LETS GOOO! This has become the familiar mantra of an athlete or coach as they take off to face the competition. Honestly, yelling 'LETS GOOO!' gets just about anyone fired up in any context. While it might not be appropriate to yell like a primal warrior at your workplace, we all sense that leaders must constantly have a 'LETS GOOO!' posture.
Leaders need to be charging on to the next thought, presenting the next project, planning the next program, and tackling the next problem before it becomes a problem. But how? How can a leader be constantly thinking and leading with a LETS GOOO mindset?
Here are five ways to be a LETS GOOO! leader
LET GO
Life is difficult. It puts you on your heels and makes you want to hunker down and protect what you have. Safety becomes your number one priority. We all want to guard what we've collected. CS Lewis in his book, The Four Loves, says the only way to keep truly valuable things safe is to lock them away...in a coffin. 'Safe, dark, motionless, airless.' he continues. This is what happens when put our focus on safety. Hold loosely, even to the point of letting go so you can be a 'LET'S GOOO!' leader
LEARN AS YOU GO
Times are moving quickly. Industries, markets, cultures, and institutions are changing fast. The most important thing a leader can do is lead the learning. Stop worrying about what you don't know. Start chasing it down and sharing it with your teams.
TELL YOUR TEAM WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GO
A person who jumps into a plane, RV, or cruise ship without knowing the intended destination would be whimsical at best, or a lunatic at worst. Leader, stop treating people like they are lunatics. Tell them where you are headed. And remember, sometimes where you are headed is as much about what you are going to stop doing as start doing.
TELL YOUR TEAM WHY YOU'RE GONNA GO
People only get fired up for 'LET'S GOOO!' if they know why to be fired up. Tell people why the mission matters, and what's the purpose of their efforts. If they know why it matters, they'll contribute to the effort that matters.
KEEP GOING
President Calvin Coolidge is the author of one of my favorite poems. It begins, 'Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence...not, talent, genius or education.' President Coolidge closes it with a resounding, 'Persistence alone is omnipotent.' If you are going to be a 'LET'S GOOO!' leader, you need to keep going.
Bite Down and Don’t Let Go is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here.
Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart and they have three teenage children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for inspirational thoughts and good laughs.
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