Why do you do what you do?

Yesterday, I watched a clip from “Won’t Back Down,” a movie coming out next week starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis, two women who team up to improve the schools and attitude toward education in their poverty stricken area.    In the clip, Davis asks a group of teachers why they teach.  She challenges them to remember what their personal motivation was for entering the profession. 

Why do you lead?  Why do you love what you do?

Only you know the answer to that, but I’m pretty sure it’s not because of policies and procedures, data and reports, customer and/or employee complaints, the great hours or the great pay.

Step outside of all the day-to-day “stuff” you have to deal with and really think about those two questions.  I believe that what you’ll find will inspire you to do great things. 

My day with Steve Farber last week helped me remember what I love about leadership.  I just need to look at the world through that lens and refocus myself to clearly see my own motivation and then move forward in that direction.

I hope that taking a pause and thinking about why you lead helps you do the same.

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

Bookmark and Share