Discomfort is my friend

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Leadership Value of the Day: Discomfort is your friend

Who doesn’t like feeling comfortable? We love it, why? It’s not because being comfortable adds anything to help us progress. We love it because it is easy. It is easy to get comfortable and just go with the flow. We all want to be accepted in the in crowd and be popular. So I will apologize for shattering your comfortable façade in advance. If you want to achieve greatness you have to learn to love being uncomfortable. I am not just speaking of the physical comfort you get from skipping the work out you know you should go to, or the sick day you take even when you’re not sick, we see you by the way we know you’re not really sick eating ice cream and hanging out with friends who had the day off. I am speaking to the way people no longer thing for themselves. It is hard for people to go against the grain. The average train of thought that most people just jump on at the caboose and hope that the person driving the train knows where this is going. If you truly want to achieve greatness you have to learn to be uncomfortable and try thinking for yourself, and get out there and do things that may be uncomfortable to get where you want to go. If you do what everyone else is doing you will achieve the same results, you cannot realistically do what everyone else is doing and think that you are going to be the one to achieve a different result. Are you better than everyone else? Are you special and the laws of physics do not apply to you? Maybe it’s just that you see where everyone else was wrong and you are going to get it right this time. In all honesty you are special however you are not acting as such. Everyone is special, so why cheapen your gifts by doing what everyone else is doing. Blazing your own trail by thinking for yourself is the only way to achieve any real measure of success. Take a moment and think about how many decisions you actually made that were well thought out by you, and not just a reflection of a decision that someone else you know made. Hey if it worked for them it should work for you too right? Success is only achieved through thinking for yourself, not following the masses.

Leadership Value Of the Day: Leading By Example

Leadership Value Of the Day: Leading By Example

There are many people who are in a leadership positions that think they know what this means already. However it is not always as simple as you may think. Leading by example is not just knowing your job, or even knowing the jobs of the people that you are leading. Leading by example means taking the time to foster the people around you. Helping them to cultivate the skills that will help them to grow. This sets the environment for growth as well as positive energy. The energy you give off is a great start to leading by example. You cannot expect those around you to be positive and motivated if you are sucking all of the energy out of them as soon as they come around you. We know how important the Golden Rule is when we deal with people on a daily basis, however we should also treat all people well; even if we do not have interactions with them on a daily basis. We must take a page from the life of a man that was a symbol for a country and lead his people by example. Nelson Mandela lived to the ripe age of 95, and though a great portion of his life was spent behind concrete walls he did not allow that to turn his heart nor his mind towards bitterness, and revenge. Setting an example is not often easy. Many times it tests the mettle of a person and exposes what really resides within. If you aspire to be great and to leave a legacy beyond that of your own brief existence on this planet, than you must learn to lead by example. We all fall short of expectations in life but that does not mean we should not strive for better. None of us are perfect but we must still run towards it. Remember that your organizations attitude reflects the leadership it is under. Maintaining a positive attitude, admitting when you need help, and acknowledging your own faults are great starting blocks for building a leader that can lead by example.

 

Leadership Value of the Day: Reflecting

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Leadership Value of the Day: Reflection 

Who in our society has the time to reflect? We are often times consumed with work, children, bills, and just the day-to-day activities that keep us up late at night, and have us rising early in the morning. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day. So it's no wonder we often find it hard to sit and reflect on decisions we have made and experiences we have had. Reflecting, however is a crucial step on the path to becoming great at what ever your craft maybe, as well as becoming a successful leader. Reflections allow us to gain value from our past choices. It does not matter if the choices were successful or if they were mistakes, we can learn to repeat or how to improve from those choices. This is the catalyst for proper perspective. Often times we are defeated by a situation because we are looking at it from the wrong perspective. The proper perspective can only be achieved by reflecting back on the choices we have made, because we often time in the moment do not have the time nor the clarity of mind to reflect within the experience itself. If you want to rise to a level of greatness in any craft you must utilize reflection. It is an imperative tool in the continued success, and development of leadership skills, and the growth of an individual on the journey to fulfill goals and dreams.

Awkwardness and Lyons draw large audiences to the web

     Early this week it was reported that Issa Rae of the web series Awkward Black Girl had inked a deal to bring her edgy brand of comedy to HBO. This is an excellent turn of events for many of the great shows and series that live on the web. This could possibly open the doors for many new filmmakers and writers that have taken the initiative to get things done on their own terms. One such production based in Augusta, Georgia is a series called The Lyons Den.

      The Lyons Den is the creation of Karlton T. Clay. Karlton began writing at a very young age, however it wasn’t until his time at Davidson Fine Arts School in Augusta, GA that he began to get involved in productions. At the age of 16, Clay was diagnosed with acute lymphoma leukemia. During his time in recovery VICTORY PRODUCTIONS was born. Clay credits his close relationship to his family and his continued faith in God for strengthening him during his battle with the disease. Karlton graduated from Davidson Fine Arts School in 2004, he went on to graduate from Georgia State University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in film and television production. Now at 26 years old and in remission, Karlton produces family-oriented stage plays, films, and television programs. Karlton also written, produced, directed, and starred in College Daze, an internet drama which began in September 2007. He also wrote and produced two shorts films - Surrender (2011) and 20something (2012). Both were accepted into the Poison Peach Film Festival in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Currently Karlton is in production for his second web series entitled, The Lyons Den. The show is airing its 4th seasons season finale Friday night at midnight. It has been accepted into 3 festivals: 2013 ATL Web Fest, 2013 Urban Media-makers Film Festival, and the 2013 L.A. Web Fest - there it won 5 awards (Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Producing, Outstanding Ensemble Cast, and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Reishal Monique and Victoria Wilson).

