Action Is Now
The Power of Starting
"You don't have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great." - Zig Ziglar
When you take action, you trigger all kinds of things. The benefits spread. For example, people around you notice your leadership and are inspired. Everyone can see that you are serious about your intentions, which builds respect and connection. Plus, people with similar goals are drawn to you.
It's How We Grow
When you take action, you may also get feedback and that's good too. Feedback from others helps us grow. Sure, it'd be easier to play it safe and not act, but then you would also not learn.
It's a truth of life that the more action you take, the more you learn and grow. Even our greatest challenges lessen with practice. Things that once appeared difficult begin to be easier.
Live2Lead Goes Virtual
Every year, the UpCloseTeam organizes a leadership event call Live2Lead in Wood Buffalo. We'd been holding this annual event for four years when we had to make a big shift in 2020. We couldn't hold an in-person event and had to take action pretty quickly to ensure that the online event would be successful.
When we started to plan the virtual event, our goal was simply to hold an event that people found helpful. But one action triggered others and soon we were accomplishing much more than we knew we would.
Delivering an event online meant lots of research and with research comes learning. We learned about the online platforms that are available and how to preserve the human element in virtual gatherings. We discovered new ways of helping people collaborate and keeping them entertained.
We were able to preserve the key features that made previous events so successful, like awards and presentations from sponsors, not to mention the much sought-after presenters with valuable information on leadership. But we also added new things like the scavenger hunt and prizes. Also, since it was an online event, we were able to give people a more flexible timeframe.
All of this happened because we took action and went on with the event. This is the power of taking action--everyone grows and new opportunities unfold.
Getting Started
Action generally starts with a problem. We do things because they need to be done. As we did when planning Live2Lead, you'll likely want to do some research and brainstorm possible solutions. Plus, it's great to ask for support. But once you've done that, it's time to go. Action is now.
Sometimes people hold back for fear of looking foolish or maybe they think someone else can do a better job. They might also hold back because everything does not seem to be perfectly in place. But if we wait, we miss the opportunity and things are never perfectly in place.
Go Ahead, Lead the Life You Deserve
As Simon Sinek says, "Dream big, start small, but most of all start." Successful people are highly action-oriented. It creates a momentum that spreads to other people and delivers results that are often greater than expected.
Your Friends,
The UpCloseTeam