In Leadership, Good Enough Is Pretty Bad by:Brent Filson

The first time I meet a leader to decide if we should work together

, I invariably ask one question. The answer to that question gives me an idea of whether we'll have a productive relationship. The answer also tells me how the career of that leader might turn out.

I ask, "Are you satisfied with the results you're getting now?"

It's a simple enough question, yet it points to a world of difference between leaders. Because if the answer is "yes" then our meeting will be brief. We'll quickly go our separate ways. My leadership methods can't help a satisfied leader, a leader who lives by "good enough." Those methods can only help if that leader has a powerful dissatisfaction with the results h/she is getting now.

To understand this, let's go back to basics: Leaders do nothing more important than get results. If you can't get results, you won't be leading for long. Somebody who can get results is always waiting in line to take your place. If "good enough" is okay with you, you are the next best thing to somebody who can't or won't get needed results. So, "good enough" is your enemy, "powerful dissatisfaction" your benefactor.

I'm not saying that you should go around in a funk powerfully dissatisfied with everything and everyone. You'd be a royal pain. What I am saying is results should be seen not as an end in and of themselves but part of a natural process to get more. Powerful dissatisfaction does not have to be a downer. It can be a joy. The joy of having the opportunity and privilege of thinking anew and acting anew. To be powerfully dissatisfied, one must be relaxed, open, caring, and humble. Banishing "good enough", embracing "powerful dissatisfaction" becomes a profoundly enriching way not only of being a leader but of living one's life.

So, take a joyful, powerful dissatisfaction into your leadership activities and see the difference it makes in your interactions with others and in results.

2005 The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com

About the author

The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. - and for more than 20 years has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get a free white paper: "49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results," at www.actionleadership.com

brent@actionleadership.com

POST COMMENT

Investors - What Separates the Good Traders from the Bad Traders? by:David Jenyns Credit Card Is Adding The Silver Lining To Your Pocket by:Janet Williams Negotiate a Raise by:Jane Lake Are You Hearing Everything Your Customer, Peer, Boss, Supplier Isn't Saying? by:Linda Talley Let Us Uncover The Mystry Of Secured Loans by:Amanda Thompson Ageism In The Workforce by:Paul Clutton Federal Government Jobs—7 Important Tips to Help Your Federal Job Search by:Sean Dunagan Dealing with your Student Debt by:Stu Collins How to Start an Investment Club - Business Model by:chris hickman Using Equipment Leasing as a Competitive Weapon by:George A. Parker Bridging the Gap - through Bridging Loans by:James Taylor Advice for the First Time Real Estate Investor by:Kimberly Shallenberger-Cameron How To Decide Between a Travel And Cash Back Credit Card (For Free Airline Tickets)? by:Nick Lian