Tag Archives: Every Day Leader

The Every Day Leader: Breaking out of the mold

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I once gave a speech in high school that started out with this line…

“The statue of liberty is still standing. Of course everyone expects it to be”.

While I don’t remember the rest of the speech, I remember talking and thinking a great deal about expectations.

That was MANY years ago…Life experiences have taught me much more about expectations since that time. For one, we all have expectations for others, for our country, for our lives. Secondly, we all have expectations we think we need to live up to from others.

Sometimes the expectations are good and spur us on to do better and reach higher. Other times, the expectations we perceive for our lives can bury us, as we struggle to live up to them.

There are times that we may even put ourselves in a mold that we think we should fit into, based on the expectations we or others place on us.

Are you living your life based on the expectations of others? Or, are you living your life in such a way that you are okay to break out of the mold, to live the way you were created to live?

Are you using your gits, talents and passions in such a way to make a difference?

Breaking out of the mold:

takes courage

takes determination

A bold confidence to make a change

Knowing who you are

It means taking a risk

The choice is yours. We can stay in the mold that we are in. We can live a life based on the expectations of others. We can also choose to breakout, take that first step for a bold change, living every day with meaning and purpose.

Every day leaders don’t settle. They are willing to break out of the mold knowing that sometimes we have to step out and make a difference.

The Every Day Leader: Living out LOUD

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Sidewalk prophets, a singing group, has a great song that reminds us to live what we believe, recklessly abandoned and never holding back.

Don’t you just love those words? Recklessly abandoned and never holding back.

I really do want to live like that!

This is the reminder that we are more than simply the words we speak; we are the behavior that we model. BEHAVIOR Matters.

Have you ever heard the saying don’t do what I do, do what I say?  It doesn’t have much of a lasting impact, does it?  As people we are not wired to follow hypocrisy but we run hard after authenticity. We will follow leaders whose walk and talk is consistent and who live out their beliefs for all to see, without compromising.

Actions speak louder than words.

 This is true for our employees, our volunteers, it is true for our neighbors, and it is true for our clients or customers.  It is true for anyone we have the opportunity to influence.  

What is the world seeing when they see you?

 Know what you believe, Live it out LOUD.

Everyday leaders live a life that others want to follow.  Being intentional to make a difference. 

Live Like That by Sidewalk Prophets 2012

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I’m only just a memory
When I’m home where my soul belongs

Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of those
Was my worship more than just a song

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Am I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change a heart
Do I live like Your love is true

The Every Day Leader: Masquerade

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Ever wonder how you will make it through the day without anyone know how you really feel?  Perhaps you are dealing with a difficult relationship or family issues that seem never-ending.  Maybe you are wondering how to manage through an unexpected financial situation or you might be dealing with concerns at work or over work, maybe a mistake you made….

Personal stuff.  The stuff you don’t really want everyone to know.

We live in a world today that says to keep our masks on. 

The message we often hear is to save your hurting for when you are alone.  We learn to keep things in, bury them deep.  We learn to wear a mask,  not wanting others to see our fears, our insecurities, or our messy circumstances.

We think we have to be strong.

We tell ourselves we have to keep up the image.

We think it is better to put on a smile instead of letting others see us vulnerable.

We have been experts of masquerading, we know the dance steps well and hold our masks tight.

All of us have things we have to deal with at some point in our lives.  How do you deal with the hard things, the messy things?

Do you put your mask on? 

As every day leaders we don’t have to walk the journey alone, or put on a mask so no one knows when we are hurting. It means we don’t have to be perfect or have perfect lives.  It means we can be honest with others as we walk through the hard times or when we are struggling.  When we are honest and allow others to see us – we show we are authentic and others are more likely to be authentic with us.

By being authentic we are modeling that is okay to be vulnerable and that it is okay to reach out and share with another and help carry each others burdens.

Every day leaders are truthful even in the tough times.  Modeling authenticity and allowing others to walk the journey with us.

The Every Day Leader: PEOPLE over Tasks

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I drove down the long dirt road and I looked at the farms along the way, such a peaceful setting, so calming, this will always be home.

To me a farm is the most beautiful setting that I know…yet, I also know that it means chores that have to be done each day, whether you feel good or not or even if you feel like it or not.

I remember the quiet, with an occasional interruption by the sound of the mourning dove singing it’s song. The farm provided such safety to me as a child, what I remember most was that life was simpler back then.

There was work, but there was fun. We also had time for fun when the neighbor stopped by or it was time to gather as a family. As I grew older I learned that sharing and working together was more than just sharing my dolls and playing house. It meant sharing a car, combining trips into town to save on gas, it meant helping out when needed. What I really learned was what mattered most…

people

People matter to every day leaders. They matter more than things or money or our jobs. Today we have many things competing for our attention, many things competing for that first spot of what matters most in our lives.

