In week four of this series, let’s explore the third of the 7 C’s—“commitment.”
Another of the individual values in the social change model, commitment is defined as the energy and motivation to serve. Commitment implies that you have passion for a goal or project and are willing to see it through to the end. It involves investment of time and physical and mental energy in the leadership development process.
Commitment is strongly linked to consciousness of self (the first C). You should know whether or not you value something before you commit yourself to it. You have to find a good fit between your values and the goal you are working on, or you will have a hard time devoting energy to the project. Ask yourself - is this goal really important to you? Does it deserve your time and attention? How does it add meaning to your life? You should feel intrinsically motivated by the goal. If you are relying on others, feeling half-hearted, and not actively engaging, someone else should take the lead on the project.
Commitment is the action behind your values. Where do you see the need for action? What do you feel so strongly about that you have to act on it? How can you best create impact? This is an area I need to work on, because I like to be involved in EVERYTHING and I know I need to narrow down my activities to be more effective in the ones I truly care about instead of stretching myself too thin.
You should also be a bit cautious about holding your commitments too tightly because you can become closed to input from others. Make sure to keep an open mind and listen to suggestions from others about your actions or processes—maybe there’s a better way to do something that will save you time and energy and still be aligned with your values!
Tip of the Week
Read the book Grit, by Angela Duckworth, which talks about passion and perseverance.