Commitment: The Road to Greatness

We talk a lot about performance superpowers in organizations. Those things that tend to be the differences between success and mediocrity.?

Notice I didn’t say failure.?

The fight for performance is not between winning and losing; it’s a fight to breakaway from the herd, the average. There are many superpowers, those qualities, attributes, and ways of working that distinguish one person from one another. A person’s craft. Great leadership. Empathy, creativity, relationship building. Their winning formula.?

Of all the superpowers I’ve seen, there is one that is the make-or-break difference-maker. The one that sets you apart in how you feel about your work, and how we can collectively achieve incredible outcomes: commitment.?

John Maxwell said, “Commitment is the first step to every good thing I know, and the only step that matters when it comes to achievement.” I believe this deeply. It's what separates the good from the great, the average from the exceptional. The best part is that it’s a superpower that’s in all of us to deploy.?

I’ve found myself thinking about this a lot lately. The last month Shopify has been hard. We changed the shape of our company, reorienting everyone around our main quest of making commerce better for everyone. This has created one of those inflection moments, one of those moments when we pause and reflect on what we are doing, why we are doing it, and a moment to think about how we’re approaching our day and our level of commitment. But how do you know whether you’re truly committed? There isn’t one singular thing that defines a committed person, however this is what I’ve noticed about committed people:

They are clear on their purpose. Individually and collectively.

• Individually, committed people have a purpose. You can see it in how they act and how they talk. They are crystal clear on what they are here to do. They own it. They’re bold in their pursuit of excellence. When you work with a committed person, you feel their intensity and energy about what they’re doing and why. It’s often contagious.??
• Committed people are also all-in on the collective purpose. They know exactly where their fingerprints show up in ultimate results and how they can make an impact. At Shopify, we’re really really good at sharing our purpose. It’s easy to see the difference we’re making in the world. Our CEO, Tobias Lütke , is relentless in his quest to build a commerce solution that works for everyone - today and tomorrow. And we deploy at 2x the speed of anyone else. It’s lightning in a bottle. Committed people feed off that energy and pour themselves into making an impact on their portion of that mission, often leading others around them to do the same.??

They think differently. Commitment is the difference between "have to do" and "get to do." Committed people can’t wait to do what they do best. They’re unstoppable, driven by passion, purpose, and a desire to win. It’s a decision they make every day to be their best and do their best work. And, even when the first try is a failure, they don’t use the failed first attempt as confirmation bias that they were right. They learn what didn’t work and try again, taking a new path forward. In my experience, this is a far more gratifying space to operate in. It’s the way to end your day with pride, knowing that you’ve done your best work.?

They exert their will. Committed people own their work. They go the extra mile in pursuit of excellence. They ask questions and are excited to try new things, constantly learning from and adapting through failure. They exert their will on the business, their virtual fingerprints evident, visible, and reflected in the data. You can see and feel a committed person's energy in how they respond to adversity and challenge, and how they lead others. Defeat is never an option. I truly believe that your will is stronger than you think and encourage everyone to lean into that and use it.

The opposite of this mindset is uninspired. It’s compliance. It’s falling back on simply doing what's required. Going through the motions. Stopping short of doing what’s needed to win, grow or develop. Compliance is the opposite of commitment. It feels safe. You often hear this space referred to as the benchmark, on plan, on forecast, pacing to plan, ultimately disguising average with corporate speak. But, compliance will never get the best. It will never feel the best. All it will give us is average (except when you’re talking about the right kind of compliance, the kind that keeps us safe. We want compliance in those essential places - legal, security, safety, etc ??)

Here’s the thing. No one ever wakes up intending to just be compliant. But it happens. It slips in when we’re not thinking, defining how we work in moments when our confidence is shaken, or when we no longer feel purpose or see a future. This is when that purposeful pause I mentioned ??may be needed. A moment of reflection to pivot from automated action, to intentional, no retreat action.

Commitment is how you’re successful. I’ve seen it in so many people, at Shopify and elsewhere. It can be as profound as making a life-changing decision - that moment when you decide to quit smoking, or lace up your shoes for your first marathon - or it can also come in small acts, chosen everyday. In how you show up. In how you actively listen. How you support a friend. The acts may differ in size and scope, but the feeling is the same. The feeling of being all-in on the thing you've decided to do.It’s the singular greatest way to increase your impact, your scope, your mastery, the joy you get from your work, and the pride you take home everyday. I may be biased but I think commitment is easy at a place like Shopify. We have the greatest mission in the world. We make a profound difference in the lives of (literally) millions of people around the world. This is a mission that compels commitment; this is our purpose, and there’s no room for average. I hope this is true for everyone, no matter where you work, because mission and purpose are a big part of? what allows commitment to be well within your grasp.

So, here’s my suggestion if you find yourself at an inflection moment. If you ever feel that subtle slip into compliance, or find yourself seeking the easy way when the right, but maybe harder, way is in front of you. So what do you do when you find yourself in a moment of inflection? When you feel compliance seeping in? Hit pause. Reconnect with your purpose, your craft, your mission. Life is meant to be more than average. This is the moment where the ordinary can become extraordinary.?

#shopify , #work , #careers