Monthly Archives: October 2017

Is Your Leadership…C.A.L.M.?

27 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by in Leader, Leadership

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“In calm waters, many captains are able. It is in the tempest when true leadership emerges.” – Thomas Kohntopp

How many times have we been on the side of telling someone to stay calm and relax or not overreact? And most of all… breath (I have been, at many times this person.  You can ask my parents).

Everyone is capable of being a leader when the waters of your environment are peaceful and still.  But… when the wind starts blowing your hair, the waves start turning your stomach and the storm breaks your sails, you better have an idea of what to do.

 

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Here are some thoughts for being able to stay C.A.L.M. in your day to day leadership…

Consistency with Confidence

Are you staying consistent with your decisions?  Are they true to form with your past behaviors?  Or… Do you waffle and flip-flop and show a lack of consistency with a lack of confidence? Be a pillar of hope for others that will stand and is sure.

Authentic with Availability

Bottom line… Are you real?  Leadership must have authenticity. No one wants to work with a fake leader.  Also, having authenticity enables you to be available. Think about this… Does someone have to ask what type of mood you are in before they come to you with a question or problem?

Loyalty with Lightheartedness

If you want loyalty from others, you better be loyal to them.  Loyalty is a two-way street.  A lot of characteristics are available to show your loyalty.  Do you care about, invest, help develop, and most of all believe in others.  While being loyal, consider being a little less wound tight.  They say laughing is healthy… Having a spirit of lightheartedness will go along way with everyone around you. Others will not act like they are walking on pins and needles.

Meaningful with Mercy

Do others find your leadership meaningful? Does it have a purpose or does it go as the wind blows? People want leaders with value.  Let what you do and what you say mean something.  Also, every so often, things will not always go as planned… mistakes happen. People by nature do not mess up on purpose.  Now, there might be that time when disagreements arise, but… mercy should be a quality of all leaders.  It is unfortunate that mercy is not a word that is often associated with leadership. I figure too many people view it as a weakness.

Who do you know that exhibits C.A.L.M. leadership? Do you have C.A.L.M. leadership? Those who are around us the most know the truth.

Remember… #thinkleadership

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Talk About Me… No, Let’s Don’t

20 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by in Attitude, Leader, Leadership, Servant

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Let’s start this week with some lyrics of Toby Keith’s song, “Let’s Talk About Me.”

“But every once in awhile

I want to talk about me

Want to talk about I

Want to talk about number one

Oh my me my

What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see

I like talking about you, you, you, you usually, but occasionally

I want to talk about me

I want to talk about me“

 

 

While this is a comical song with some hidden truths… There is a great message of leadership within it.

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Let’s Talk About Me…

 

Well, do you know leaders like this? (I can imagine you counting them now.) All a “me leader” wants to talk about is themselves…  How I do this or that… What I have accomplished… What I mean to the organization… What I etc…

You might not agree with this but… there are a lot of selfish leaders out there.  After all, isn’t leadership actually about the leader? Here is what the selfish leader is saying, “Feed me, feed my ego.”

Well, let’s punt all the above and not talk about the “me leader.” Let’s talk about others. Let’s take everything you want recognition for and give it to others.

But you might be thinking, “I do not get to talk about me?” NO! and I am glad you finally figured it out… Let’s turn the conversations around.

Here is the deal… No one wants “you” to be the topic of the conversation when you are the one speaking. If all you have or want to talk about is you, you are sending a powerful message to everyone around. It is a message that is loud and clear.

The hard part of leadership is making it about others. It is not natural for some. True servant-leaders see people as an end instead of a means to an end. It should be what you strive for every day in your leadership.

At the end of the day, it is about other people receiving the glory. Take the spotlight off of you and place it on others. How ironic it is… When you decide to do this, you will end up receiving the recognition you deserve. Let it happen on its own.

We need leaders who are intentional for the right reasons of leadership. One of the right reasons is putting others first and losing the “Let’s Talk About Me” attitude.

