The Seven Pursuits of Leadership
You may grow weary of a life of pursuit but what’s the alternative?
Spend yourself in pursuit or waste yourself in ease. Fatigue from pursuit is the noblest form of exhaustion.
“At its essence, leadership is pursuit…” Mike Myatt
Achievement is never as satisfying as pursuit. After attainment comes more pursuit or grow lazy and unfulfilled. Achieving your dream is joyful sadness.
Pursue the pursuit.
Achievement as an end gives birth to complacency or despair. But, pursuit gives meaning to the journey.
Restless:
Pursue that which is elusive. Be single minded about pressing forward but be sure you know what direction is forward. Uncertainty gives vitality to pursuit.
Leadership requires restlessness.
Six foolish pursuits:
- Ease.
- Power.
- Authority.
- Wealth. Life consumed with getting ultimately collapses on itself.
- Success.
- Conformity.
Seven pursuits of leadership:
- Clarity or fog prevails.
- Creativity or the mundane.
- Talent or isolation.
- Change or apathy.
- Wisdom or chase distractions.
- Character or lose integrity.
- Purpose or lose your destiny.
(Adapted from, Hacking Leadership, by Mike Myatt)
Mike’s new book, Hacking Leadership, got me thinking about my favorite leadership pursuits.
- Service. Those committed to bring value always find opportunity.
- Development. Grow yourself and others. Develop as you serve. Don’t wait.
- Curiosity. The future is created in the pursuit of what doesn’t exist.
- Optimism. Believe hard work, adapting as you go, and persistence pay off.
- Better. Perfection chokes. Better sets free.
Six tips for the journey:
- Focus on what you’ve learned more than how you screwed up.
- Be happy with progress but unhappy with attainment.
- Control what you can control and let everything else go.
- Chase rabbits once in a while.
- Find companions.
- Think more about where you are going than where you have been.
Check out Mike Myatt’s new book, Hacking Leadership.
See great suggestions about the pursuits of leadership on Facebook.
What are the top pursuits of leadership?
What tips for the journey do you have?
What a super post! I love your favorite leadership pursuits. May I join you in those pursuits. Let me add “inquiry”. Open inquiry over closed solutions. Tips: Let go of attachment.
As I read todays post Dan something jumped out at me in your list of ‘Six foolish pursuits’, (Conformity). Conformity is a concept I have never been comfortable with. Conformity makes you just like everyone else. Conformity continually produces the same results. Conformity keeps us locked in mediocrity. Being succsessful is about being inovative, it’s about standing out, NOT fitting in. Conformity sits on the Dock wating for it’s ship to come in, I prefer to allow creativity and talent direct and energize real purpose and succsess. “Rather than sit on the Dock waiting on your ship to come in, break away from the crowd and swim out and get it”! Cheers Dan
Great post–appreciate the positive thinking. One question, in your five tips for the journey, did you mean to say “Be unhappy with progress” or just with attainment? I can understand being unhappy with attainment so we don’t becomie complacent. I think we should celebrate attainment and immediately move on. Always appreciate your daily blogs.
Dan, thanks for an encouraging post. Some days, it seems the minimum I can do is to just show up, then later I may be able to participate, leading me to opportunities to engage, and finally motivating me to follow through. By the end of the day, I can see real progress! But it all began by just showing up and getting in the game.
I love your posts, but I don’t understand your point number 2 on the list of “5 Tips for the Journey” – Be unhappy with progress but unhappy with attainment. I don’t understand.
Hi Dan:
Thanks for mentioning my new book “Hacking Leadership” – very kind of you and greatly appreciated. Your points were well taken and thoughtful. If your readers are interested in learning more, the book is available for pre-order now (http://www.amazon.com/Hacking-Leadership-Business-Secrets-Closing/dp/1118817419), and will be in bookstores everywhere next Monday (12/16).
Thanks again Dan.
Best,
Mike
Solid post to start off a week Dan…as that famous blogger says, “Ka-ching!” While these pursuits are aligned with leadership, certainly could apply to 7 pursuits of a vital, growing organization. Have to wonder if “Appreciate the moment, the honor, and obligation” doesn’t also fit in there somewhere…
Methinks Dan is checking to see if we are really reading his blog…Five Tips for the Journey has 6 points….hmmm.
Yea I agree with you DOCDISC. That Dan is one ‘wasklewy-wabit’…
Never thought of trying to attain ease as a bad thing, but now that I think it through and really the more I think on it, you are absolutely right. I like that it is number one also.
I think this will be on my mind all day. LOL. just like a song that never ends. HMMMM
Great stuff today Dan.
Thanks
My Leadership goal is to serve others
I have to keep things very simple so just that one thing will have to do.
Have a good one.
The Dude Abides.
SP back to serving others now.
I often have trouble with clarity. I am fairly cluttered and disorganized by nature and often need help defining the win so others can see it. Its interesting to see how finding an organized person can help clarify things for those around me… and sometimes for myself as well
To pursue without thinking of the outcome .To serve graciously and happily passing value-added contributions to make the world a better place!
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