Andy Griffith Leadership

“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.

Leadership Grit

“A negative leader is simply NOT a leader!” – Mario Toussanit
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What do you think of when you hear or see the word GRIT? The first thing that comes to my mind is sandpaper. After doing an internet search on sandpaper, you can find many different “grits” to use depending on what you want to sand. Here is what one source says: “For heavy sanding and stripping, you need coarse sandpaper measuring 40- to 60-grit; for smoothing surfaces and removing small imperfections, choose 80- to 120-grit sandpaper. For finishing surfaces smoothly, use a super fine sandpaper with 360- to 600-grit. Many jobs require you to ‘go through the grits.’”

(http://home.howstuffworks.com/difference-between-grits-sandpaper.htm).

I like the statement “go through the grits.” How many times as leaders have we had to go through different grits? For leaders to be exactly what we are supposed to be, we have to be sanded. The hard part is nobody likes to be “rubbed” the wrong way. Another way is to say we do not like our integrity tested. Notice the “grit” in integrity? That is what defines us.

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP

©2017 J Clay Norton

Little Things

“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” – John Wooden

What a great video clip of understanding that “The Little Things Matter.” While it is touching, the truths behind it are deep. As leaders, what are the little things we do on a daily basis that foster a positive change for those around us? I believe little things done over and over, for the right reasons, can be foundational for the desired change in culture. Sometimes the little things last the longest. Take special notice of the ending of the clip. Are we giving our leadership something others will and want to hold onto for life? Let’s start doing that today. You’ll never know where it will lead.

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.

To Serve is the Essence of Leadership

“If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.” – Margaret Thatcher

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Why do some leaders not SERVE? Are they too proud? Are they… you can fill in the rest. I once heard an adage that stated, “It is very hard to give or receive anything with a closed hand.” That statement can also be said for those who have a closed heart, and I believe that the heart is the core of servant leadership.

I believe that servant leadership is becoming more and more hard to find. Too often in our “me” world, the idea of serving is beneath us. Why is that? We live in a society where we want to satisfy ourselves before others. Servant leadership is one of those concepts that you can only see the result of. Many talk, but the essence of servant leadership is always seen.

The concept of serving takes humility. It can never be about us. Let’s put off the self and lead through serving.

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP

©2017 J Clay Norton