Turbo Leadership Systems^™

Commitment creates regenerating energy

Jeremy, supervisor for a paper mill in Manitoba, Canada, told Session 4B of the Leadership Development Lab (LDL):

"About five years ago while attending university, I had to do a group project with four other students. The project team assignment was to find a way to reduce energy consumption in the university's power plant. All four of us had a number of other projects to do that semester. The group agreed that this project was simple and we could easily get a good grade with minimal effort. We decided we could save a little of our own energy on this study. None of us were planning on going the extra distance to do a really thoughtful, thorough report. After we got started and the semester progressed, we began to discover elements of the project that we hadn't originally thought of considering. The project became a little more challenging and a lot more interesting. As it became more challenging, we became more engaged. The more we worked on it, the more interested we became in the whole idea of finding those little and sometimes not so little ways to reduce energy consumption without sacrificing quality of life. We contacted several local professionals for advice and we worked with the resident Power Engineer at the Dower generator plant. As it turns out, we all had a lot of fun on the project. In the end, we wrote a very complete report; so good, in fact, that our professor liked it so much that he submitted it as a student entry for the Natural Resource Canada Energy Efficiency awards. Our group received the honor of runner up at the competition and we were all invited to Ottawa, all expenses paid, to participate

in the grand awards ceremony.

The lesson I learned from this experience is that when I am willing to give the extra effort, the extra mental and sometimes physical energy, to do a job well, my work will make a difference. I am convinced that when I make a genuine difference, I will be recognized for my contribution.

The action I call you to take is to put 100% effort and energy into every project you work on. Don't hold back. The benefit you will gain is a great sense of achievement and you will receive recognition for the good work you do. The recognition will be empowering and this will renew your energy. In fact, your energy will grow with recognized achievements and you will continue to have the energy needed to complete your next project easier and faster. As your energy continues to grow, you will be self-generating."

Withholding commitment to what lies before us, that which is ours to-do, is the path to mediocrity, lackluster performance, and anonymity. Giving our best, going the extra mile, is the road to reaching your full potential, recognition and fame.