Mentoring Questions > > Activity or Accomplishment
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Activity or Accomplishment
I have learned that if I end my day feeling beat, I probably didn't accomplish much of anything worthwhile. Accomplishment gives me such a joy that it actually restores my energy. Activity for its own sake, on the other hand, is draining.
As I've gotten older, I've found I'm more selective, more thorough, more conscious of what I'm trying to do. I've learned that activity is not the mark of accomplishment. The more I can delegate tasks that are not uniquely mine, the more attention I can pay to those that are. Do you ever catch yourself doing someone else’s work? Why?
A leader may feel he doesn't have the luxury of doing a few things well, but the principles still apply. I have run small organizations, and I have run large organizations. I've never been short of time, because I believe I've been given an ability to prioritize what I'm trying to do. I retain to myself the things that only I can do and delegate the rest. It is easy to make the mistake of feeling important when people are depending on us.
I don't get joy from feeling needed. I have told my family that when I die, I hope they will not feel I was needed, but only loved. I want them each to mature to the point where they don't need me. To me, this is a proper leadership philosophy.
