Chuck Norris: The Power of Self-Discipline

A note to young leaders.

Last week, Chuck Norris passed away at 86. His life was a testament to the power of self-discipline.

Norris was a six-time world middleweight karate champion who went on to star in Hollywood action films such as The Way of the Dragon, Missing in Action and The Delta Force – before winning a whole new audience as the lead in Walker, Texas Ranger.

Norris also founded his own martial art school, built around a written “Code of Ethics” that every student was required to follow.

One line from that code really stands out:

“I will give so much time to improving myself that I will have no time to criticise others.”

There’s a great deal of wisdom in that line.

Those who are committed to getting better rarely have the bandwidth for fault-finding, gossip or tearing others down.

It’s the people who have plateaued or withdrawn from the battle – who have stopped striving – who become the harshest critics of everyone else.

Idleness breeds cynicism – and cynicism fills the space that ambition once occupied.

Don’t let that be you.

Stay active. Stay ambitious. Stay focussed on self-improvement.