What Do You Want?

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." ~ John Quincy Adams.

So you're a leader, manager, coach or supervisor and someone asks you "What Do You Want?". The easy answer is for us to go straight to metrics and measurable activities. After all numbers matter in business and often that's where management determines success and failure. But once you get beyond the numbers and people ask "Ok I get that - but what do you really want?" What do you say? There is no right or wrong answer to this part ~ It's personal, It's values and it's preference. Most of us fall back on what others have asked of us. The men and women we've come to respect tend to influence the expectations we have of ourselves and others. So when someone asks me "What Do You Want?" ~ I say ~ "I Want 5 Things":

Accountability ~ I want you to take responsibility. Your actions, relationships, destiny and consequences are your own. I want you to be totally accountable. No excuses, No reasons. Total Accountability.

Example ~ I want you to be the eagle that inspires others. The eagle that flies higher and stronger than others but is willing to fly in formation when asked. I want you to "Be the change you want to see in the world." I want you to set the example that others respect.

Solutions ~ I want you to seek out solutions. I want you to search for knowledge, insights and ways to do and be better. I want you to find ways to get things done rather than point out the difficulties. Anyone can identify problems. I want you to seek out and provide solutions and answers to challenges that others can't or won't. I want you to view difficulties as opportunities to show the world what you're made of.

Dependability ~ I want you to be the person I'd choose to have beside me in combat. I want you to be the person I would trust to raise my daughter, if I were not around. I want you to be the person that friends, coworkers, customers and partners trust like no other. I want you to be the very essence of trust and dependability. Be Dependable.

Learn & Lead ~ I want you to learn and lead ~and then I want you to understand that I will always ask for just a little bit more. I want you to learn, lead, and understand that I will always ask for a little bit more.

But the most important thing I want you to remember is:

I want to learn from you.