I remember the movie “Field of Dreams” when I heard that saying “if you build it they will come”. I remember thinking the guy building the baseball field in the middle of the corn field was nuts to have so much faith.
Competence goes beyond words. It’s the leader’s ability to say it, plan it, and do it in such a way that others know that you know how- and know that they want to follow you.”- John Maxwell
Maxwell starts off the chapter with the story of Ben Franklin. I honest didn’t know that much about Ben, other than the usual stories I heard.. you know key, lightening, electric, and his face on money. The story as Maxwell told it, showed Ben was highly competent, excelled in many areas, and was naturally curious. He enjoyed creating new solutions to every day issues.
As Maxwell says, “we all admire people who display high competence, whether they are precision craftsmen, world-class athletes, or successful business leaders. But the truth is that you don’t have to be Faberge, Michael Jordan, or Bill Gates to excel in the area of competence. If you want to cultivate that quality, here’s what you need to do.
- Show up every day. Responsible people show up when they’re expected. But highly competent people take it a step further. They don’t show up in body only. They come ready to play every day- no matter how they feel.
- Keep improving. Continue to search for way to keep learning, growing and improving.
- Follow through with excellence. “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives” Performing at a high level of excellence is always a choice, an act of the will.
- Accomplish more than expected. Highly competent people always go the extra mile. For them, good enough is never good enough.
- Inspire others. While some people rely on relational skills alone to survive, effective leaders combine these skills with high competence to take their organizations to new levels of excellence and influence.
Where do you stand when it comes to getting the job done? Do you attack everything you do with passion and fervor and at the highest level possible? or is good enough well, good enough?
To improve your competence, Maxwell suggests the following:
- Get your head in the game. If you have been mentally or emotionally detached from your work, it’s time to reengage.
- Redefine the standard. If you’re not performing at a consistently high level, reexamine your standards. Are you shooting too low?
- Find three ways to improve. Do a little research to find three things you can do to improve your professional skills.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter Competence. Next up, Courage.
Expect success,
Donna
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