What are you choosing?

Are you more concerned about what house you live in, what clothes you are wearing, what status you have with your job?

I don’t want to just be busy. I long for the simple life where people are what matters.

Every day leaders intentionally choose. They choose how to spend their time instead of just being busy. They choose people over tasks knowing that life should never be to busy to not invest in another.

The Every Day Leader: Handling tough days

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We all have had one of THOSE days. Songs get sung about them and even children’s books get written about them. It is the day that nothing seems to go right and you wonder why you even bothered to get out of bed and how soon you can get back in bed.

Maybe your day started with your kids not wanting to get up for school and they missed the bus and made you late for work.  Maybe it was a day that you had to deal with difficult people, more projects than time, a team that does not do what they were suppose to, poor communication that cost delays, or a disgruntled client. It could be any of these or all of these or something totally different that caused your “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”.

In the kid’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad day by Judith Viorst,  Alexander reckons the best way to solve his terrible day is to move to Australia.

 Sounds good to me!

 There are days I am ready to runaway. There are days that Australia does not seem far away enough!

But in the middle of my feet being half way out the door, I stop. I realize…

Leaders don’t run. 

 Leaders know that when the going gets tough, the tough get going.  They know that the hard days are just that.  HARD.  And in the midst of the hard days we are being refined in our character. We are being refined in our commitment. And we are modeling to our circle of influence how to navigate through the storms.

 What about you?  Are you having one of the terrible, horrible, no good very bad days? 

How are you managing through it?  Are you walking in such a way that others see you and learn how to handle those with grace?

When we as leaders model grace and commitment others begin to see that the hard days don’t last forever, and that solutions can be found in the midst of difficulties.  They see things do eventually get better.

Leaders take each day as they come, knowing that it is all part of the journey.  We know that HOW we respond to the day and what others see  DOES matter.

The every day leader knows that we don’t have to allow those hard days to define who we are and how we respond, we can use them to refine our character.

We can have joy in the midst of the circumstances. We can show grace to difficult people because we too have been difficult at times. We can face the tough day and know that it is only temporary.

I want to be the every day leader that when a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day happens I don’t run, because bad days happen even in Australia!

 

 

 

The Every Day Leader: Who are YOU?

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One of the most important aspects of being a leader is to know yourself.  Know without a shadow of a doubt: what you value, what your passions are, how you see life, how you see others, and who you are. 

Knowing yourself is the foundation of leadership.  If you don’t know who you are, if you are not firmly rooted in your beliefs, your values, etc, how will you be consistent to live them out?  Why would others follow you?    

If someone asked you today what is it that you value the most, would you have to think about it or could you immediately respond?

 Are you living your life in such a way that it reflects who you are?

 

One of the greatest ways to influence is to model what you believe before others. Be the person you want others to be. How we live each day stands out more than:

the words we say

more than the things we do

more than the accomplishments we have done

 Our actions ALWAYS speak louder than words. Living our life out loud is how we influence others. What do you want others to see in your life?

One of the greatest ways for leaders to live is to lead  a life that reflects love.  A life that has a mindset and attitude of loving others is powerful.  When we lead with love we are…

generous

kind

Others know that we value them

We put others first

We become servant leaders

Every day leaders know themselves.  They know who they are, what they value and how they want to live their lives.

 

 

The Every Day Leader: Team Work

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Growing up on the farm one of the first lessons I learned is that it takes all of us to work together when something needed to be done. Each day we all had our own chores we were responsible for… It was a way of life.

It was never an option to join in, you were expected to join in and do your part.

One of the best examples was during sweet corn season. When the corn was ready to be picked the day started early. Some of us were a part of the picking and filling up the back of the pick up. Then it took several of us to shuck the corn…it was hot and the flies were awful, it was never an option to bow out. This was the longest and least fun of it all! There were others inside the house, in the hot kitchen without air conditioning, cutting the corn off the cob and cooking it. Finally it was cooled, bagged up and ready to put in the freezer for the coming months.

It was a job that was virtually impossible for one or two people to do alone. It took all of us and still took all day! I don’t ever remember saying I don’t want to do this or I have something else to do today. You knew it needed to be done, so you did it.

Each person on the team was valuable – the young to the old!

That’s the way teams work, pitching in to build success.

You think in terms of the we instead of me.

We all have opportunities to work in team environments. As everyday leaders we know that each person is a valuable part of the team, and that it takes the whole team to make things happen! We know what it means to be a team player, offering input, but buying into the team decision.

As the everyday leader we know that we have the ability to influence those on the team whether we are the leader by position, or a participant, we have a whole group to influence.

