There’s no question that leadership isn’t easy. But when done right, it’s always worth it. When the stress becomes overwhelming, it can be helpful to take a step back and consider the reasons we took the leap in the first place. Here are some of the common ones.

Today Isn’t Good Enough

When everything is as it should be, the need for leadership doesn’t exist. As the saying goes, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. But when we catch a vision of a better future – combined with a conviction that someone ought to do something to make it happen – that’s usually when we enlist. Leadership isn’t about positive feelings, it’s about creating positive change. And that means getting our hands dirty in the process of creating a brighter future. The clearer the picture, the more likely we are to sign up.

We Can’t Get There Alone

If we could create the future we want by ourselves, we wouldn’t need others to follow us. It’s only when the work becomes more than we can accomplish on our own (as is usually the case with anything worthwhile) that we need to enlist others to help us get there. But they aren’t following us per se – they are joining us in pursuit of a better future.

You’ve probably noticed a difference in people aspire to lead in order to take responsibility for creating change and those who just want to be in charge. No one wants to follow someone who only wants a title. There’s no dignity in being a pawn for someone else’s agenda. But when we give people the opportunity to do what they do best to create a future they believe in, the possibilities are endless.

We Want to Become Something More

Zig Ziglar liked to say that each of us is endowed with the seeds of greatness. At any rate, most of us probably feel like we’re capable of something more. That’s usually a factor in why we take the plunge. It’s true that leadership is a process and it’s not always a pretty one. But the wise ones know that who we become along the way is more important than what we accomplish. Or how good it looks or how long it takes.

The Next Generation Matters

There’s a lot of talk these days about the “next generation.” But most of us would agree that we ought to leave things in better shape for those who come behind us. The next generation could the incoming class of students, this year’s interns or the high potential group. Or it could literally be the next demographic generation – or your even own children. The bottom line is that these people matter. And they won’t get where they need to go on their own. The sacrifices we make and the responsibility we take can make all the difference for them.

Leadership expert and former colleague Robert Thomas noted that sometimes events conspire to make us a leader. The circumstances we’re in may not be the result of our choices, but they may provide a unique opportunity to make a difference. Leadership isn’t easy, but many times it’s necessary. So when the going gets tough, take a moment to remember why you got started.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

Mindsets

Mindsets are crucial since they drive behavior. Therefore it follows that if we can change the way people think, their behavior will change as well. But you can’t get there without first identifying the current mindsets that exist as well as the ones you want to replace them with. Maybe employees see training as on-the-clock vacation and you want them to see it as a critical part of their development. Maybe they view leadership as the ability to fight fires and you want leadership to be viewed as the ability to manage proactively so that fires don’t occur. Or they could they see leadership as the ability to execute tasks and instead you want leadership to be seen as the ability to empower others to execute. It could be any number of things, technical or strategic. The key question to identify is: how does the organization (or department or team) think currently and how should it think differently?

Processes & Infrastructure

The temptation at this point is to develop a communication campaign or training to convince everyone of the benefits the new mindsets will bring to the organization. But just identifying new mindsets (no matter how good they are) is not enough. They need the supporting processes and infrastructure to be in place to make the change possible.

To illustrate, imagine a mayor of a city speaking fervently about the benefits of public subway transportation. It will save people money, use less gas and open up access to different parts of the metro area. You are sold. The only problem is, the city doesn’t actually have any tracks (no supporting infrastructure). Or, if they do, you have to fill out 10 forms, navigate a complicated website and wait six months to get your pass approved (exasperating process). So you simply stick with driving. That’s what happens when your processes and infrastructure don’t support the new mindsets. As good as it may be, people won’t embrace a change that doesn’t work.

Roles & Responsibilities

Ultimately, a new culture change is still just wishful thinking until everyone is given responsibility for embodying it at their level. While mindsets drive behavior, behavior is much easier to measure. And ultimately, changed behavior should translate into new business results (also measurable). Whether the new behaviors and results become integrated into performance objectives or business analytics, they need to be visible, not as sticks, but carrots. What gets recognized and rewarded gets repeated. Remember Zig Ziglar’s mantra, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Show people how embracing the new mindsets, utilizing the new (or existing) processes and infrastructure and accepting the new roles and responsibilities will not only improve the culture of the organization, but will set them up for success as well.

In all of this, what we can’t allow ourselves to forget is Miller’s last point: model it. If the leaders in any organization don’t model the change they’re selling, no implementation strategy will sell it for them. So see and shape the future, but don’t forget to always embody the values. Actions will always speak louder than words.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or   follow him on Twitter.