Last week I wrote an article based on this quote from James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits:
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your identity. This is why habits are crucial. They cast repeated votes for being a certain type of person.”
After such a positive response I thought I’d share some more thoughts on just how tangible this way of thinking is.
I want to talk about the choices we make as managers.
People say “I’m too busy to coach my people” and “I don’t have time for coaching conversations”.
If you want to be the type of manager who coaches their team, who is selfless and leads by example, but then you see or hear something and you choose to walk by and say nothing, that’s a vote against who you want to be; against the identity you want to embody.
Imagine the difference it would make if you chose to stop, to park your own agenda and the 50 million things in your head, and in that moment made a conscious choice to stop instead of walking by.
We are in control. We have choices and we make them every day.
Walking by is a choice.
Stopping is a choice.
So, you need to ask yourself, “what choice do I want to make?”
Clear talks about asking yourself a question about your identity – “who do I want to be?”
If we asked ourselves, “what would an effective manager do in this moment?”
That’s a vote for who you want to be – an effective manager.
And every time you ask and answer, the votes build up, and with them, the evidence of that identity.
That’s how a habit is built.
So, what identity do you want to vote for?
I’m serious, do it, it’ll be a vote for that identity.
PS – we’ve opened up applications for our 2023 Effective Manager Program. If you sign up in October you’ll receive a $1,000 discount! Trust me, this is a vote you definitely want to cast! Check it out now.
