Leadership Insights by Brian Tracy - 4

Action Orientation

When you look at the life of Napolean or Alexander the Great, or Florence Nightingale or Mother Teresa, you will find that they were incredibly active men and women all the time. They were not contemplative and waiting for the things to happen. They were people who had idea, a concept, and mission, and a mission and then launched.

Leaders are innovative and entrepreneurial. Entrepreneurial comes from a French meaning "to undertake or to do". Innovative means trying new things and getting on with them. Leaders don't analyze things to death.

Motto of today's business leaders should be "Do it, Fix it, Try it".

Leaders are personally action oriented. They are constantly moving their companies forward, but they are also themselves active. Don't do something tomorrow that can be done today.

Procrastination is the opposite of action. Leaders don't procrastinate, otherwise they wouldn't be leaders.

Leaders are forward thinking. To do forward thinking means establishing a set of goals and focusing every day on moving towards these goals.

Leaders follow thee seven steps for achieving goals:

1. Identify your major goals - Decide what exactly you want to achieve, whether it is for your business or your life. Clarity is essential.
2. Write it down - Be specific and detailed. Make it measurable.
3. Set a deadline for the achievement of the goal - If it's a big goal, then break it down into pieces and set deadlines for each of those pieces. Give yourself deadlines.
4. Make a list of everything that you have to do to achieve each major goal. Be comprehensive.
5. Create an action plan. This is where you take the list and turn it into specific steps. When setting priorities, remember 80:20 rule. 20% of things you do will account for 80% of your results. Do not spend time on unimportant things.
6. Take action - Many people fail because they don't take action on their goals and plans. Leaders do not make that mistake.
7. Do something every day. When you get up in the morning, plan your day and then do something, anything, that moves you toward achieving your goals.

Peter Drucker wrote, "The responsibility of the leader is to think about the future, no one else can." Strategic planner Michael Kami says, "Those who do not think about future can not have one." Alec Mackenzie says, "The best way to predict the future is to create it."