It’s been a month since you completed the Discipline Equals Freedom Reset. But although the DEF Reset came to end, our hope is that you have stayed on the Path and kept going strong.
If you haven’t, no factor. Take Extreme Ownership and get back on the Path. The goal of the DEF Reset was to build discipline habits through the month of January so that they become your daily routine. But just as you must continue to train your body through exercise and challenging workouts and fuel your body with clean nutrition, you must also continue to train your mind by developing your leadership skills.
As you learned during the DEF Reset, leadership is a skill. None of us are born with leadership abilities. We must learn them, through training or actual experience. But like any other skill, if you don’t continually work to develop them, your leadership skills will atrophy.
If you aren’t thinking about Cover and Move all the time, then you will be less likely to place a high enough premium on building relationships with the people you depend on to accomplish your mission. If you don’t practice using the readback until it becomes second nature, you won’t be able to measure whether you are communicating in a simple, clear and concise manner so that what you are trying to communicate is understood. If you don’t frequently practice remaining calm amid high-pressure situations, you won’t be able to detach and stay focused on the highest priority tasks. If you don’t take the time to understand not just what you are doing but why you are doing it, and training those around you so that they also understand, you and you team will not be able to lead with Decentralized Command.
So, how do you continue your leadership journey? There are many ways. Choose what works best for your schedule. You can read books or listen to audio books. You can listen to podcasts. Watch informative videos about leadership that keep your leadership development top-of-mind. Find a mentor. Take an online course. Join an in-person training event with like-minded leaders. Any of these are good options. What matters is that you find something that works for you and keep going.
When you stop making excuses and start taking Extreme Ownership, good leadership becomes habit. And everything in your life gets better. EVERYTHING.
Remember, don’t count on motivation. Count on discipline.
It takes discipline to STAY ON THE PATH in your leadership journey.
Discipline Equals Freedom.
GET AFTER IT.
