Bridge the Gap Between Knowing and Doing

Written by Dave Rothacker on September 14, 2020

New Coworker: “I hear Steve is going to a seminar on service department productivity.”

Grizzled Veteran: “No worries Sam, he’ll come back gung ho, but it’ll wear off after a week and we’ll get back to normal.”

There is an unlimited amount of information, knowledge and wisdom available to help a business owner run their business. We know it. We partake in it. And nothing changes because of it!"

WHY?

The short answer is because we are not committed to change.

So, you’re probably thinking, “if I commit to change, I can make it happen at my company,” right?

Hmmmm, not really…

Picture the weightlifter about to attempt a personal record in the deadlift. They psyche-up, grunt, groan and strain their way to success.

You can do this in your company. You can white-knucle your way to making change happen. And it might work. That is, until the first opposing force counters it. Then you’ll have to try and white-knuckle your way again and again and again.

There’s a better way and it starts with WHY.

Start with WHY

Start with WHY means to start with your purpose. Simon Sinek explains in an 18-minute video and elaborates with his book Start With WHY.

We’ll tie back into the WHY in a minute. For now, if you have not yet uncovered your purpose, use the default purpose of To Grow and To Give. I learned about the default purpose in The Power of Purpose by Richard J. Leider.

Add in Transformational Leadership

Transformational Leadership influences people to think, speak and act in such a way that it makes a positive difference in their life and the lives of others.

Transformational Leadership begins with – “I want to make a difference.”

The power of purpose requires an aim outside of ourselves.” – Richard J. Leider

Can you feel the alchemy? Can you feel the possibilities?

If purpose is attached to something larger than ourselves and Transformational Leadership starts with the deep need to make a difference, we’ve found our North Star.

Take Others Along

People crave meaning. They want to belong to something bigger than themselves. There is a tremendous amount of attention out there on what a strong theme this is for young adults. The thing is, we all want meaning, we all want something to believe in and we all want to belong to something bigger than ourselves.

As a sixty-something, I crave this now almost more than anytime in my life.

Welcome people in your quest to make a difference in the lives of others. When you give them something to believe in they’re not only discovering meaning, they’re also finding new ways to express it. You’re giving them a chance to make a difference in their own worlds.

Okay, Let’s Reset

New Coworker: “I hear Steve is attending Service Titan’s The Power of Transformational Leadership webinar this week.”

Grizzled Veteran: “Yeah man Sam! I can’t wait to hear all about it!”

What changed?

Steve’s purpose is To Grow and To Give. It’s the WHY of his business too. His coworkers know it, believe it and buy into it. If Steve and the business are growing, that means he’s giving and the coworkers are growing. They’re stoked because the more they grow, the more they’re able to give, the more they’re able to make a difference in the lives of others.

The Bridge

Transformational leaders bridge the gap between knowing and doing by living out their purpose. If the opportunity arises for a leader, by way of a seminar, conference or webinar, to help effect positive change in their company, they need only look to their purpose and their will to make a difference in the lives of others, for the power to follow through.

It just so happens that…

Trapper Barnes, whose company Infinity Texas Air, was named the 2018 Best Contractor to Work for by the HVACR News, and myself will be discussing The Power of Transformational Leadership in a webinar, hosted by the most excellent ServiceTitan Toolship resource platform this Thursday, September 17, at 1:00 pm EST. Please join us!