“Concentrate more on your duties than your dreams.”

A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book,  How to Lead When Your Boss Can't (or Won't)  (p. 42). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

A good attitude at what you do is so important.  It really is!

John says, “Noted composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein was once asked which instrument he considered to be the most difficult to play. After a moment he responded, ‘Second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who can play second fiddle with enthusiasm—that’s a problem.’ We can often become so focused on our dreams and goals that we lose sight of the responsibilities right in front of us.

“People who maintain a great attitude pay more attention to production than to promotion. If you consistently ‘deliver the goods,’ as poet Walt Whitman put it, you may eventually be noticed. But more importantly, if you do good work, you will be content with the job you do even at those times when others don’t recognize your efforts.”

He goes on, “Not everyone will understand or appreciate the work you do, so it’s important that you do. Every position has value, but too often we don’t value that position. You make what you do important by valuing it yourself and doing your best. If you despise the position you have, it may be because of what I call ‘destination disease’ or the ‘greener grass syndrome.’ If you focus your attention on being some other place because you think it’s better, then you will neither enjoy where you are nor do what you must to be successful. Stay in the present.”

John then says, “In his book, Good to Great (Harper Business, 2001), Jim Collins writes about ‘level five’ leaders. He says that these leaders, who lead their organizations quietly and humbly, are much more effective than flashy, charismatic, high-profile leaders. One of the reasons I believe that’s true is that good leaders understand they don’t really deserve all the credit for the success of an organization. Success comes from the people who get the work done.

“When you do a job well, and you know the impact of the work you did, let that give you great satisfaction. Let it motivate you. The definition of high morale is: ‘I make a difference.’ When you know you’re making a significant contribution, you need less external motivation and less praise from a boss who may never give it.”

We want to be content and satisfied with what we do and to make a difference, don’t we? 

Yes, yes!