15 Practical Ways to Ignite Commitment
Incompetent leaders invite apathy. Skillful leaders ignite commitment.
You create the future when you inspire commitment.
Uncommitted people:
- Drain energy.
- Stand on the fringes complaining.
- Hang around for self-serving reasons.
- Save their energy for what matters to them.
- Aren’t happy.
Those who aren’t committed find fault; those who are committed find a way.
15 practical ways to inspire commitment:
- Practicing transparency. Share information. Outsiders don’t commit. Make people feel they are in the know.
- Set high standards for yourself and others. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Mundane doesn’t ignite commitment.
- Celebrate personal growth. Honor lessons learned from failure. Invite others to see your personal development.
- Explain how people matter, contribute, and belong. Appreciation fuels commitment.
- Focus on purpose. Commitment makes failure matter. Purposeful behaviors increase meaning. Meaning inspires commitment.
- Define success. What does success look like today? It’s impossible to commit when you don’t know where you’re going.
- Track progress. Milestones define short-term wins. Today’s win energizes tomorrow’s commitment.
- Lean into tough issues with optimism. Pessimism offends the committed, but don’t pretend things are OK when they aren’t.
- Energize people. Don’t take energy for granted. Know and understand team members so you can pour gas into their energy tank.
- Get things done. People don’t commit to drifters.
- Practice curiosity about people. Lack of interest weakens relationships. Ask about current activities and future aspirations.
- Enjoy the success of others.
- Be honest. Avoid spin.
- Provide development opportunities like coaching, mentoring, and training.
- Achieve results through relationships. Treat them like humans, not tools.
What are your top three ways to inspire commitment in others?
Set the example. Show them what commitment looks like.
Allow people to make their own decision.
1. Are you genuinely committed to our mission and vision?
2. Are you committed to following our team rules?
3. Are you committed to continuous improvement.
“Model the way,” as Kouzes and Posner say in, “The Leadership Challenge.” My takeaway from your comment is don’t make exceptions for yourself.
I find it challenging to draw people in who stand on the sidelines. As a pastor it’s an ongoing effort to move/invite/inspire people from simple Sunday morning attendance to a deeper involvement in the ministry of the church. Disengage people won’t commit so stay disengaged and eventually move on. Those who commit find a home.
It’s not just the Church, Pete. It’s a challenge everywhere. Gallup’s research says about 30% of employees in the US are actively engaged. About 50% are not engaged and about 20% are actively disengaged. People who are actively disengaged are doing things to harm the company.
Steady on.