A Great Attitude Without the Discipline to Excel

Leaders root for people with a great attitude. 

They love it when team members express their willingness to do whatever it takes to improve and achieve great results. They reserve a soft spot for anyone with a can-do mindset. 

They know without the will to work hard and succeed, skills languish and potential remains unrealized. A desire to excel is a prerequisite for success. Those with that desire are usually a pleasure to lead. 

Leaders believe that the combination of will and skill ultimately determines who will make valuable contributions and succeed as a team member. 

Those missing one half of the equation pose a dilemma. 

Team members without the will to achieve are difficult to motivate and change. It is nearly impossible to instill an attitude for high performance if team members don’t make that decision for themselves. While leaders believe they can teach skills, they know they can never force a can-do attitude. 

That’s why team members with a great attitude for improvement and success are so attractive. With enough dedication and passionate spirit, leaders have a deep faith that others will eventually find success. If nothing else, those with the desire to succeed are much easier to lead and get along with. 

Yet, many team members with a voracious desire to excel and succeed often flounder. It usually isn’t because they can’t learn or master the skills that will make them successful. It’s because they lack the discipline to take the daily steps necessary to acquire those skills. 

Discipline is THE moderating factor between will and skill, and team members with a positive attitude who underperform often lack it. 

Ironically, many team members who are charged up to make big strides forward often lack the self-discipline to perform the everyday actions and behaviors required to make them successful. They commonly focus on the outcomes of success and ignore the daily steps needed to achieve them.

In many cases, these team members allow themselves to be distracted or have personal habits that prevent them from performing the everyday actions leaders expect of them. 

Leaders might think that having the will to succeed ensures the self-discipline it takes to achieve, but evidence points to the contrary. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. The desire to excel often exists independently from the focus, organization, and consistency discipline provides. 

Now for the bad news: leaders can’t teach attitude or instill discipline in others. These are decisions and practices only the team member can infuse in themselves. It’s not that people can’t learn to be more self-disciplined, but it takes a significant investment of time. Time leaders simply don’t have. 

Before becoming attracted by a great attitude and investing in skill development, leaders would be best served to explore the personal habits and discipline of team members. 

A great attitude is only a game-changer if it comes with the self-discipline to make the daily actions connected to success. Those without may as well lack will and skill. They are unlikely to ever become valuable team members.