If something is gained by personal sacrifice, how much more valuable is it to you?
An athlete crossing the finish line for their first marathon appreciates that all the time and effort put in to training has been worth it. The same can be said for life. While the idea of sacrifice especially on a personal level makes most people uncomfortable, it is essential if you are to build strong character.
As a leader you will have many responsibilities and be faced with many challenges. It will require a depth of character to achieve your goals. Character is often molded through challenges. As a leader there are three common areas of your life that you may need to sacrifice. Think of them as character building exercises rather than sacrifices and you can become an influential leader.
As a Leader you sacrifice your Time.
A true leader will sacrifice their personal agenda for the sake of an organization’s goals. People will require meetings with you. They will need your input when making decisions and all of this demands your time. Many CEO’s are in the habit of working long hours. They know that they have to sacrifice their time in order to help the organization succeed. Of course a wise leader will balance this with a need for rest. But as a general rule a leader often has to sacrifice their personal time for an organization.
In addition to sacrificing your time, on my next post I’ll share the second sacrifice leaders must make – their energy. Stay tuned!
Have you ever had to sacrifice your time? If so, how?
