You’ve probably heard the classic riddle about the chicken and the egg, but have you heard the business fable about the chicken and the pig?

It goes something like this:

Chicken and Pig are walking down the road.
Chicken says to Pig, “Hey, Pig! I was thinking we should open a restaurant.”
Pig says, “Maybe! What would we call it?”
Chicken says, “How about Eggs ‘n’ Ham? I’ll bring the eggs, and you be the ham!”
Pig says, “No, thanks. I’d be making a commitment, but you’d only be showing interest!”

In other words, Pig would have more to lose than Chicken.

In the workplace, Pigs are the core team members: employees who do the work and put everything on the line to be successful—their skin is in the game. Chickens, on the other hand, only show interest by being partially involved, with something to gain from the commitment of Pigs and an easy way out if the business fails.

Joe Judson explains this concept further in his article, If You Want Great Results, You Need to Be Committed. He highlights the need and desire for action and momentum, saying, “If you can find those who are committed, you can help them build momentum and ultimately achieve great things for themselves, for you, and ultimately, for the organization.”

Action is taken at various points of a task, a relationship, a journey. Momentum occurs after action is kicked into a higher gear with sheer velocity. Those who succeed are naturally more committed, but those who really succeed don’t wait for wind or waves; they take action, create velocity and build momentum through everything and everyone around them.

Today, followers will not follow those who just demonstrate interest; they want committed leaders who will take the team to the goal line—and the soul line. (Stay tuned for more on this topic in our next blog post.)

I’m not going so far as to say that you have to sacrifice your life for success, but the point is this: You’ll be a better—and more successful—leader and team member if your actions show complete committment, rather than just partial interest—if you’re the Pig, rather than the Chicken.

So, who will you choose to be?