Leading Narratives

Check out Dan Spainhour's new weekly journal, Game Changing. Magnificent Mondays Your life is either growing and expanding or it is decaying. This weekly journal will be designed to help its readers see the value in evolving through life. Every Magnificent Monday there will be a new post with ideas that could change your life. Each week, information will unfold around a fresh, new evolving topic designed to change the way you look at things.   We'd love to have you join the team! 

Life is controlled by vibration and vibration is controlled by thoughts and thoughts are controlled by you. Here’s the thing though, and this is the part that separates really winning the game of life from simply playing it--you are controlled by your paradigm.  A paradigm is a standard, perspective, or set of ideas. A paradigm is a way of looking at something. The word paradigm comes up a lot in the academic, scientific, and business world. Most go through life and never really realize they are part of a paradigm.  Why is this important? Paradigms are important because they are the way we automatically view the world. It influences if we see possibilities or limitations. It affects our belief--not only in ourselves but in our potential.   Put simply, our thoughts influence the way we are looking at things--our willingness to take a risk or to play it safe. To go for a dream or to be afraid of being ridiculed.   And if you want an extraordinary life then you must transition out of an o

We have all experienced what it’s like to “hit the wall.” While the wall is definitely not a good state to be in, there are two important facts we must remember for our own sake as well as that of the people we lead.  First, everyone must understand that these moments can be overcome. People have more in the tank if they grind it out. Second, when you don’t quit these walls serve as a catalyst for growth and potential future success in a way your team would otherwise never experience. Here are a few more things to think about. One step at a time . A popular cliché is “one game at a time.” This mentality is imperative for individuals and teams to succeed. When we hit walls, the finish line can seem very distant and the goal, which started out as a motivating force, can instantly become overwhelming and even de-motivating. We must remember that the emotional and physical tank is already running low when the wall comes into the forefront, so the time to focus on the big picture is not now

Do not confuse misaligned action with paying your dues. A comedian friend was talking to me about how tough it was when he started out. He had to work in all the lower-end clubs with very little pay.  Now, he is well-respected and makes a good living doing his craft. I asked him why he stayed with it. Surely those early days weren’t fun. Did he feel inspired to go to work those nights? His reply sums it up perfectly,  “Inspired? Hell no! Motivated every night? No f-ing way! But there was always my inner voice telling me that I am a comedian. My vision of becoming one never left.”  That is a perfect example of what inspired action is.  Every extraordinary person must start from somewhere, but they all have an inner knowing that they are becoming the essence of what they want to be which carries them through on the days they feel uninspired.  The point is that there is a difference between uninspired action and misaligned action. Misaligned action will never flow and is never efficient.

Randy Pennington wrote a very good book titled Results Rule. It is a book built on a solid premise—at the end of the day, leadership isn’t about what you intended to do but what got done. Approximately 70% of CEOs are removed by their boards of directors because of their inability to deliver results. Several years ago, a leading business publication summed it up nicely—perform or perish. Yes, results rule and how you get those results is critical. Methods matter. How do we balance results and methods? Suitable methods can quickly be qualified as legitimate by asking these two questions: Is it legal? Seems obvious but maybe not based on daily headlines. This is the easiest test for any practice or strategy you might employ. The problem, of course, is in the “gray zones.” Those are the areas that seem/might be/probably are/ could be “legal” but we’re not sure. Oddly, we applaud leaders who push the limits—until they cross the line and end up in trouble. Taking risks in legal matters is

Andy was in the kitchen playing with his toy train as his father cooked dinner. Andy stopped the train and said, “All you assholes who want to get off, get the hell off. All those who want to get on, get the hell on!” “Andy!” exclaimed his father. “I can't believe you are using that language! You should be ashamed of yourself! I want you to go to your room and don't come back until you have thought about what you've done!” So, Andy goes to his room and comes back an hour or so later.  He resumes playing with his train, only this time when he stops it he says, “All of you ladies and gentlemen who want to get off, you may now get off, and those who want to get on, you may now also get on. And as for those of you who have a problem with the hour delay, talk to the asshole in the kitchen!” Moral? Sending a problem away doesn’t fix it. Sometimes it comes back pointed at you! Leading Narratives:  The perfect collection of stories, jokes and wits of wisdom for leaders