Resource Poor vs. Resourcefulness Rich

December 24, 2011

Resources or ResourcefulnessLeadership Development can involve shifting mindsets–from resource-building to resourcefulness. When resources are not limited, dramatic change rarely happens because there is no imperative or imminent risk. As a result, resource-building leaders often miss great opportunities for organizational and personal growth. When resources get thin, leaders tend to adopt a resourcefulness mindset, but their options are then constrained by limited resources.

If you find yourself saying, “I can’t afford it” or “I can’t spend the time” or “We don’t have the experience,” you have most certainly arrived at the point of resource depletion. It’s time to shift gears and become a resourceful leader.

Resources Resourcefulness
  • Time
  • Money
  • Experience
  • Contacts
  • Technology
  • New Information
  • Determination
  • Resilience
  • Tenacity
  • Passion
  • Creativity
  • Curiosity
  • Resolve


When Rosa Parks took her stand, did she have resources or resolve? When Martin Luther King Jr. began his crusade, did he have money and experience or did he have determination, resilience, and passion? When Steve Jobs started Apple he may have had technology, but he did not have time, money, experience, or contacts. He did have curiosity, creativity, passion, and determination. Most of the great leaders of our time make the needed changes not by resources, but by resourcefulness.

Are you building resources or acting resourcefully?

Table from: Tony Robins TED Video

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