Remember… #thinkleadership

 

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page.

 

That Ugly Word… Conflict​

13 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Clarity, Conflict, Deciding, Leader, Leadership

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“Whenever you’re in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.” – William James

 

Hiding head in sand

Conflict… It is a disease and it is contagious. Run for your lives…

And that is what many leaders do, they run.

Have you ever been around that leader who would not deal with conflict? Or, if they did deal with it, they made the matter worse. Why is this? What is it that they do not understand? As we often say… “The handwriting is on the wall…”

Bottom line… Many leaders avoid conflict. Like it or not, conflict is out there and we have to deal with it. Sometimes sooner rather than later. Either leaders do not like it or they do not want to deal with it. It may be that they want everyone to like them and hope that everyone can just get along. Which begs the question, “Why are some people in a leadership position anyway?”

So what happens when conflict is staring them in the face? Something has to happen, right? Well, here are some thoughts…

They…

Bury It – Put this away somewhere and hope it gets lost and never found. Hope no one remembers where it is. If things go right, they will not even remember where they put it.

Deny It – There is no conflict. What are you talking about?

Diminish It – It is not that big of a deal. You are making way too much out of this.

Drown It – Busy themselves with so much other stuff and not have time to deal with it.

Redirect It – Put the situation on someone else and make it their problem.

In each of these thoughts, the conflict is still there. We live in a fantasy world when we believe the situation will take care of itself. That’s the problem… Someone will dig it back up, refuse to let you be in denial, save it, or direct it back.

A leader’s job is to lead. How we handle conflict shows our leadership. Issues will arise and sometimes conflict hitches a ride. Not dealing with conflict or letting it go unresolved traps and backs us into a corner.

When leaders avoid conflict, they put everyone and everything at risk. They even put themselves at risk. Avoiding conflict causes a ripple effect that turns into tidal waves.

Be a leader who knows how to handle conflict. Everyone around you will appreciate it and you.

Remember… #thinkleadership

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page.

 

 

 

 

How Powerful Is Your SERVE?

06 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by in Attitude, Heart, Inspiration, Leader, Leadership, Servant

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“Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet to call to self-importance.” – J. Donald Walters

 

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Why do some leaders not serve? Are they too __________… you can fill in the blank.

 

I once heard an adage that stated, “It is very hard to give or receive anything with a closed hand.” That statement can also go for anyone who has a closed heart. A closed heart has got to be one of the saddest things out there. A leader with a closed heart is even worse.

This I believe… Having a closed heart slams the door on you being able to serve.

The amount of influence a leader has is extraordinary. But that influence has both positive and negative measurements. Why do we not understand the value we bring to any situation when we serve? I fear that most leaders today would rather be served than to serve others. Serving has become a lost commodity in leadership.

So… What must we do to make sure we have a powerful SERVE?

Inspire…

Believe it or not, there are people who want you to lead them. When you lead, give others the feeling that makes them believe in themselves.

 

Respect…

Give others the respect you would want yourself. For a true leader, it takes zero effort to be nice and respect others. Let others see you value them and their commitment.

 

Give…

Not only of yourself, but give everything that others will need. Please do not put someone in a situation where they do not have the resources to complete a job.

 

Help…

Help those around you. Do not be that leader who does everything themselves. Convey the knowledge you have and allow others to glean. Help them become successful. The better they look, the better you look.

 

We do not have to go very far to find an opportunity to serve. And when you do have that opportunity, please do not blow your own horn. It does not sound as good as you think it does anyway. Serving is not about you. It is about those who you are serving. In the end, you will make a difference and will have an impact on others.

The powerfulness of your SERVE is about others working hard with you and not for you. This happens when you work hard with and for others. Please notice the difference between the two sentences.

An opportunity to SERVE awaits us all. We just have to have the “want to”…

 

Remember… #thinkleadership

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page.