If You Want It Done, Make It Personal

If You Want It Done, Make It Personal

If You Want It Done, Make It Personal.
Sometimes we almost get things done.

Almost

And when it doesn’t happen the way we wanted, we naturally start looking for reasons.

We didn’t have enough resources.

Someone didn’t do their part.
The circumstances were difficult.
The timing wasn’t right.

Sometimes we even blame ourselves and feel disappointed because we couldn’t achieve what we set out to do.

But there is another way to look at it:

Did we make it personal enough?

I recently came across a story about Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Dubai International Airport.

There had been concerns around the time passengers were waiting to receive their luggage. The issue had been discussed, and the airport team had been asked to improve it, but the expected results were not coming.

Sheikh Mohammed didn’t simply ask for another report.

He got personally involved.

He visited the airport, observed what was happening and eventually assigned a small team from his Executive Office to work directly on solving the problem.

There is a powerful leadership lesson in this.

When something really matters to you, you make it personal.

And when you make it personal, your behaviour changes.

You give it your attention.
You find the time.
You bring the right people together.
You follow up.
You remove obstacles.
And you stay with it until something moves.

We spend a lot of time talking about problems.

But talking about a problem doesn’t solve it.

Ownership does.

Perhaps the question we should ask ourselves when something important is not moving is not:

“Who is responsible for this?”

But rather:

“How personally am I willing to take responsibility for making this happen?”

That question may change everything.