Can this person tie their own shoe laces?
Category: Personal leadership / character and work ethic
Should I care if they can tie their shoelaces? Yes you should.
Most of our unsuccessful friends will have one thing in common. They can’t tie their shoes predictably, can’t keep a schedule, can’t be on time, and mix up the days of the week. Running my own life is the entry level requirement for being employable. It’s referred to as personal leadership.
On occasion we’ll have brunch with friends. Milestones has a great Sunday morning brunch. Robson St. location is open at 10:00 am. Their attention to ingredients, flavor and texture combined with great service is something I look forward to.
My Dear invited some friends to join us. How did I know beforehand they’d be a half hour late? I was so sure I bet myself fifty bucks and won. They were late.
I don’t have time for thoughtlessness. Whenever I’m on time and the other party is late, I order something, anything. Appetizers, salads, drinks. My party will start on time. I’m here and that’s all that matters.
If you can’t get yourself to a Sunday brunch on time, there’s a whole lot of other things in life that you can’t do. Time, schedules, clocks, calendars are the structures of your life. If you don’t conquer time, you won’t conquer life. Time is the primary ingredient to personal leadership.
With those you employ as well as those you hire, here are the stages of leadership to look for.
Personal leadership. Running your own life.
Task leadership. Just doing your own work.
Leading a project team. Start, stop, end. Eg., Plan an event, get an estimate together.
Team lead. Daily, working as well as providing direction to others.
Supervisory but operational management.
Executive management. You get results from defining the value proposition, selecting people, defining systems. You don’t get near the work itself but only pave the road for others.
If we can’t tie our shoelaces and get to brunch on time, all other levels of leadership will escape us. Most manager don’t have a five year plan for an employee who can’t make it to work on time.
Let’s build great organizations, one great person at a time.
Thank you
Wolf
Partner, Metrik Management Inc.
p.s. Late is disrespect. It requires you put your priorities ahead of others. It’s never about why you were late. It’s about why you would make your company wait for you.
p.s. "This morning I was asleep in bed, now I'm part of somebody's plan." - Woody Allan.