What is true security?

Everything is uncertain.

The economy is definitely uncertain. Kodak and Reader’s Digest have declared bankruptcy. Certainly no business carries certainty. And no old-rich family empire is indestructible. There are ancient household names that no one remembers today anymore. And have you ever worked for a company that has been merged with or acquired by another, or which just disappeared from the business landscape?

Things are changing. Many companies that used to be small, stealthy, fast and awesome have grown to become huge, slow, constipated and bureaucratic. And though they still experience a margin of success, they know that something’s wrong, and that their growth is no longer sustainable.

In my monthly public seminar and workshop on leadership, I give my participants a list of practical tools that motivate people, and I ask them to choose the best. Many of them would choose job security, and I would shake my head at the choice every time.

Job security doesn’t inspire a person to be excellent. It motivates a person to simply be compliant. When the person doesn’t take risks or improve, he or she loses in the long run.

A lot of people are betting on the wrong things to provide security. A career is not a platform for security. As a matter of fact, you become obsolete the moment you finish writing your resume. Some bet on the digits in their checkbooks or savings account. Some bet on their income or salary, on a currently-thriving business, on awards won, on trophies and plaques that grace their shelves, or on a certain degree of educational attainment – the list is endless. But these things are just illusions of security that can be shattered when something unexpected and unfortunate comes along.

Here’s what I’ve discovered: security is a mindset. Real security lies in our ability to produce results, to be productive.

Laziness and timidity are the major culprits for security. God doesn’t invent junk, yet many of His creations – many people – just bury their talents under the ground. Others allow the dumb distractions of life to cloud their mind and steal their focus. They enter into illicit relationships, get hooked on vices and experience major setbacks.

The security of a person lies in his or her ability to produce.

I was once in a business wherein the leadership of the organization threatened to leave en masse and bring down the business. What they failed to understand is that, as long as the capacity to produce is there, and the knowledge and skills are still current and relevant, the person who started the business from the ground up can rebuild it if needed, maybe even on a grander scale. And that’s exactly what happened.

Henry Ford was once asked, “What would you do if all your success and riches were taken away tomorrow?” He wisely responded, “I would find a human need and fill it – and I would be a millionaire again in five years or less.” Now that’s what I call security, not in the job, but in the ability to produce.

Go back to Scriptures. Even Jesus greatly rewarded the productive servant who was able to double what was given him, and He condemned the lazy servant who buried the talent in the ground.

Embark on a serious journey of self-development and improvement. Expand yourself, and you actually expand your world. Your productivity is the source of your security, so keep on producing.

(Develop your leadership skills and spend two whole days with Francis Kong, as he facilitates the well-acclaimed Dr. John C. Maxwell Program “Developing The Leader Within You” on April 25-26 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Lylee at 09175482876, or call 632-6310912 for details.)