“You said you wanted to know how to get Capone.  Do you really want to get him?  You see what I’m saying?  What are you prepared to do?”

“Everything within the law.”, replied Ness.

“And then what are you prepared to do?…You must be prepared to go all the way because they won’t give up the fight until one of you is dead.”

And so the conversation goes between rookie Federal Agent Elliot Ness and his street smart veteran police officer recruit in the movie The Untouchables.  The Untouchables portrays the real life struggle of Elliot Ness to put notorious criminal Al Capone behind bars.

Ness was born on April 19, 1903, in Chicago, Illinois. He joined the Bureau of Prohibition in 1927 at the age of 24 and assembled a team of Prohibition enforcement personnel known as “The Untouchables” to combat the bootlegging activities of gangster Al Capone.  Ness is the man recognized for destroying the liquor empire operated by Al Capone, including his arrest and conviction of tax evasion.  Ness was instrumental in breaking the power Capone had over the city of Chicago.

The Untouchables movie depicts Elliot Ness as a young, idealistic agent of the US Treasury Department who really had no idea how to bring down Capone.  His right hand man – the veteran Chicago cop portrayed by Sean Connery – knows what he’s up against.

And so, when he asks Elliot Ness, “What are you prepared to do?” it is with an understanding of what they are facing.  He understands the nature of the battle in which they are about to engage.  He knows when they open this door they have to be 110% committed to go all the way.  This battle will not be won half-heartedly.  Victory will only be accomplished if they are wholehearted in their commitment to this overwhelming challenge.

So what challenge are you facing?  Is it daunting?  Is it overwhelming?  Is it terrifying?

Are you filled with courage, or are you full of fear?  Are you energized and engaged or are you at your wits end and the end of your rope?

Whatever the challenge, opportunity or issue you are facing you need to answer the question,

“What are you prepared to do?”

Leadership is difficult, it’s a struggle, it’s costly, and it demands courage, commitment and conviction.  Worthwhile endeavours are often fraught with obstacles and opposition.  It’s the obstacles and opposition that can stop us from continuing to move forward to accomplish our goals.

The road to your greatest achievements is often lined with spectators telling you why it can’t be done.

Setting lofty goals and committing yourself to accomplish them demands that you decide what you’re prepared to do in order to be successful.  What price are you willing to pay?  What price are you not willing to pay?

However, in order to determine what you’re prepared to do, you must determine what you’re trying to accomplish.  What is your goal?

Elliot Ness had a simple goal:  get All Capone behind bars.  He knew what he wanted to do, and he also needed to settle the issue of what he was willing to do to achieve his objective.

Without a goal you have no way of knowing what you are prepared to do because you don’t have a clear understanding of what you are trying to do.

You also have to understand what your convictions are – what are the rock solid beliefs upon which your actions are built?  A conviction is really a decision about a decision before the decision has to be made.  What are the values and principles you will bring into all your decisions, when the going is good and when the going gets tough?

Who are you and what do you do when no one is watching?  That’s when you’ll catch a glimpse of your convictions.

In life and leadership we need to decide what we’re prepared to do in order to accomplish our goals.  And equally important is our willingness to determine what we’re not willing to do in order to succeed.

Set your goal, affirm your convictions, and determine what you’re prepared to do about it.

Then get to work.