Discipline 2.0

The word discipline is often confused with the word “punishment”.  In reality, the verb discipline means to “train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way.” 

According to writer John Maxwell in his book Leadership 101, “no matter how gifted a leader is his gifts will never reach their maximum potential without the application of self-discipline.”  

If this is true, then the search for a disciplined lifestyle is an internal, non-negotiable focus of every leader independent of external circumstances. 

The question is how do we develop a lifestyle characterized by discipline?

There are three specific areas of emphasis that can help in our pursuit of self-discipline:

Operate in an excuse free environment

Leaders that seek to succeed must first challenge and eliminate the desire to pass blame on other individuals or on their  circumstances.  Over time, the maturing of one’s own perspective helps the disciplined leader realize the truth that we make our own experiences.  The French writer Francois La Rochefoucauld said, “Almost all our faults are more pardonable than the methods we think up to hide them.”  No excuses!

Delay gratification until the task is complete

Keep the purpose of the task at the forefront of decision-making.  Don’t take the easy way out.  Stay at it until tasks are completed the right way.  Keep the focus of the work  on the task at hand so that it does not drift from the present to the future.  Do not get in the bad habit of having dessert before dinner.  Decide in advance to be disciplined in allowing gratification to be delayed until the job is done!.

Avoid discouragement by focusing on rewards, not problems

People struggle with discouragement when they focus on the difficulty of the task in front of them without looking at it through the positive lens of the end result they are going for.  Your attitude determines your altitude.  Be careful that you do not develop self-pity instead of self-discipline. Keep a big picture perspective, looking at tasks through the lens of your WHY!

Talent is important, but without discipline it lacks control and focus.  Author H. Jackson Brown, Jr. stated, “Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates.  There is plenty of movement, but you never know whether it is forward, backwards, or sideways.”  If you want to succeed and lead, you have to learn discipline by making a conscious decision to develop positive habits free of excuses and full of possibilities.

Those are habits worth focusing on and developing as a leader.  Let’s do it together!