 The main cast (Season 4): 

•  Victoria Wilson as Raven Lyons Taylor 
•  Shantelle Wheeler as Keysha Lyons Monroe 
•  Reishal Monique as Sherri Lyons 
•  Sam Evans as J.C. Lyons 
•  DJ Jackson as Ryan Lyons
•  Torrence White as Malcolm Lyons
•  Antrinese Snell as Crystal Kingston/Aisha Lyons 
•  Kendra Clay as Shayquan Turner 
•  Stacy Camille as Ashley Murphy 
•  Altina Menefee as Tammi Covington 
•  Matt Calcutt as Charles Covington 
•  Kwashane Dijaire as Eric Patterson 
•  Shatareia Stokes as Bobbi Ward 
•  Karlton T. Clay as Jay Sean Turner 

        The web-series has made great strides since its first episode, and there is plenty of drama to be had for all. While in some of the previous seasons the episodes were a little lengthy; it seems that Clay and his crew have found the formula for infusing the most drama into a shorter amount of time, making it well worth your time. In this new frontier we are able to watch new artists grow and come into their own right in front of our eyes. It is clear with such determination and a willingness to grow and embrace the possibilities of the platform shows such as The Lyons Den and Awkward Black Girl are here to stay. So since you have been living under a rock and have not seen either of these wonderful series I have posted both for your viewing pleasure, you can thank me later.

Season finale of season 4 airs on Friday. Season 5 will premiere either late February or early March.

Leadership Value of the Day

Leadership Value of the Day: Embracing Chaos, and Ignorance

Now that I have your attention with such riveting values, let me explain what this really means. It is popular today for people to walk around stating they are realist. I know this because I was once a person saying the same thing. It is easy to allow your expertise to allow you to shoot down possibilities and limit the dreams of others. We get caught up trying to enjoy what we have that we forget how to really grow. Embracing ignorance does not mean to walk around happy that you have little knowledge of anything; it is indeed the opposite. It 's knowing that you have a skill set that may have caged your thinking. This will limit your ability to look at the entire possibilities in any given situation. It takes some training to be able to go into a situation and see the good in it, but that is exactly what you must do. Study other people in your craft, and instead of focusing on the negative look for the things they do exceptionally well. Greatness is not just having the ability to see the possibilities; it is having the skill to execute a dream and grow it to a reality. Embracing chaos can only do this. We only grow through strife. It is that friction or conflict that allows us to elevate our thinking so that we may push the boundaries on what we thought was possible to begin with. This does not mean to invite physical violence, it simply mean that during times of stress and turmoil when you may begin to see things in a negative light embrace the circumstances. There is very little if anything that can be done with a negative outlook. Remain calm and embrace the situation start pulling all of the positives to the forefront of your thought process, it seems like very little will come from this but the shift in your attitude will spur a positive change, growth, and open you to possibilities you would not have other wise known.

Don't Underestimate the power of Why

Leadership Value of the Day: Don't Underestimate the power of Why

I know many people with children, or people who have contact with small children have seen or heard a child catch an adult in the why loop. You know that is where after every question you answer they ask why. It can indeed try our patience as adults, but it is the raw form of a positive practice that anyone trying to achieve any measure of greatness should practice. That small word holds a lot of power if we use it correctly. It can help to align us with our goals, help us to refine our strategic thinking and provide an answer to questions that are so Obvious that we might have other wise missed it. It is not just the act of saying the word but the critical thinking that comes along with it that helps to focus our actions. Why can help to remove the cloud from actions and motives if thought through with any measure of separation from the problem. This is the spark for planning, and developing points for strategic advances. If you want to be successful in life you must start with why. Why are you choosing the profession you have chosen? Why do you think it is a fit for you? Why is it important for you? Vetting all of the whys will help you design a plan to achieve your goals and line you up with your end game. Without the knowing real motives, it is impossible to come to a goal, or a solution with any certainty. Without knowing why everything else is just a shot in the dark, or a best guess.

Navigating the Dream

Leadership Value Of the Day: Navigating the Dream

Greatness for leaders comes through the application of principals and skills. One of those skills is the ability to navigate. A great leader has to be able to visualize the dream and the outcome before they exist anywhere. Planning out each of the steps, just as you would plan a trip. It is essential that the leader know the end game. Simply put he or she must know where they are leading people and what they will do once they get there. The dream that a leader strives to achieve is only possible if he or she is willing to spend a lifetime to achieve it. Will it always take a lifetime? That depends on the dream. The larger the dream, the greater the number of obstacles and the longer the journey becomes. However you must be willing to put in the work that is necessary, and have the patience to wait as the steps are lined up for you. Timing is essential in navigating the dream; one second early or late can trigger effects that you never intended.