We will continue to talk about goal setting. Last time we talked about how important it is to set goals because of the barriers we may face along the way. Goals will keep us focused on what we are trying to accomplish and not let those barriers stop us.  Today we will talk about how we need to set goals to solve problems.  Any organization, whether it is a few employees or many, will have problems. Instead of getting down on ourselves, we need to be focused on our goals so that we can solve the day to day problems that come up.  Problems are nothing more than a way to make money; the more problems you solve, the more money you make.

A leader must make sacrifices in order to solve problems. Consistently sacrificing means being so focused on your goals that it does not seem like a sacrifice but instead a way of doing business because this is what is necessary to get the job done.  A leader must maintain a high standard of ethics and moral character at all times.  In order to accomplish this, he/she may need to not be associated with fellow co-workers and not socialize with other employees. This prevents being misunderstood or put in any uncomfortable situations.  Never meet with another co-worker, especially someone of the opposite sex, without another person in the room. This way nothing can ever be misunderstood.  A leader must always offer excellent effort and service.  This means that the leader may have to stay late or be the first one to work, but they must always lead in a way that makes sure the work gets done on time and properly. A leader can never be down and show depression or lack of caring; they must always bring their “A” game.  A leader must always commit in order to prioritize relationships.  There are many times when a leader has to choose between what he/she has to do and what he/she wants to do.  Unfortunately, this may involve people they are working with or may involve family time, but they always have to be willing to sacrifice for the company.  Another key point here is that a leader also has to keep his family time in the fore front of his priorities, or it can become easy to lose that time. If you have a well run company with a broken family, the leader has failed.  It is a balancing act, but very important that it is done correctly.  In my case, it meant giving up some of the things that I enjoyed doing by myself because I wanted to spend time with my family when I was not working.  A leader must also be willing to admit when they have done wrong and ask for forgiveness.  People will always respect you for admitting your faults, because as we all know, no one is perfect.

One of the hardest things for a lot of leaders to do is to admit their mistakes to employees and ask for forgiveness. However, if they don’t, someone will harbor bad feelings and it will come back later to haunt the leader or the organization.  Be up front and admit your mistakes; be humble and ask for forgiveness.  A leader also has to desire to maintain communication and momentum.  Sometimes the last thing a leader wants to do when they are busy is stop and talk to someone about something. However, it is extremely important that they do.  They also have to keep the momentum going at all times even when they are tired and may not feel like it.  If the leader lets down, it is a guarantee that everyone else will do the same.

Therefore, being a leader means to sacrifice for the company at all times.  A leader has to do this in order to solve problems and as I said earlier, solving problems is how you make money.  So do not look at it as a sacrifice, look at it as a blessing that you are in a position to be able to sacrifice to make a company and a group of people better and more productive.