Leadership = Commitment

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.”

~~William Hutchinson Murray

The following is a summary of “Commitment” by Ashlee M.  Kerkhoff and Daniel T. Ostick, a chapter in Leadership for a Better World.  The full citation is below.

As you know if you’ve been reading this entire series, the Social Change Model (SCM) of leadership development is all about change.  Commitment, the final “C” in the model, is one of the determining factors in leadership and is necessary to facilitate change. Because leadership is not a one-off, momentary thing but is accomplished on a daily basis, it requires persistence.  There are many factors working against change, no matter what setting it’s accomplished in. The strength of your commitment is usually the deciding factor between persisting (and accomplishing change) or giving up.

Supportive Environment

Commitment is closely related to passion, motivation and the self-efficacy.  External motivators like money certainly exist, but their effects are usually short-lived.  Almost all sustainable motivation is intrinsic.  Although it can’t be provided to you, motivation (and commitment) can be fostered by a supportive environment.  Have you ever been very committed to something but became worn down by the environment in which you had to enact that commitment?  If so, you probably left and found a better place to engage with the subject of your commitment (or you plan to at the first opportunity).  Much talent is lost in this way.  It is crucial, therefore, that leaders provide a supportive environment that feeds their team members’ commitment.  There are many ways to accomplish this, but recognition for good work is one.

Avoiding Burnout

Even the most committed individual or group in the most supportive environment can burn out.  Stephen Covey talked about “sharpening the saw” (Covey, 2004) and he was right.  If you don’t take time for self-care and renewal, you will eventually find yourself without the energy and commitment to go on.  Busy people often forego this, but it’s a short term gain in progress on the “to do” list at a much larger, long-term loss in fuel for commitment.  You may go an extra mile or two on those fumes in your tank, but in the end, you’ll be stranded on the interstate…at night…with no cell phone. 

Connection to the Other Cs

If you review the other factors (or “Cs”) in this model, it’s easy to see how Commitment relates to them.  Can you persevere through Controversy with Civility, or find Common Purpose, or have Congruence between your values and actions without Commitment? It’s highly unlikely.  Commitment is, therefore, an integral part of the SCM.

References

Covey, S.R. (2004).  The seven habits of highly effective people:  Powerful lessons in personal change.  New York City: Simon & Schuster.

Kerkhhoff, A. M. & Ostick, D. T.  (2009). Commitment.  In Komives, S. R., Wagner, W. & Associates (Eds.), Leadership for a better world: Understanding the social change model of leadership development (pp. 365-391). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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