Control.

Everyone wants it. No one has it. Not really. And that is the thing that the most successful people have figured out. It’s also the thing that people who continue to struggle and strive haven’t quite learned. If having control is a goal – change it. Set yourself up for success instead by setting a goal that is attainable. If you’re striving for control you’re destined to fail.

Thought leaders and successful humans know that we don’t have control of circumstances, situations, outcomes, or anything that resides outside of our own purview – COVID-19 likely taught the last holdouts about that. You can’t have control – but you can be in charge. And that slight shift in perspective will deliver a substantial ripple effect in everything you do. It will also resonate with those around you because they’ll recognize that by being accountable by being in charge – you’re taking responsibility. Control is about others. Being in charge is about you.

Confident leaders know that there will always be ebbs and flows and attempts to control that dynamic will be fraught with frustration. Being in charge – regardless of the ebb or the flow – takes a real leader.

Whether you are an executive-level professional, a manager with employees who report to you, a stay-at-home parent who takes on freelance projects in-between family obligations, or a firefighter saving human and animal lives – success has nothing to do with controlling others or attempting to control or manipulate timeframes, schedules, outcomes, agendas, budgets, or even behaviors.

Being in charge, however, has everything to do with taking ownership – of setting a precedent for your teams to follow, of creating an authenticity so real that the timeframes, schedules, outcomes, agendas, budgets, and even behaviors are enhanced, improved, and destined for success.

Leaders come in all shapes and sizes with a variety of styles. The ones who excel are those who understand they don’t have control. And they don’t have to – they’re in charge.

Make it meaningful,

~ Haven