It has been said that the person we will become in five years is directly related to the people with which we associate and the choices we make. I totally agree. Today I want to focus on the latter of those statements. Life is full of choices and every day everyone makes more choices than we can even imagine. Some are insignificant, some routine, but some can change the trajectory of our lives, especially our lives of leadership. For us who lead others, virtually every choice we make matters, because it will affect not only our life, but their lives as well. If we make good, educated choices our whole team will benefit. However, too-quick and ill-informed choices can take our team down. Our choices matter.
When I make choices about how I use the resources of time, talent, and treasure for which I’m responsible, whether it be personal or for the organization and people I serve, I check to see if I am doing one of three things with that resource. I can invest it, spend it, or waste it. Of course, it’s always terrific when you can invest any given resource so that you receive a dividend for the future. The purchase of equipment that makes you operate more efficiently is an investment. Saving money in a high yield account is an investment, as is devoting time to strong relationships with others. It’s always best to invest.
We can choose to spend our resources, and sometimes that’s a great thing. An evening with the family doing something just for fun is a good way to spend some time and treasure, as is upgrading the environment in which your team spends their day. Spending resources can have a similar return as investing, in that it fosters good will, good memories, and a good time. Sometimes it’s good to just spend. However, what we want to avoid, of course you know this, is wasting a resource. In this case, there is no return and we usually regret the choice we made. We should avoid waste at all times.
It’s a simple formula for making good choices, but I’ve found that if I just check to see how I’m using my time, talent, and treasure, I make better choices for myself, my family, my organization, and the people I serve. By doing this, I’m a better leader and you can be too.
Lead well.