As a core human need and contributing to ourselves and others, we can lead a more satisfying and purposeful life. Contribution is the gift that keeps on giving and can create a legacy that touches others and enables them to contribute.
In today’s workplace, contribution is more important than ever. Being in service to your team, peers, customers, and community is vital and will result in connection, collaboration and overall high performance.
We need to serve ourselves to better contribute to and serve others. The saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ applies to all of us. We will feel more fulfilled and able to bring our ‘whole selves’ to whatever we do.
We can contribute to ourselves and others in many ways to ensure the Gift of Contribution doesn’t remain unwrapped.
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. — Mother Teresa
The 4 Keys of Contribution
To live the Gift of Contribution, I believe we need to contribute to four key areas to ensure that the Gift of Contribution doesn't remain unwrapped.
1. Contributing to yourself
The saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ applies to all of us. We need to serve ourselves in order to better contribute to and serve others. It’s like fuelling a car – if we optimise self-contribution, the car will go further.
2. Contributing to your home team
Contributing to our family and acknowledging their contributions to us is imperative for a happy, loving home environment where family life can flourish.
To download a copy of The 4 Keys to Contribution Infographic, click here.
3. Contributing to your work team
Contributing within the workplace is not just clocking in and out – 80% of your success is actually showing up and wanting to contribute. We can contribute by tapping into shared accountability with peers, the customer and the organisation. You’ll feel more satisfaction knowing you made a difference without expecting anything in return.
4. Contributing to community
Community involvement provides a sense of belonging and social connectedness. Any effort to benefit the community is worthwhile, no matter how small. Communities can exist or be created from a shared location, hobbies, lived experiences and backgrounds, or a common cause.
Contribute in the areas above to truly live the Gift of Contribution. Start with self-contribution and plan small ways to contribute to your home team, work team and community. Many acts of contribution flow into each other. For example, you may share the skills you build through contributing to a community project with your work team.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. — Winston Churchill
Lead to be Limitless…
Find out where you sit on the Leadership Ladder. Your responses are anonymous, and the results summarised to help us better understand where our market sits so that we can continue to provide insights, tools and solutions to assist you in moving up to be LIMITLESS, co-creative and stand out.
Renée is a mentor, coach, expert facilitator and keynote speaker; She is the author of ‘Gift Mindset®‘, ‘Limitless Leadership’, and co-author of ‘Leaders of Influence’.
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