Category Archives: Attitude

Designated Survivor Leadership

21 Wednesday Jun 2017

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Humility, Integrity, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Servant

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“When you have to make a hard decision; flip a coin. Why? Because when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you are hoping for.” – Unknown

First of all, let me say that I am a big fan of ABC’s show Designated Survivor starring Kiefer Sutherland. Designated Survivor is what you should be watching if you are looking for a show that embodies almost every different style of leadership.  It offers the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of leadership.

designatedsurvivor2

While watching one evening, a segment really caught my attention. In episode 4, of season 1, the Press Secretary, Seth Wright, played by Kal Penn, made this statement in a speech:

“We live in a time in which we are called to serve in ways we did not anticipate.  None of us are perfect but we do our best because this house is worthy of our best.  We trust our instincts as we fight our daily fights.  Some we will win, some we will not, and some we will know only in time.  But we leave each night, hopeful that our daily sacrifices have been worth it and our instincts have not lead us astray and that our best has been good enough.”

As I listened and then hit the rewind button, I thought to myself… WOW! That’s exactly what we should do as leaders.

In the speech, the “house” refers the White House, but what if we change the wording to where we are? What is our “house”? We could change “house” to our own house, our family, our teams, our schools or anything else that is worth fighting for.

As we continue to lead, let’s fight for what is right and be true to our values. I cannot think of two better leadership concepts that will help you throughout the rest of your life.

So… What type of leader are you of your “house”?  Who is better to decide, you the leader or the people who follow you?  Would you say there would be different viewpoint from each?

Most of the time we have a much higher, biased opinion of ourselves then what is really true. Our followers do not always determine our leadership quality but it can be a pretty good sign of reality.

Be the leader people want to follow for the right reasons.  When it becomes more about you then them, we really are not leading anymore.  As you watch the role of Kiefer Sutherland as President Tom Kirkman, I believe you will find servant leadership at it’s best.

Be a Designated Survivor Leader.  Sometimes you will be the only one left who is holding on to what is right and true. Most of all, lead and fight for what is right. 

Remember…  THINK LEADERSHIP

©2017  J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/thebookchamber
Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page.

Don’t Linger, Move Forward

15 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in Attitude, Heart, Perseverance

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“Be the example…not the shadow” – Deborah Thomas

Ok… I know you will roll your eyes as you read this question:  How many of us are faced with daily challenges?  And… How do you handle them?

And you know what?

“Challenges could care less if we are ready to face them or not but face them we will. ” 

Everyone I know or have read about faces challenges. It is one of the constants in life. Each challenge is a story to tell within itself.  A life lesson or a nugget to go on one might say.  The outcomes of our challenges may even be a template for future decisions. We all have had our share of good and bad outcomes.

How we handle challenges will show a lot about our leadership character.  And… Believe it or not, others are watching. We all have a choice of how we will move forward. But…

“When we decide how we are going to handle challenges, we cannot make spur of the moment decisions.”

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One of the best things is to have people on your side who will help you.  This is key to overcoming our challenges.  ‘You have to have people who have your heart and care without any strings attached.” I hope you have people like this in your life.  It is comforting and priceless.

“To have a friend who knows your heart is the best friend you can have.”

As you think about the challenges we face, take a moment and breathe a breath of fresh air.

We can either linger in the challenge moment and let it consume us or we can move forward.

In reference to the quote above by Deborah Thomas, if we linger, we stay in the shadow.  If we move forward, we are the example.

Remember…  THINK LEADERSHIP

© 2017  J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/thebookchamber

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

Actions & Attitudes

17 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by in Actions, Attitude

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“Righteous action without the right attitude is mere ritual.  Easily faked.” – Dr. Ivan Park

take-action

I heard the above quote by Dr. Ivan Parke during a sermon at our church. After I wrote the quote down, I started thinking about all the stuff I do, why I do it, and what is my attitude with it all.

I know what you must be thinking about after reading the previous sentence. “I do not want to go there with my thinking…” The funny thing is, neither do I. It is never fun to have to self-examine ourselves. BUT… for us to be better leaders, we must continue to challenge ourselves in leadership. We have to examine ourselves daily, for this I believe is true… someone else is examining us.

So… what about your actions with your attitude? Are they nothing more than a ritual? Is your enthusiasm for your actions faked? Are you doing something just to be doing it? When it comes to your leading, is there a difference the direction your attitude takes depending on what you are doing? I’m pretty sure we can answer and it will be different then what those who know us best would say. The main question that must be asked is, “Do we go through our days faking our attitude?

A lot of times, just the amount of energy we show up with determines our attitude toward our actions. We all know the stuff we put more effort into. Also, our attitude could empower others, or not. No one wants to follow a fake, and at the end of it all, our true selves will be seen. We could even say that our attitudes are contagious. Going back to the energy sentence… Is your leadership energy negative or positive? Just like a fake, no one wants to be around negative people. Positive vibes are where it is, while at the same time being realistic.

What attitude will you take and when will you start? Questions that must be answered as a leader.

A great quote regarding all of this is: “Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions” by Harold S. Geneen.

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP

©2017 J Clay Norton