"The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed." - Martina Navratilova
Last week I touched on a discussion with a friend who had sifted through the various qualities of Leadership and arrived at the personal conclusion that there are two qualities that matter the most for those who lead others: Passion and Commitment.
As I mentioned previously, I have not reached the same conclusion (I think there are more than two qualities leaders need), yet nevertheless it is worth exploring each of these qualities. Last week we look at Passion, this week we briefly reflect on the quality of commitment.
Let me think out-loud about this for a bit. You can join me and add your own thoughts as we go a long…
OK, my friend is certainly right about this much: It does take commitment to lead…and commitment requires action involving all of who we are. Otherwise it’s not commitment; rather if we are not “all-in” it’s more like participation. There is an old saying, “The person who does not have something worth dying for, also does not have something worth living for.”
So... the more I ponder it, the more I think my friend is on to something important: Commitment is an essential quality of leadership. It may very well be, as he has concluded, that commitment is at the top of the list of required leadership qualities.
As a result of these reflections, here are some questions I am now asking myself:
- To what am I committed?
- To whom am I committed?
- Am I afraid of committing to something? To someone? If so, why?
- If I am passionate about something (or someone), do my actions reflect I am committed?
- Is it possible to lead without being committed?
My friend believes that Passion and commitment are the two top qualities of effective leaders. I think there are additional key ingredients. But he’s got me thinking. What do you think?