Dedication is the foundation of commitment. It is the determining factor that characterizes our vision for life, work, and relationships. Our commitments shape our leadership more than anything else. Commitments build up or tear down. Leaders live out what they are committed to and often have little trouble selling out to their business or professional career, but can struggle to be equally committed to marriage, family, personal health, or spiritual life. This is no bulletin to leaders, nor is it my intention to overstate it. If you’re honest, you know this is true.

As a leader, you need to consider to what and to whom you are committed. You need to think about the people who are near and dear to you. You need to contemplate where the balance is in your life, and whether you are committed to people over the long haul. Simply ask yourself: Am I dedicated to the wellbeing of others? Better yet, ask your spouse, parent, or best friend.

Recently, as a friend of mine and I were discussing marriage, he defined it as love, and I defined it as commitment. I actually said to him, “What’s love got to do with it?” Of course, it has a lot to do with it, but in my view, love is too fragile and too emotional to base a lifetime commitment on it alone. Anyone who has been in a serious relationship, personally or professionally, knows that there are ups and downs in any relationship — any business deal, any partnership, any marriage. Sometimes we feel loving and supportive; sometimes we don’t. That’s just part of being human. And that’s why I would rather trust my marriage to commitment than to love — though it’s hard to beat having both.

You may be in a partnership — personal or professional — that simply doesn’t work. You may need a way out. If so, you need to find the best way to extract yourself with integrity and dignity. Your commitment to doing the right thing in the right way is vital to your leadership.

Tags: Commitments, Dedication, Family, Integrity, Life Tips, People Leaders, Personal Development, Relationships, Responsibility, The Mind of a Leader