We can model what it means to be on a team. We can encourage and have the opportunity to instill value as we work together. Our thoughts and our actions can impact the others.

We know that how we respond, the words we speak, the attitude we display, the work ethic others see, trust that is demonstrated, a caring spirit and our character overall is how we influence.

What teams are you on? Are you a person of influence to the others?

We all have the opportunity to lead and influence for good or for bad.

Every day leaders, making a difference on the team. Being intentional to be a team player and influencing those around us in positive ways.

The Every Day Leader: Footprints on a heart

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“Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”  Billy Graham

Our days are numbered.

It is something we all know, but struggle with really knowing how to make that concept come alive in the midst of our busy lives.

 How can we possibly be concerned with leaving a legacy and making our days count, when often we are simply trying to survive and get everything done that we need to?

 Many times we think that leaving a legacy means that we have to be older and mature or having done something great to be able to pass on.  I love what the quote above says:

“The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives”

Age doesn’t matter.

 Experience doesn’t matter

 Knowledge doesn’t matter

 What you own doesn’t matter

 The amount of wealth doesn’t matter

 Your accomplishments don’t matter

 

What matters is how we intentionally live each day to make a difference.

 We all have the opportunity to begin leaving a legacy today.

It is in the how we live. 

We as every day leaders choose to invest in the life of another through what we model, how we love, and how we walk each of those numbered days. It is daily that we can make a difference in the lives of others.  It may even be a difference  that can impact generations. 

This is how we make each of our days count.  This is how we leave a legacy, the legacy that is not based on your age, your experience, your knowledge, your possessions or wealth, or anything great thing you have done but instead based on…

How you live.

 Your legacy is the footprint you leave in the lives that you touch

Everyday leaders know that our days are numbered. This is why we intentionally live our lives and take advantage of every opportunity God gives us, to leave a legacy.

Intentionally making each day count.  Touching lives.  Making a difference.  That’s what everyday leaders do.

The Every Day Leader: Inside Out

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Remember getting cotton candy?  It smelled so good you could almost taste it before you ate it.  It was such a treat for me as a kid.  It only came around one time a year at the county fair.  I always looked forward to it!  But every time I got it, I was almost always disappointed because it would disappear so quickly.  Sometimes it seemed to disintegrate before it even made it to my mouth!

How about biting into what you thought was a chocolate chip cookie, but turned out it was raisin? 

Clearly, what is in the inside does count!

Have you ever heard the saying “it’s what ‘s inside that counts?”

Have you ever met someone, who as you got to know them, you discovered that they are not the person you thought they were?  Much like the chocolate chip cookie!   It  may seem to be someone who cares on the surface, but when the time comes when you need help, they are nowhere to be found.  Perhaps they speak some great words, but like the cotton candy, the words come across empty – nothing more than hot air because their behavior doesn’t align with their words.  

What are you like on the inside?  Do your words match your actions?

Everyday leaders  are consistent.  They know that who they are on the inside is important.  They know to be a leader of influence means that people can trust WHO they are as a person.  It is not their position, their money, or any other thing.  It is because who they are on the inside matters.

How would someone describe you?

 Are people surprised when they get to know you? 

An everyday leader lives a life where the inside and outside are the same.  They know that being your best self matters, so that you can make a difference. 

Everyday leaders lead a life of consistency,  choosing to live intentionally as they invest in the lives of others.

 

 

 

 

 

The Every Day Leader: Serve

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Growing up on the farm, I saw serving as a way of life that was modeled before me every day. There were chores to be done, animals that needed caring for, and it took everyone in the family doing their part to make sure they were completed. We all had to take care of the garden, help with the canning and whatever else needed to be done.

Today, at age 79 and 82, my parents still model servant leadership. My mother still cooks and serves at the local soup kitchen, while my father makes the giveaways for the farm shows that reach out and build relationships with the local farmers.

Today we hear a lot about servant leadership, it seems to be the latest buzzword. It is a concept that people talk about as if it is something that we need to learn. While I am 100% for this concept, I am often amazed that we have to be taught this. As leaders this should be a natural outpouring of who we are. We should always be thinking of, caring for and loving others.

Serving SHOULD BE in our DNA as people.

The Everyday leader knows that serving comes from the heart.

It is the real deal.

We serve because we care.

We as every day leaders know the difference caring makes in the life of another. Every day leaders intentionally serve those around them; this is what sets us apart.

I am thankful for my parents who modeled servant leadership before it was the latest fad. I want my life to model this to those I have the privilege to influence.

The everyday leader is a servant leader. It is about being the one who is willing to intentionally serve others. It is having a servant attitude and making a difference in the lives of those around us.