What are you known for?

Cities are known for specific things, like food, culture, and architecture. Celebrities and politicians often become famous (or infamous) for specific good deeds or scandalous stories. Specific years in history are defined by the events that shape them. 

But what about you? What are you known for?

Unfortunately for most of us, this question isn’t considered until after we leave this earth. However, legacies are crafted every single day through our actions, words and choices. Our daily behavior shapes our reputation and builds our legacy, one moment at a time. 

The good news? Legacies aren’t’ set in stone. Who you are now and what you do today can transform how you’ll be remembered. So, what will you be known for? If the answer doesn’t sit well with you, take heart; it’s never too late to change the narrative.

Start today. Shape your legacy. 

Perfectionist

 

Are you a perfectionist? Do you want to ensure that everything is perfect before starting something, more importantly before finishing? Is perfectionism keeping you from moving projects forward?

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.

Think about it…

Character vs. Reputation

 

It occurs to me that character and reputation may at times become confused, the words even used interchangeably.  It is probably obvious, but they really are quite different. 

 

Reputation – The beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something.

 

Character – The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.

 

We live in a world that is very image oriented.  What people drive, where they work and what they wear can dictate their reputation.  We all know these things have little to do with one’s true character.  Great emphasis may be placed on how we outwardly appear in public, but that is not what really matters.  Our character, who we are on the inside, what we stand for, what we hold dear, are the things that really matter.  We should concern ourselves more with those things than what others see on the outside.  When we do that, a good reputation will follow.  A person’s reputation is not insignificant, but it may not be accurate.  Our goal should be to be a person of great character on the inside which will lead to a great reputation on the outside.

Presidents’ Day

 

The MMM frequently focuses on leadership and the traits that make quality leaders.  It suffices to say that many of our presidents have not possessed those qualities.  In fact, their behavior in their capacity as President, as well as in their personal lives, was often contrary to the behavior we associate with good leaders.  Certainly, we have had great leaders in the White House.  Those men likely mastered leadership before moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Others have depended upon the title to gain respect, support, and followers.  Respect should come with the Office, but trust, support and a following of the people must be earned. 

The title of President does not guarantee followers, just like your title at work does not guarantee you any true followers.  Titles just give us the opportunity to earn the trust and support of potential followers.  Some of the greatest leaders I know are influencers who have no official title.  By influencers, I am not referring to the social media kind. I am referring to people who positively influence others and lead them to a common goal.

Don’t expect too much from your title.  Demand more of yourself as a leader. Happy Presidents’ Day!

Bring Light Not Heat

 

Recently I was listening to my favorite podcast, At The Table with Patrick Lencioni, and they were discussing the concept of brining light not heat to a difficult situation.  It is really an incredible analogy.  In situations where you need to confront someone or want to make a point, bringing the heat does not work.  If you lead with heat, you will be met with heat.  We really want to lead with light.  We want the other person to see our position not hear our anger.  Heat ramps up emotion.  Light brings clarity. 

Unfortunately, heat makes good news.  Our society feeds off conflict and contentiousness, but heat breeds mistrust.  Volume, anger, cursing, and finger pointing are all versions of heat.  They serve little more than to escalate a situation.  Calm, steady tones, and sincerity are forms of light.  They may not lead to agreement, but they can lead to understanding and acceptance.  Next time you are faced with a difficult conversation, lead with light!  Leave the heat at home.

*Portions of this MMM were taken from an episode of At The Table podcast with Patrick Lencioni.  For those that are interested it is Episode 100 – Go Ahead, Enter the Danger.

What are you known for?

Cities are known for certain things, food, culture, and architecture.  Celebrities and politicians are often famous for specific good deeds, or maybe more often, certain indiscretions.  Even years in history are known for what happened during them.  What are you know for?

It is a question often discussed in real time about public figures, but for a lot of us it does not come up until someone leaves this earth.  We tend to discuss legacies only once some passes away.  But we are known for who we are now, and what we do while we are alive!  Our regular daily behavior leads us to have a certain reputation.  Our legacy is being built as we speak.  It can be changed before we die!

How will you be remembered for “the dash” of your life?  What will you be known for during the years between your birth and death?  If you don’t like the answer, get to work on how to change it while you still can!

Fill in the Blank!

I am a good ______________.

What comes to mind when you consider how to complete the above sentence?  Are your first thoughts about your career?  Maybe, they are about a hobby or a sport.  I believe that we are all basically good.  It is important for us to remind ourselves of that, and to remind ourselves to strive to be good in the different roles in our life.  What if you had to complete the sentence and it could not be about your profession, a sport or hobby?  Think introspectively about yourself as a person.  What about things like friend, listener, and advocate?   Or what about family roles like parent, daughter or sibling?  What does it mean to you to be good in these roles?  What about just using the word person?

Think about it.  Fill in the blank about yourself and strive to live out that statement!

Memorial Day – A Normal Holiday?

I hesitate to use the word “normal”, but this weekend feels good!  It is our first real holiday since New Year’s Day of 2020.

Yes, it is about the start of the summer, with beer, BBQ and upcoming coming trips to the beach.  There is baseball, watermelon and the kids being out of school. Many of these things are happening live and in person this year. But, please do not forget the true meaning of the holiday.  People have died serving our country and defending the freedoms we enjoy. This day is set aside to remember and honor those sacrifices.  Take a minute to think about that.  Make sure your children or grandchildren understand the price of freedom and the reason for the holiday. It is great to see things normalizing. Just make sure that acknowledging the meaning of the holiday is part of your “normal”.

Have a blessed and happy Memorial Day!

Be a Blessing

Have you ever felt truly blessed by another individual?  Maybe it was a close friend supporting you through a tragedy. Possibly it was a total stranger who blessed you with a random act of kindness. Or maybe it was a church group that covered you in prayer. Those blessings feel good, don’t they?

