Leaders move from intention to action

The story goes like this, four frogs are sitting on a log above a water stream. One frog decides to jump into the water to cool off. How many frogs are left sitting on the log? I know some of us got it right but believe me I used to be in the group that answered three. The correct answer is four.

We sometimes make the mistake of thinking that having good intentions is what will bring us the results we desire. This is far from the truth because unless we move from desiring, intending, wishing, thinking to actually taking the steps to bring the more, further and before we have seen, we will be leaders who always speak well but have no results to show.

In his book Effortless: Make it Easier to Do What Matters Most, bestselling author Greg Mckeown advises, among other things, that when it comes to acting on our goals and visions, “we create habits with a soul”.

He advises thus, “No matter how silly these behaviours may seem on the surface, doing them consistently can ground us, sooth our anxieties and return us to an effortless state in ways that are only understandable to us”.

Effective leaders know that no one is born with all that is required to execute the visions they see. So, they are aware of where their strengths lie and do their best to identify people who can work with them in the areas where they have challenges. There have been instances where leaders see the vision but hold on until they feel they have the ability to move forward. We all know this strategy does not work because feelings are not facts and if we all waited until we felt ready not much would get accomplished from the more, further and before that we have been given the privilege to see.

In my view, the way we move from intention to action is by beginning with a clear foundation of self-awareness and acceptance. It is all about knowing where you are strong and playing in your strengths zone. I believe another strategy that we can use to help us move from intention to action is to always maintain an open mind. I know for sure that even when one is the vision bearer but they maintain an open mind and are ready to learn from what others have done or think, this can lighten the load and bring to fruition the vision you have.

Leaning on others to help you bring the invisible to life I believe is the difference maker when it comes to visions that survive and those that die with the vision bearer.

I think this is a good point for us to tie together what we have focused on this month which is purpose and vision. In my view, these are the building blocks of effective leadership, because proactivity entails taking initiative, being smart and value driven, proactive people tend to work from their areas of influence or strengths.

It is what gets them the results because they know the secret which is we were never meant to succeed alone it takes a lot of effort but when we partner with others after we are clear about what our purpose is, it definitely lightens the load.

This week, I want us to reflect on the many intentions we may have and draw up a plan of how we are going to take action of them and achieve their desired results.

Wamambe is a transformational leadership coach with the Maxwell Certified Leadership Team    [email protected]