Close the knowing-doing gap, walk the talk, take action …
It’s certainly not new.
We hear it all the time.
It’s obviously a great strategy.
It’s the only way to be productive.
It’s been preached and practiced for centuries.
And yet, pause a moment and visualize any one of the many political candidates we’ve been exposed to over the past three or four elections at the local, state, or federal levels. Compare what they told us they would do if elected to what they actually did once in office.
Now think about a CEO or company president that has earned the focus of the national media attention by failing to meet expectations and/or promises.
Turn on your TV and surf the many football games aired this weekend. How many head coaches are falling short in the same areas of not closing the knowing-doing gap, not taking action in obvious areas of need, or not walking the talk?
It’s a leadership issue.
Always has been.
Always will be.
This critical issue leads us to still another Generational Gem:
One golfer had an absolutely horrible day on the links. His ball lay on an ant hill, and he swung viciously with a five-iron. Again and again he missed the ball and chopped away at the hill, killing ants and sending sand flying through the air. One frightened ant turned to another and said, “We’d better get on the ball if we want to stay alive!”
This is true of most of us.
There is a time to think, and there is a time to do.
There is a time to learn, and there is a time to act.
There is a time to gather information, and there is a time to make decisions.
It’s been said that knowing something doesn’t make a difference. But doing something with what you know does make a difference.
If you’ve been putting off that decision; if you’ve been procrastinating about beginning that project; or, if you’ve never gotten around to pursuing that dream which never seems to go away, then this is your nudge to get on the ball. It’s the only way to truly prosper and grow.
About Harry K. Jones
Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.