 Leadership Best
Practices Magazine
Just Do It!
How seizing
opportunities and responsibilities is the fastest way to
demonstrate leadership qualities.
by Brian Tracy
Published: February / March 2008
Clarity is probably 80% of success in every area of
business activity.
The major reason teams do not function well, and why
people end up not making their full contribution to the
success of the teams, is lack of clarity. All the
studies of team building and team development focus on
the importance of everyone being absolutely clear about
what the team is trying to accomplish. This can be in
the form of a goal or objective handed down by senior
management, or it can be the result of discussion and
participation by the various team members. In any case,
everyone must know what is to be done, to what standard,
by what deadline, and what the roles and
responsibilities of each team member will be in the
achievement of that goal.
One of your key concerns is to be absolutely clear about
exactly what is expected of you. If for any reason you
are not sure, bring it up and ask about it until you
have no doubt whatsoever. Then get busy, do exactly what
is expected of you, and do it well.
Remember, in all your interactions with your team, your
role is to be supportive and helpful. Your role is not
to challenge, criticize or argue, but to look for
solutions and for opportunities to help other people
make their maximum contribution as well. When you sit in
on a team meeting, you are “onstage.” Everyone is
watching you. The best team players I have ever seen are
those whose comments to the other members of the team
are in the form of suggestions on how things can be done
better. The best team members are always offering to
help other people after the meetings to get on top of
some aspect of their work. This focus on collaboration
and cooperation is seen by everybody and marks you as a
person to be both liked and respected.
Many men and women have kicked their careers into the
stratosphere by taking on a small responsibility and
doing such a good job with it that they came to the
attention of important people both inside and outside of
their organizations.
For example, some years ago, the chairman of a
conglomerate for which I worked asked me if I would set
up the importation and distribution of the Suzuki motor
vehicles into Western Canada. Even though I knew nothing
about automobile importation, I jumped on the
opportunity with enthusiasm. For the next three months,
I threw my whole heart into learning everything I could
about the importation and distribution of foreign
automobiles. In the following two-and-a-half years, we
imported and sold more than $25 million worth of
vehicles, through 65 dealerships, all of which I had set
up from scratch.
Then one day, I got a call from the president of another
billion-dollar organization. He offered me three times
my current salary if I would take charge of his $275
million development business. He told me later that the
determining factor of the offer he had made me was my
proven ability with Suzuki to put together a team to
achieve successful financial results. And it will be the
same for you.
Seize every opportunity and possibility for added
responsibility. Then put your whole heart into doing it
well. This decision will open countless doors for you.
Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put
these ideas into action.
First, be absolutely clear about who you are, what you
want, and what needs to be done. Discuss and agree on
this with everyone involved.
Second, remember that great opportunities usually come
disguised in work clothes. Whenever you are offered an
additional job or assignment, jump on it and do it both
quickly and well.
You’ll be amazed at what happens in your career.
Brian Tracy is the
bestselling author of more than 42 books, published in
40 countries and translated into dozens of languages.
Brian is a world renowned speaker and seminar leader,
addressing more than 250,000 people each year throughout
the US, Canada and in 40 other countries.
Brian is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International,
and President of Brian Tracy University, a private
on-line University for Sales and Entrepreneurship. He
can be reached at
www.briantracy.com,
www.briantracyu.com or 858-481-2977.
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