Think about the origin of that blessing.  Consider being the one that is a blessing to others. There is nothing more endearing than a genuine act of kindness.  One of the most powerful things you can do as a human being is to care for another individual.  Being a blessing to others is not difficult or expensive. It simply requires a mindset that’s focused on others and not ourselves. We have all had that warm feeling of being blessed by others.  Why can’t we make it our priority to grant those warm feelings to those around us?

As we head into this holiday season still in the midst of a pandemic, make it your goal to be a blessing to those around you.  

Some days are diamonds. Some days are stones.

Some days are in fact diamonds.  Those are the days when all seems to be right with the world.  Other days are more like rough uncut stones, when nothing seems to go smoothly.  Most days fall somewhere in between.  There are rough spots during the day offset by bright spots at other times.  Some days we even have opportunities to turn stones into diamonds. For the most part we learn to take the good with the bad and roll with the flow, knowing that there are always more diamonds to come.  Maybe not tomorrow or next week but there are more days of diamonds.  Remember however, the stones will likely never totally go away.

Leadership is a Process

The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk 

the language of the visionary and the idealist.
--Eric Hoffer        

I do not know Eric Hoffer, but in this quote he has nailed one of the key challenges of leadership.  Good leaders must be able to relate to all types of people and personalities.  Good leaders are capable of thinking and communicating in styles other than their natural personalities.  I consider myself a very practical and pragmatic leader.  That makes it my challenge to relate to visionaries and non-detail people.  In order to be a good leader I must be able to understand people who think and see the world differently than I do.  Great leaders adapt their style.  Static leaders become non-leaders.  What are you doing to adjust your leadership style to situations and personalities?

Emphasizing the Negative?

As a society it seems like we tend to focus on the negative and not the positive.  We seek and point out flaws and failures way more actively than we do accomplishments and successes.  I know that I am guilty of this.  It is something that I have recently made a decision to try and change.  A conscious effort is required to be positive and look for the good things in life all the time.  Some people are better at it than others.  But for some reason the world around us seems to make it harder.  The media is certainly no help.  So much of the news is driven by negativity, failure, fraud and corruption.  Even the weatherman is working against us.  Why is it that a 70% chance of sunshine is communicated as a 30% chance of rain?  We might find ourselves a little more pleasant to be around if we sought out the positive more often than the negative.   

Be positive.  Be blessed…

Love & Forgiveness

As we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today, give some thought to Dr. King’s quote:

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”

Consider the relationship between love and forgiveness. 

Courage

The concept of being brave and courageous usually conjures up thoughts of physical strength and fearlessness in the face of danger.  It causes us to think of fighting for what is good and righteous, but it doesn’t have to be like a scene from The Gladiator.  The fight is often not a physical one.  Being brave and courageous may simply mean taking a stand for what is right.  It may mean being firm and resolute for what you believe.  It is odd, but this kind of bravery can be harder than physical courage.  It can be difficult to do the right thing given the pressures of society today.  However, the impact of doing so can be far reaching, even beyond the issue at hand.  As leaders it is critical that we have courage.  It breeds courage among our followers.  Consider this quote...

“Courage is contagious.  When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened”

-       Billy Graham

Have courage about what you believe in.  It will be contagious.

Action

I have written before about the importance of taking action.  Nothing good happens unless an initial step of action occurs.  Action, initiation, implementation, these are the starters of all things good.  They lay the foundation for success.  Good things can be talked about and theorized on at great length.  We can plan and prepare forever.  It takes action and movement for good concepts to be turned into reality, and reality into success.  Consider this quote from the very successful Conrad Hilton.

Success seems to be connected with action.
Successful people keep moving. They make
mistakes but they never quit.
--Conrad Hilton

Don’t overlook the part of the quote referring to mistakes.  Successful people make mistakes.  They cannot be avoided and are in fact part of the process of success.  Do not let the fear of mistakes keep you from taking action!

Go take some action!  Have a blessed week.

Resolutions?

Are you a New Year’s resolution person?  I’ve never been one for resolutions just for the sake of resolution every January.  Frankly, it is an arbitrary point in time and not much different than another month end; save the fact that you have to remember to write the New Year on your checks. 

A New Year should be more than that!  It is a good time to look at one’s life with a little perspective.  There is something that feels good about the fresh start of a new year.  It is like a clean slate, a new leaf, a change opportunity.  There is new energy associated with the New Year.  I do like to take stock of where I stand at year end, where my life is going and where it needs to change.  Many MMM’s have addressed the topic of change.  The point is often made that we must change to grow and improve ourselves. 

The New Year is a great opportunity to focus on change for growth and improvement.  Radical change is difficult.  More is required than a date change to accomplish significant goals.  If your goals are challenging, you will need more than a simple resolution.  But simple changes are often important as well.  The New Year offers an opportunity for a new attitude, a different outlook, and a modification in perspective.

Whatever your resolutions, goals, or challenges are tackle them with gusto and commitment.  Stick to their pursuit for the good of the outcome and the betterment of your life.  Only you can change you!

Wishing you a blessed and prosperous year!

Fill in the Blank!

I am a good ______________.

What comes to mind when you consider how to complete the above sentence?  Are your first thoughts about your career?  Maybe they are about a hobby or a sport.  I believe that we are all basically good.  It is important for us to remind ourselves of that, and to remind ourselves to strive to be good in the different roles in our life.  What if you had to complete the sentence and it could not be about your profession, a sport or hobby?  Think introspectively about yourself as a person.  What about things like friend, listener, and advocate?   Or what about family roles like parent, daughter or sibling?  What does it mean to you to be good in these roles?  What about just using the word person?  Think about it.  Fill in the blank about yourself and strive to live out that statement!