This column continues the discussion on delivering the best effort to break through roadblocks as we journey through life. If you haven’t had the chance to read my previous column, I would encourage you to do so.

Individuals’ failure to perform may be because they fail to see the point of the challenge set before them. The best approach might be to re-address the objectives surrounding the challenge. This might be the person’s objectives or those who have given them the challenge; it should make no difference to their approach.

We need to establish clarity about what is expected and why it is important. If leaders have done an inadequate job explaining the mission, they cannot fault people for failing to accomplish the task! A leader’s obligation is to find a way to convince others that the mission and objective is theirs as well. Few people want to work extra hard simply to make someone else look good! However, they will relentlessly pursue something that is as important to them as it is to their leader.

Occasionally, failure occurs because people just don’t have the inner drive to put forth the effort to live up to their full potential. Leaders must recognize these signs to help people achieve results.

As a long-time manager in a Fortune 50 company, I often discovered that the things I saw in people and the capabilities they could develop are not the things they really want to do in life. Leaders must be able to recognize that one thing they can never do is make someone care.

Some of my biggest disappointments as a leader have been discovering that someone on the team just didn’t seem to care about what we were trying to accomplish. The “clock watchers” seem to be always among us. Despite the best efforts to identify them during the interview process, some slip through and are added to the team.

For sure, if there is a culture of performance excellence, some come around to become a valuable contributor, but, sadly, most don’t and continue to frustrate the team.

A few occasionally develop ineffectiveness on the job because of several frustrating attempts to succeed, and they tend to blame ‘the system’ for their failure. These people will always be able to explain why failure wasn’t really their fault, but they seldom are able to change the outcome.

Leaders must help these people succeed. If, after the best efforts and trying several different approaches, these folks continue to be poor performers, cut them loose. Allow them to find another situation and a different team, where they have a chance to be productive and happy.

Regardless of what people expect, it is not the leader’s job to make people happy! It is to establish a culture that excites people and helps them achieve their potential. In doing so, they are given the opportunity to further develop and, together, can take the team to even higher accomplishments.

The single greatest accomplishment leaders can achieve is to establish an atmosphere that motivates countless other leaders even greater than themselves. On my journey, I had many leaders who spent their time helping develop my skills. I recall later conversations with those who expressed pride in how my career progressed. After all, they accompanied me along the way.

Whether you are a team member or a team leader, look around. Who are you going to motivate today, and tomorrow, to help them deliver their best? In so doing, you’ll find this effort will help you deliver your best as well! Always remember, in helping others, we help ourselves!