Discipline probably isn’t your favorite topic. It’s not mine either. I have areas of my life where discipline is really tough. You probably do too. And in the life of a leader, discipline not only impacts you, it impacts everyone you lead. So, here are five truths about discipline…and some inspirational quotes to drive them home.
1. Discipline is the Great Conqueror – Plato said, “The first and best victory is to conquer self” and President Harry Truman said, “In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves. Self-discipline with all of them came first.”
2. Discipline Brings Focus to Talent – H. Jackson Brown Jr. said, “Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.”
3. Discipline Garners Respect for Leaders – Author Ray Pritchard said, “A leader is disciplined. If you expect discipline among your followers and lack it in your own life, your followers will first lose respect and then grow to resent you.”
4. The You of Tomorrow will be the Result of Today’s Discipline – H.P. Lindon said, “What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline.”
5. Discipline is the Pain that Repels Regret – Author Paul Batura writes, “It’s been said that there are two types of pain in life; the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Choose your pain; the choice is yours!”
Question: Which of these “discipline truths” challenges you the most? What “discipline truths” could you add to the list?
