Discipline It is about a foot high. The base is five inches square. There is a silver figure of a martial artist in a ready stance. A plate on the front reads, “Martial Arts America Dedication Award, R.D. Weimar III, 2005”. Richard, my fifteen year old, was greatly pleased. Two days later he asked an interesting question. “Dad, why did I get the award?” My eighteen year old came home and announced, “I made first chair horn and have solos!” This is the same Amy, who last year decided to change some things when she did not make the district band. Dedication is the long term discipline to achieve a goal. Let us examine the elements. What is discipline? What is a goal? Every organization I have ever been associated with has set goals. A goal is a decision. It sets forth a condition to be achieved. It usually has positive emotions associated with it. Many organizations and persons agonize about setting goals. They are the gold at the end of the rainbow. Unfortunately, many equate setting the goal to be the same as achieving the goal. Decisions, without the discipline to do the work, are a roadmap to frustration and the mistaken idea that goal setting does not work. Discipline is the continued effort when the emotions of the decision have disappeared. Everyone is subject to discipline. You may impose it on yourself or it will be imposed upon you by society. Self-discipline is far more pleasant in the long run. If you doubt this, just ask those on prison. The pursuit of the goal, whether hours of scales, stances, kicks and punches or finding new and more profitable customers, is fraught with setbacks. Discipline is the quality to, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again. Challenge is an essential quality of a well set goal. Discipline is the ability to make a decision and then make the decision right. John Maxwell says 'make a decision then spend the rest of your life managing it'. I hope the reader will forgive a little fatherly pride in the achievements of my children and use this musing to evaluate your own levels of discipline and goal setting. These qualities apply equally well to personal and professional life. They are essential to leadership. Leadership is essential to growth. People and organizations are always in a state of either growth or decay. A major difference between the directions is the quality of their leadership.