Tweet

Personal Responsibility: Bloom Where You're Planted

Guest post by: Michael Hume

Article Overview: Most of my clients would like to be more inspirational leaders. If this is also true of you, you have to start by being inspired. And I was reminded this morning that good people are often inspired to their best potential in life by learning to "bloom where they're planted."

Personal Responsibility: Bloom Where You're Planted

Inspirational Leaders Make The Most Of Any Situation Most of my clients would like to be more inspirational leaders. If this is also true of you, you have to start by being inspired. And I was reminded this morning that good people are often inspired to their best potential in life by learning to "bloom where they're planted."

These folks live the old expression "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." No matter how challenging the circumstances in which they find themselves, they roll their sleeves up and go about making the best of things. And they tend to make their accomplishments look easier than they really are. Through such experiences, they learn that no obstacles can ultimately defeat them. They learn that, unless they quit trying, they will eventually succeed no matter what lemons life gives them.

And that's inspiring.

Some of my clients who want to develop inspirational leadership struggle with the notion that this would help them. This is mostly true of the clients who are leaders now, but want to become more inspirational for their teams. Why? Because their concept of leadership is often laden with expectations around strength (and the avoidance of any appearance of weakness). They challenge: "Wouldn't a real inspirational leader refuse to accept lemons? Wouldn't they find a way to change their circumstances?"

This is a little short sighted. First, you can't always change the game. You sometimes just find yourself in tough circumstances. The difference between inspirational leaders and mere managers is not what each sees in their circumstances, but what each sees in themselves.

There are two types of people (in fact, both types are inside each of us, and we have to constantly choose which we will favor). One is the Entrepreneur, who takes risks, takes initiative, takes care of business, and often takes care of practically everyone around her. The other is the Victim, who avoids taking chances, avoids taking responsibility, blames others, and often needs to be taken care of by the very people he blames for his failures. Only an Entrepreneur can be an inspirational leader.

And the Entrepreneur blooms where she's planted. She knows it would be a waste of time and energy to blame circumstances or even to try to change the game. Instead, she learns the game, and plays it to win. She sees in herself the ability and the will to overcome whatever challenges the game throws her way.

That's why it's easier for an inspired person to become an inspirational leader than it is for a leader who already has the title but lacks the ability to inspire others. Why? Because from all the tough lessons life's given her, the Entrepreneur has taken personal inspiration. She's inspired, so she's inspiring. And people will follow her for the inspiration she gives them, and that makes her a real leader, title or none. The mere manager has probably missed some of those lessons in life, too distracted by his efforts to blame circumstances and change the rules of the game to his advantage.

You hear examples of these two types every day, all around you. The Victim complains about layoffs and office politics; the Entrepreneur doesn't try to change the company or gripe about the economy, but insteads learns how to start and grow a home business as a hedge against the recession. The Victim grouses about the global economic and political wreckage around us these days; the Entrepreneur educates herself so she can be prepared to profit from the coming storm when others might lose everything. The Victim complains about things like the government takeover of health care; the Entrepreneur develops great health habits so she can be less dependent on health care in the first place.

Strength is admirable, and it's a good leadership trait. Ability to change the game, even to take shortcuts, can be excellent management. But at a certain point, only an inspired person can really inspire others to their best. Sometimes it's better to learn to make the best of a tough situation than to figure out ways around it.

Related Articles
  How to Bloom Where You’re Planted
  Work at Home Mom - The Secret to Success
  Are You A Late Bloomer?
  Real Work at Home Jobs - Why Cant You Find One?
  Cultivating Your Success
  Introduction To Entrepreneurship
  How Smart Women Tend Their Gardens
  Commit to Your Success
  Economy Recovering? This Indicator Seems to Think So!
  REAP WHAT YOU SOW: Three Steps To Help You Cultivate Success
  Smart Women Celebrate Their Independence
  The Secret of the Penny
  Planting Seeds for Lead Generation
  Building Workplace Relationships - Being the Model
  Great Leaders Help People Assume Responsibility
  Trivita Review - A Look At This Home Business Company
  Successful People Make Their Own Luck
  One is Still a Powerful Number
  Create Your Success by Acting on Your Vision
  Make This Economy Work For You

Article Tags: entrepreneurship, health wealth and happiness, inspirational leadership, personal responsibility



Related Forum Posts
Re: Why Did You Become An Entrepreneur? - You mean Freedom = Responsibility. Freedom and responsibility are two sides of same coin. But I like the word choice. Robert
Re: Congratulations Topeyinka - Congrats Topeyinka! As Spiderman said "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"... Just kidding.. Have Fun!
Re: What is the Best Franchise? - As a franchise owner the things that I look for in a prospective franchise is: 1- A proven track record. Too many franchises try and branch out long before they have perfected their product, don't become a guinea pig for them to figure out what works and what doesnt. 2- Support. A good franchise should have great communication with it's franchisee's and be available to meet it's franchisees needs. Youre only contact with them shouldn't be when you have a problem. Good franchises involves it's franchisees in building it's business. 3- A Great System. McDonald's doesn't exactly make a good hamburger but they have an excellent system of conducting business. The real value in a franchise is the system, not necessarily the product. There are many other factors in deciding on a franchise but many of those are personal to you and your situation. The best thing to do is to conduct as much research as possible and speak with every current franchisee you can and get a feel for the franchise. garyshouldis.com
Re: Quote of the Day - "We are each responsible for our own life - In one of my articles related to "Is It a Scam or is it YOU" most cry Scam when in fact they have done nothing the with the program, havent followed the bluprint or the training, improperly marketed it. etc. "One mans scam may be another mans bonanza" is a quote used. Summing up the article, Do your Own Due Diligence, Make your own decision, and finally "Take Responsibility for your Decision regardless of the outcome Good or Bad"
Re: Twitter vs Facebook - I know this is a naive question but i'm really not sure: What do you tweet ? Business? promote your business? Personal? Are there things you can't do? ALSO :Is there a rule book? Is there a success formula using twitter?


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Using Social Media Marketing

Work Place Counselling

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.