Take a look at this picture of tulips; imagine if you were that red tulip in the field of white tulips?
What are you thinking?

What are you feeling?

I have asked many people on my training courses the same question and these are some of the responses:-

“I am different and I feel special”,
“I am different and I feel exposed”,
“Why can’t I be white like everyone else”,
“I feel a bit lonely”,
“I am unique”
“There is only one of me, bit isolated”

The reason I ask you to imagine being the tulip is whether you are comfortable being uncomfortable. Comfortable being different, understand that being different may mean isolation, loneliness even risk. This is a critical question facing all leaders, how comfortable are you being uncomfortable? Will you take a stand when noone else agrees with you?

 If what you crave is sameness and safety then maybe you should ask yourself “Am I a Leader?”
 

John F Kennedy famously stated: "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country".

Bill Cullen from the Ireland Apprentice series gave his definition of effort and the measure of an employee as “What you do, after you do, what you get paid to do”

I just read a job advertisement looking for candidates who would go the extra 10mile!

The market conditions have changed; employers want more, much more from their employees.

So, maybe we could ask ourselves, "What contribution could I be making, what difference am I making and how will I be remembered?

The expectation bar on effort has been raised and the bare minimum effort just will not work for employers in this market.
 

Image courtesy of GlennPeb.