The 21 Laws of Leadership: How to Develop the Qualities of a Leader

Chapter 5 Going all out can create any miracle

Commitment
People don't follow half-hearted leaders.The extent of your dedication can be seen in many events: the hours you spend at work, the efforts you make to improve your abilities, the personal sacrifices you make to serve your colleagues, and so on.

—Steven Gregg, Chairman and CEO, Essex Corporation
A person who knows how to grasp time and go all out is a wise man who can control his life.

— Friedrich Schiller, playwright
Dedicated wholeheartedly, no regrets even though old

A few years ago, my wife Margaret and I went on vacation to Italy.Our two great passions are food and art.To find the best food, we asked friends who have been to Italy.To see the best artwork, we hired an excellent guide, a veteran buyer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.During our travels, we saw many great works of art, but none quite as powerful as Michelangelo's David.That's when I understood what a classic is.

Michelangelo's life was full of legends, and he was born with artistic cells, especially in sculpture.He is known as "the greatest artist of Western civilization" and the most influential pioneer of artistic style.He once half-joked that he had fallen in love with stonemason's tools while still suckling. At the age of 21, he completed his first mature sculpture; Michelangelo was less than 30 years old when he completed the great "Pieta" and "David".

In his early 30s, Michelangelo was invited by Pope Julius II to carve a magnificent tomb for the Pope.But soon let him participate in a painting project.At first Michelangelo had no interest in painting a dozen figures on the ceiling of a chapel in the Vatican and wanted to say no.Although he learned to draw as a child, his passion was the art of engraving.But at the Pope's repeated urging, he had to reluctantly accept the task.

Scholars believe that Michelangelo's opponents in art deliberately recommended him to the Pope, hoping that Michelangelo himself would retreat, so that he would also lose the Pope's favor; own reputation.When Michelangelo accepted the task, he devoted himself wholeheartedly, expanding the simple depiction of Jesus' twelve disciples in this project to nine scenes of the Bible "Genesis" including more than 400 characters.

For 4 years, Michelangelo lay on his back day and night to create on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.He had paid a huge price for the job—the non-stop work had permanently damaged his eyesight and worn him down.Michelangelo said: "After 4 years of hard work day and night, I drew more than 400 characters larger than normal people, which made me feel old and tired like Jeremiah in the Bible. Although I Only 37, but I'm so old that even my friends don't recognize me."

Michelangelo's all-out work ethic was far-reaching.Not only did he deeply move the Pope, but he also received other jobs from the Vatican and became a royal artist of the Holy See.But more importantly, he had a major impact on the field of art.The boldness and originality of his Sistine Chapel frescoes changed the style of many other painters, including the talented painter Raphael.Art historians believe that Michelangelo's works have brought permanent changes to the artistic process in Europe, and also established his extraordinary contributions in the field of sculpture and architecture in the future.

There is no doubt that Michelangelo's brilliance made him great, but his influence would have been greatly reduced had it not been for his dedication.His attitude can be seen in his obsession with details and the layout of the arched picture.At that time, someone asked him why he was willing to paint so hard and earnestly curled up in a corner of the Sistine Chapel that no one would notice. His answer was very simple: "It is enough for God to see."

what is really going all out

There is not a great leader in the world who is not completely dedicated.Ed McElroy of American Airlines said of the importance of giving it his all: "Being determined and giving it your all gives us the ability to keep going. No matter what the situation -- Sickness, poverty, or disaster—neither can take our eyes off the finish line." What exactly is going all out?It may be different for everyone:
For a boxer, the number of times he gets up from the ground is always one more than the number of times he is knocked down.

For marathon runners, after feeling exhausted, they can support another ten kilometers.

For soldiers, no matter how much enemy firepower there is on the top of the hill, it must be captured first.

for……

As a leader, do everything you can to make everyone you lead look like you.

If you want to be an effective leader, you must give it your all.Really giving it your all is motivating, engaging, and it shows people that you have conviction.How can anyone trust you unless you stand up for what you believe in?As the "Law of Acceptance" in "21 Rules of Leadership" says, people must first have enough trust in their leaders before they can adopt their goals and propositions.

What is the true face of going all out?The following three points will help you think.

1. Going all out starts from the bottom of your heart

Some people insist on waiting until various conditions are ripe before they are willing to devote themselves to it.However, you must go all out before you see the results.I was once told that the winner of the Kentucky Derby usually depletes the oxygen in his lungs during the first half-mile of the race to stand out from the competition, and relies on his strong heart for the rest of the way. NBA superstar Michael Jordan said it better: "A strong heart is what separates a good athlete from a great athlete." If you want to be a leader in someone else's life, start by Check your heart to see if you have decided to give it your all.

2. Going all out will be tested by action
It's one thing to say you're going all out, it's another thing to actually roll up your sleeves, the real test is action.Physicist Arthur Gordon said it best: "It's the easiest thing to talk about, the hardest thing to be around the clock."

I was once told a story of a judge who gave a speech after being elected.He said in his inaugural address: "I want to thank the 424 friends who agreed to vote for me, I want to thank the 316 friends who told me they voted for me, I want to thank the 47 people who went out to vote last Thursday, and of course , and those 26 friends who actually voted for me." How well do you keep what you promised?
3. Go all out to open the door to success
As a leader, you will have many opportunities to face obstacles and hostile forces, and you will find that in some cases, all you can do is to support you through the test.David McNally once said: "Only by going all out can you overcome obstacles, so no matter how many times you are knocked down, it will always support you to get back up again. If your goal is worth trying, you must Stand up and do your best.”

Self-Reflection: The Barriers That Stop You From Going All-In
When it comes to going all out, there are only four kinds of people in the world:

coward.These people have no real goal and don't want to give it their all.

Hesitant.These people don't know whether they can achieve their goals, so they wait and see, and they are reluctant to go all out.

Halfway people.These are the people who are already on the runway, heading towards the goal, but turn back when they encounter difficulties.

Winner.Only a few people set a goal, go all out, regardless of hard work and setbacks, and finally succeed.

What type of person are you?Are you making progress toward your goals?Are you working on your goal pursuit?Do people already believe in you and want to follow you?If any of your answers are no, then the sticking point may be the "give it all" question.

A "prescription" for removing barriers to going all out

How can you go all out more thoroughly?Please try the following methods.

1. Use a ruler to measure

Sometimes we think we've put our all into something, but our actions tell us otherwise.Get out your notepad and checkbook, and take some time to figure out where you spend your time and money; how much time you spend on work, social, family, health, recreation, and service activities On the other hand, how much money has been spent on life, entertainment, study, donations and so on.These are objective measures of how much you're giving your all, and you might be surprised by what you find.

2. Dare to die for the most valuable thing

One question every leader must ask himself is, since life is mortal, what is there for which I would give my life?Is there anything that I must never stop working hard in my life, even if it is difficult, I can't give up?Think carefully, write down your findings, and then reflect on whether your actions are in line with your ideals.

3. Try Edison's method
If taking that first step of going all-in is your main struggle, why not try Edison's approach?When Edison had an idea for an invention, he would immediately call a press conference to announce the idea, then go into the lab until the product was invented.Telling friends and family about your plans may motivate you to go all out and persevere.

There is no room for weak soldiers on the battlefield
Former NBA basketball star Bill Bradley attended a basketball summer camp hosted by Ed Macauley when he was 15 years old.During the summer camp, Macaulay said something that changed Bradley's life: "You just have to remember that if you don't do your best now and practice every technical movement proficiently, one day you will be in the He will take every advantage when he encounters a tough opponent of comparable strength in the game." According to Macaulay's standards, are you qualified?

(End of this chapter)