Finding the Gem’s

By Chris Ihrig

As leaders, we strive to create business cultures that attract engaged and results-driven employees. At the core, this requires employees who are self-directed and responsible. When you discover them you do realize the gems you have.

In reflection of what makes a responsible employee, here are few thoughts:

To be responsible is to give account or to be dependable. A responsible person is one who can be trusted. These kinds of people are hard to find, but when we find them we will notice that they have a different motivation than the average person.

These gems have two motivating factors that spring from their character that makes them responsible.

The first motivator is “out of responsibility.” It takes high-quality people to be motivated purely out of responsibility. Because they want to be trusted, they are willing to prove themselves, and they will stand up as pillars on issues. Many times these people receive no benefits in this, and it may even put their reputations on the line. These people are driven by certain ethics and principles that they will fight for, in spite of loss or lack of personal gain. This is pure motivation. These individuals are fixed – they have a firm values proposition that they live by. They take pride in being strong and they don’t care if they are different. They carry the nature of a visionary with eyes fixed on who they are and what mission they are on. They live in a world of serving others and building their name and legacy.

The second motivator is the “feeling of achievement.” This is also a high-quality motivation, and again there are no particular benefits gained by these people. For example, someone who is a millionaire several times over and has all he will ever need could go fishing or travel for the rest of his life. Instead, he keeps on doing business and working every day – he may even venture out into new things and keep on going. Some will say he is greedy. He may be, but it is possible that he simply enjoys being responsible and likes to be an achiever. This person may do what others say can’t be done, simply for the sake of accomplishing it.

Being responsible is more than making a commitment. It is a true calling or value-based belief embedded in a person. It’s a desire or an inner force that holds them accountable to themselves. They do things for the sake of getting them done or for the enjoyment of seeing them done. This makes them true servants.

As leaders, we should look to build on a foundation of responsibility. Starting with self and working outwards to your business culture. As you reflect, is this a foundation you are operating on today?