SPIRIT BRAND

SPIRITUALITY for the 21st Century

Do you know what this equation represents?

The answer is:  The linear momentum of a system of particles is the vector sum of the momenta of all the individual objects in the system.  Did you get that?

I played in a golf tournament the other day and our team kept parring hole after hole.  Par is good, except in a scramble format; you need birdies!  Someone on our team, said, “we need to change our momentum…”  So finally, on hole 14, after bogeying the previous hole, our momentum changed!  We birdied the hole and proceeded to birdie the last four holes!  It was all momentum!

John Maxwell calls momentum “the big mo”. In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John says that, “Momentum is really a leader’s best friend. Sometimes it’s the only difference between winning and losing.”  Whether you run an organization, or just a part of team, one key to the level of your success is momentum.  I’ve always wondered how to gain momentum and keep it moving!  You know you have momentum when there are bumps on the road and you keep moving!  Big Mo is present when mistakes are made, and leaders quickly move past them and any change is possible. People in your organization are highly motivated, the culture around you is enthusiastic, and performance is at a higher level.  And most of all, the leader looks good!  Now that’s Big Mo at work!

So how can I gain momentum?  Momentum can never be gained by staying at rest!  Momentum begins by forward progress.  Newton’s first law of motion says, ”A body at rest stays at rest, and a body in motion stays in motion, unless it is acted on by an external force.”  We often call this the law of inertia.  The simple truth is momentum begins when you get moving!  As a leader, you have to be motivated before you can motivate others!  The responsibility of momentum lies on your shoulders!  You are responsible for the momentum of your team!  As a team member, your responsibility is to keep momentum by staying in motion–being on the same page with your leader and organization, being highly motivated, and producing!

The truth of the matter is that there are some things we cannot control!  But in every organization and walk of life, the Big Mo is not that elusive!  There are many books around that can guide us to the right path.  In Jim Collins book, Good to Great, I have found that there are some principles to achieving and keeping momentum.  Here are some thoughts:

1.  Good is the Enemy of Great.  We face the horrifying idea that we could have had a great life, but we settled because it was so good!  Momentum can never be achieved if you settle for that which is good!

2.  Level 5 Leadership.  This level of leadership is defined by genuine humility couched in an atmosphere of passion for the cause, the work and the organization.  A selfless leader, driven by a stoic will, needs to replace the ego-centric leader.  Momentum always begins with leadership–level 5 leaders!

3.  A Culture of Discipline.  When you set your objectives, you must judge what you do at the end by objectives/goals that you set.  The measure is not what you did or did not produce, but rather the achievement of your objectives.  A culture of discipline is necessary if you want to keep momentum.

4. The Hedgehog Concept.  It is a deep understanding of three concentric circles:  1) what are you deeply passionate about?  2) what can you be or cannot be the best in the world at?  3) what drives your economic engine?  Either personal or corporate, momentum is maintained by understanding your hedgehog.

5.  Flywheel and the Doom Loop.  In building something great, there is no one great program, not one killer innovation, a lucky break, not some miracle moment, rather, it is pushing a giant flywheel, pushing it to complete one turn…pushing to turn it again…momentum builds…you keep pushing, gaining more momentum…the flywheel moves faster…you keep pushing, building upon each compounded effort..until the flywheel breaks through!  Momentum takes hard work!

6.  First Who, Then What.  Who do you spend your time and your most valuable relationships determine success.  It is first who, then what.  Value important relationships and get the right people on the bus with you, then what… Momentum is easy when you spend time with valuable relationships!

Go Big Mo!