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Driving Your Way to Success

Take a look at the illustration above.

You can see two men holding a digging tool, trying to get past the boulders that are preventing them from getting to a bedrock of diamonds. The first man looks driven and motivated to get past through his boulders. The second man on the other hand, looks exhausted and is giving up on his ‘mission’, not knowing that he is about to reach his goal.

So, what’s the difference between these two men?

The answer is simple: DRIVE.

How about you? Which of the two men do you most relate to right now? Some of you may have started like the first man, motivated, energised and ready to reach your goals however as time passed and, as the boulders got bigger and bigger, you got exhausted and burned out. So you’ve just settled with the ‘semi-precious’ stones you’ve encountered along the way instead of persevering to get to the best.

Drive is one of the most common ingredients in every business success story. It is linked to creativity and innovation, giving you the inspiration for new ideas. Drive is the element that enables a person, a team and an organisation to be energised and motivated to overcome challenges and work around roadblocks.

People who do not have this competency expect the worst and give up easily. They see roadblocks and setbacks as pervasive. They feel helpless and listless most of the time which makes them prone to stress and depression. Driven people on the other hand, are results oriented and are highly motivated to meet their objectives and standards. They set challenging yet reachable goals and do their very best to achieve them. They pursue information to reduce uncertainty and find ways to do improve their performance.

For decades, many industries and organisations make every effort to generate drive amongst their employees. They buy self-help books, subscribe to different motivational programs, invite motivational speakers and gurus. Yet time and again, they all come up short. Like the disengaged man in the picture, they eventually quit and slide right back to where they have always been. It just doesn’t seem to stick. It is like drinking coffee to bandaid your lack of sleep - the caffeine might give you the kick you need for the day, but it will never and cannot give you the strength and ‘restedness’ that a goodnight’s sleep can.

Drive is something that can only be found within. The good news is all of us have the ability to hone this competency. So how can you tap into our drive? How do you make yourself and your team driven, engaged and motivated to achieve your goals?

Here are some tips how:

1. Tune into your self­ talk about the adversity in your life. Accept that the road to success is not an easy one but a worthy one to take. Be patient in your adversity and wait for this seemingly unorganised chaos begin to take shape and the pathway to success become clearer.

2.Examine your beliefs about the adversity, or how you interpret it. Take note of your feelings about these beliefs – do you feel sad, anxious, guilty? Note that pessimistic explanations result in passivity and dejection and optimistic explanations energise you.Dispute the negative beliefs; don’t allow them to become habitual or circle endlessly through your mind (i.e., “this is absurd, I’m blowing things out of proportion”)

3. Have an accountability partner. There are times when we just need someone to motivate and cheer us up when we are down and sometimes give us a kick if we slack off. Have someone to walk with you to guide you and mentor you. Oftentimes, as we tread the road to reaching our goals, having someone who has journeyed on a similar road to guide us can help us maintain our drive and overcome our roadblocks easily. Seeking the help of a professional coach can greatly help you in this area.

The former President of the United States, Barack Obama emphasises the importance of drive by saying:

“The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on.”

Drive is indeed a must for any person, team and organisation to overcome any roadblocks and achieve great things.

In the work I do to develop 21st Century Neuroleaders, DRIVE is developed as one of the 16 Key Pillars. If this short article has spoken to you in any way, contact me today so we can discuss what support you need in this area of your life and leadership journey.

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