Thoughts on Leadership: Do Whatever It Takes

By Gino Blefari

This week’s travels took me to Minneapolis for the HomeServices of America, Inc. board meeting then to Louisville, Kentucky for a leadership meeting hosted by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Parks & Weisberg, Realtors. After Kentucky I flew to Knoxville, Tennessee—where I write you this week’s blog post—and from here I’ll travel tomorrow to Omaha for the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting. (Expect a recap next week.)

So, all in all it’s been seven days of travel and to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way because every stop along this trip has been necessary to create lead measures that will help us accomplish our organization’s goals. Remember, a leader does whatever it takes. As the saying goes, “If you’re interested, you’ll do what’s convenient. If you’re committed, you’ll do what it takes.”

And even if you’re not city-hopping across the country, you can still do a gut check to make sure you are executing on absolutely everything possible to ensure success for your company and team. Even if, while reading this, you’re sitting at a desk, staring at your computer screen, it’s always helpful to re-evaluate your leadership practices and do an internal audit of yourself to make certain you’re completely committed to a whatever-it-takes mindset.

As inspiration, here are a few of my favorite leadership quotes to help you get the job done:

1. “You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the water slide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute.” – Tina Fey
2. “You see, in life, lots of people know what to do but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough. You must take action.” – Tony Robbins
3. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
4. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” – Billie Jean King
5. “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration. The rest of us just get up and go to work.” – Stephen King
6. “The only way around is through.” – Robert Frost
7. “Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” – Coco Chanel
8. “We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” – Oprah Winfrey

So, what’s the message? This week, it’s simple. Take a moment and ask yourself: Am I committed to doing whatever it takes to succeed? Think about how you spent your past week, how you scheduled your time, how you balanced your schedule, the productivity you achieved and then be honest in your answer. Did you do whatever it takes? As you assess your leadership mindset today know that the road ahead is not always paved with brand-new concrete and lit by sunshine. Still, we must forge onward no matter what the path looks like ahead. In fact, the challenging journey in front of us should serve as motivation to overcome the obstacles that others deem impossible to traverse. As Warren Buffett once said, “In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”