again. There is a secret that sets great leaders apart from those who hold great positions: Great leaders never arrive. They don’t land. They touch down, refuel and take off again. Great leaders are always departing. There is a myth, a lie that says when you arrive as “the” leader, then you get to relax. A leader born of position will always seek perks instead of purpose and will trade apathy for passion. This is why organizations stagnate and drift–the leaders get lazy. Lazy and leader must never come together for then the organization and all the people associated will begin to suffer. Great leaders get up and go to work, because there is always work to do. The work may change, but the mindset, the mentality of this leader never changes: let’s get to work. Leaders born of purpose become passionate and they don’t rely on their position. Leaders are drivers. Losers are passengers. Leaders are chauffeurs. Losers want to be chauffeured.

Losers are always arriving. You know why? Because they are late. Leaders are not on-time, they are early. Being early signifies preparedness or readiness. Losers are on-time, because the leader was already there. You want to grow in your organization? Arrive earlier than everyone else—it costs you nothing but sleep. Leaders are always departing. Because they were already there. They came. They saw. They adjusted. They worked. They rested. And they departed.

“…laziness brings on deep sleep.” Proverbs 19:15

Losers are drifters. They will soon drift asleep causing their responsibilities and their organizations and their followers to follow a similar path. This creates great frustration in the organization and is often an unexpressed reason why talented people jump ship. Leaders are sentries. They are always on guard. Sleep is not precious to them, but time is. The worst thing for an organization is for the leader to fall into a deep sleep–erosion, implosion and destruction will not be far off.

A leader has power. 

But, what will the leader do with that power? Sadly, too many leaders born of position use their placement to elevate their personal status, explore their appetites and benefit their friends. This creates a power vacuum where are the power is held on high. Power on high is dangerous for humans. It creates an unstable organization. Power must flow throughout the organization. An organization is like a circuit board. The power must be distributed appropriately through the circuits in order for the board to function properly. When a leader hoards power, it actually short-circuits the organization. Because like a power surge, the leader wields the power sporadically creating upheaval and unnecessary strain in the organization.

Leaders empower others. 

Great leaders empower others. Empowering means to pass the power. Because leaders are always working, they realize it is mission-critical that those working with them have that ability to make decisions and the freedom to execute those decisions, regardless of success or failure. Power is authority, not position. Leaders don’t ever give all their authority away, but they allow others to carry and make decisions. Despite that, leaders still hold themselves accountable for their followers actions. The leader is always accountable. Losers are dismissive of accountability because they are held by their belief in their position or title. Leaders are dependent on accountability because they are held by their belief in their people and are dependent on those people.

Leaders expect to work. Losers expect the work to get done.

This is why leaders go to work, there is work to be done. Losers show up with the expectation that the work will wait on them. This is why the best leaders seem to have the best timing–they aren’t taking time off. And when you are available, when you are present and working, then when opportunity comes knocking, the leader has the insight and foresight to open the door.  They are fully engaged in the organization or operation. I didn’t say the leader has to have his or her hands on everything, but that mentally they are aware and active of what is or isn’t transpiring in their organization. Losers make excuses, point fingers and blame others. Losers are people who consider themselves leaders or important, but depend on seniority, status, title or a position for their leadership authority.

There is a massive difference between showing up to work and going to work. People who show up to work are those that arrive and say, “I’m here.” As if their presence alone is enough to justify their existence. When you just show up for work, you are actually signifying that work is not that important to you and you’ll leave excellence to someone else.

But, when you go to work, your attitude and mindset are different. Your approach is that you are taking responsibility for your work. You own your work. When you show up, you are saying “someone else owns this, but I expect to get paid.”

Leaders go to work. Losers show up to work.
You want to make a difference in your job? Then, arm yourselves with the attitude that you are going to work. This means that you are going to get something done and make a difference. Those that go to work are owners. Those that show up for work are renters. Renters want everything done for them. Owners get stuff done. Owners change the world–their world. Renters watch the world change and make comments. Leaders are owners. Losers are renters. Organizations where leaders don’t take ownership of issues, problems and concerns, yet take the credit for success, results and positive trends are shallow and self-centered. If you want to be a leader, if you want more responsibility, don’t wait for someone to give it to you–act like an owner and take it. I didn’t say steal it. I didn’t say usurp or undermine your leader. I said, get to work and and out work all those around you. Leaders don’t get out-worked. I didn’t say leaders are work-a-holics. No leaders are owner-a-holics. They own everything in their purview and their organization. This is not co-dependency, this is responsibility.

Where else can this principal be applied?

Apply this to your marriage, your relationships, your parenting and your activities. If you just show up in your marriage, then you are heading for trouble. You have to go to work. This is love. Love is ownership. Love is not renting space.Stop showing up and expecting things to be great. Make them great by going to work. Leaders get stuff done changing their world in the process. You can’t change your world and not be changed yourself.  Losers show up and expect stuff to get done by someone else.

You have a choice. Leaders don’t need permission to get work done. Now, get to work.

(c) Redwall Leadership. 2016.