Who Can Lead?

22 Friday Sep 2017

Posted by The Book Chamber in Clarity, Heart, Humility, Inspiration, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Servant, Understanding

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“Do you think we choose to be born? Or are we fitted to the times we are born into?” Daniel Day-Lewis, playing Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s movie “Lincoln,” asked this question.

How often have we heard the question asked, “Are leaders born or made?” Which one is correct? Better yet, why does it even matter? Either way, great leadership at all levels is in great demand. What society needs is great leadership and they want to know, “Who Can Lead?”

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Everywhere we look there is a new leadership “fad.” Do this and don’t do this leadership… It would seem there is a deficiency in general leadership ability among “leaders.” And you know what… that is more than likely the correct assumption. (Note: Leadership is not about your position or title. Please change this mindset if you believe this to be true. Change it for the good of others and yourself. As I have stated before, these “leaders” only lead the minds. They never lead the hearts.)

Leadership gets complicated. Leadership depends on where and what the situation is and it is not the same across the board for everyone. Just because this leadership “theory” worked in or at one place and time does not mean it will work at another. There are too many variables… But, understand this… It is the challenges that determine a leader, not if they were born or made. Leaders who overcome challenges do so through personal experience and knowledge of situations. They observe others or learn from their own past situations. Great leaders develop a mental portfolio of what has and has not worked in their past and they make use of it.

Our opinion of what great leadership is and what it should look like differs from what others think. Leadership is not a fine-tuned set of ideas and beliefs. When we start to believe we can “box” leadership up and “sell it,” leadership starts to be vague and less effective. Now, this is not to say that we cannot learn from new ideas, but… At the end of all, leadership is relative. What might be true for you is not necessarily true for me.

It is not a question of if you were born or made as a leader. The question is, can you lead?

So… Who can lead?

Anyone…

Actually, you can… Just decide to.

All you need is a servant-heart, humility, an open-mind, and an opportunity. We cannot control the “when” but we can control what we do with the “when.”

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP!

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

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

You Decide…

25 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by The Book Chamber in Deciding, Heart, Humility, Leader, Leadership, Servant, Understanding

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“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” – T.S. Eliot

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Ever have that moment when two or more are gathered and a question comes up like… “Where do you want to eat?” Answer: “I don’t care, you decide.”

“You Decide”…

Two very simple words, yet very powerful. Why? Because those two words have power. Power in what? Power in the ability to decide within itself. You now have the opportunity to have a voice and make a difference. In fact, the other members of your group relinquished control of the situation.

Everyday, when we wake up, we can assert some power on the day with these two words, “You Decide.” It becomes a mindset. Now, there are going to be days when so much bombards us with so much “stuff” that it becomes overwhelming. But… how we decide to handle those and every situation shows the heart of your leadership.

As leaders, we have a responsibility to make good decisions. So, what is there to decide about? Whatever the situations are, when you decide to decide, you must have…

A clear vision – Do you know where you are wanting to take the decision? Do others know this as well?
A plan – How will you decision unfold?
The ability to convey – Will you be able to get your decision across to others?
A humble heart – Humility is the beginning of leadership. Please understand that it is not about you.
A servant mindset – Will you help others with your decision?

Each of these are unique on their own but when brought together, true leadership is evident. Others are able to see and feel your leadership. Often times, the first two will get us by. But the last three allows a leader to empower themselves by empowering others. Now, this goes against every bit of what society states leadership should be. Society wants you to have a “me first” decision-making mentality.

However, this one thing is true… leaders, no matter what type, face different decisions. Some decisions will be minor and may not affect anyone but themselves. Some decisions will be major and can affect many others. Decision making is a daily expectation. Being in a leadership role, makes decision-making very important.

If you are a leader, you must come to grips with and master decision-making. When we decide, we decide. This is good and bad. If our decision is good, then we look like a genius. If it is bad, then we are the goat (not the greatest of all time). But the other side of decision making is also true. When we decide not to decide, we decided.
One thing we do not want are leaders who are “wishy-washy.” As we ponder this idea, “You Decide” where your leadership is and where you would like to see it. Only change for the better.

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.

Inspiring Ourselves by Inspiring Others

11 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by The Book Chamber in Actions, Attitude, Heart, Inspiration, Leader, Leadership, Passion, Purpose, Servant, Trust, Understanding

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“Clarity of purpose is inspirational. When your job description is clear and there is no confusion or when you are crystal clear of what is required of you to do your job or task, that is inspirational. It allows you to go full stream ahead without thinking…” – Tony Alford, Running Back Coach, The Ohio State University (I think this quote can be used for life as well)

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If you had to pick four or five ideas that would inspire the greatness inside of you, what would you choose? I’m pretty sure we would get many different answers and there would be a few that would overlap. Finding ways to inspire others should be relatively easy. Finding ways to inspire ourselves is much harder.

Why do you think there is a gap between inspiring others and ourselves? Self-inspiring will always be an ongoing battle. Not only for our minds but also with our hearts. But here is what I believe… One sure way to inspire greatness in ourselves is to inspire greatness in others.

So… How can we inspire ourselves? Let’s begin with…

Inspiring others with your passion. When this happens, passion becomes contagious. Helping others find meaning and purpose can ignite their passion. A “shared-passion” creates an exciting atmosphere to be a part of.

Inspiring others by letting them know you are authentic. Quit being fake. The world is full of fake, phony leaders. People want a real you. Our leadership must show the ability to relate, understand, and when needed have empathy. You also need to have their back. Fake leaders only talk about it while authentic leaders show and prove it.

Inspiring others by having a servant leadership heart. If you are not willing to serve, get out of leadership now (see above statement). Eventually, people will know where your heart is and your true leadership will show. Leadership is often measured in time and time always will tell the truth. What does this mean? Never ask someone to do a task that you are not willing to do yourself. No one really wants to be around a finger-pointer.

Inspiring others by investing in their lives. The more you know about others enables you to understand them on a different level. When we truly care about the lives of others, there is a deeper understanding of what makes them tick, what makes them “stop and go,” what makes them… them. All of this will show you truly care and see them as someone and not something. Using people for your benefit is not cool.

By understanding the value of others, maybe we can begin to understand the value of ourselves. If we are not inspired by what we do, how can we ever expect others to be inspired by what we want them to do?

A good quote to end on… “You really never had a good day, until you can do something for someone that they can never repay you for.” – A lot of different people are given credit for saying this. Now that’s inspiring…

Some good stuff to think about.

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.

Andy Griffith Leadership

15 Monday May 2017

Posted by The Book Chamber in Leadership, Power, Servant, Understanding

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“I firmly believe that in every situation, no matter how difficult, God extends grace greater than the hardship, and strength and peace of mind that can lead us to a place higher than where we were before.” – Andy Griffith

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What comes to your mind when you think of The Andy Griffith Show? Can you see leadership? I can. I like to look at the contrast between Andy and Barney. I believe Andy has the earned power of leadership and Barney was given authority leadership. There is a huge difference between the two. I believe Andy was a leader who commanded leadership with presence. As you watch the episodes, you can see this interaction with all the cast and how they respond to Andy and Barney given different situations, especially when Andy is out of town.

The Andy Griffith Show is one that has stood the test of time. I don’t believe you can find a better program that offers life lessons with a mix of humility and greatness for the common good of everyone. Andy has many great leadership qualities, but I believe his two greatest is he serves, and he understands people. Sounds like servant leadership to me. What can we do to have an “Andy Griffith” type of leadership style?

In this YouTube clip, watch as Barney talks about the leadership of Andy. A lot of lessons we can still practice today. Hope you enjoy.

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.