All-In role model: the high school principal with a side gig at Walmart

"He's there when you least expect it but when you need him the most," a student said of Mr. Henry Darby, the high school principal who works a night shift at Walmart for extra money to help students in need.

Nearly all of his students (90%!) live below the poverty line with some sleeping under bridges or in their cars. Imagine for a moment how such circumstances affect teenagers—their minds and spirits. Would you be able to focus all day and do homework while living under a bridge?

If you struggled to work from your kitchen table next to a fully stocked refrigerator last year, give it some thought.

Mr. Darby loves his students and sees them for who they are, not where they live. He calls them “the best of the best.” His love compelled him to take a night shift at Walmart so he could help his students and families more. All of his Walmart salary goes toward helping others.

He gets emotional talking about his students in the video. He wants them to learn the three R’s: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships. He is a spectacular role model of all three.

Mr. Darby’s only request of his students is kindness, “Learn to help others. That’s one of the greatest things we can do as human beings.”

His love for the students comes across so clearly, Walmart was inspired to donate $50,000 to his effort. All of the funds will go the same place his Walmart salary goes: to the students in need.

Watch the video and notice Mr. Darby’s leadership.

He is a modern leader brining out the best in the students, community, and now that his story is out, all of us.

Three questions we can ask ourselves to boost our leadership...

1. Who do you care about the way Mr. Darby cares about his students? Anyone?
2. How can you be like Mr. Darby for those people?
3. How can you model the 3 R’s of Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships?

Be worthy every day, like Mr. Darby. Remember, as he says, helping others is the greatest thing we can do as human beings.

If you want to join Mr. Darby's support for his students, click here to donate.

 

(Source: South Carolina principal takes night job at Walmart to support struggling students by Drew Weisholtz posted January 29, 2021 on The Today Show website)

Reflect on 2020 to be All-In in 2021

Happy 2021 All-In Leaders!

A few folks requested guidance about how to reflect on the end of 2020, so here is what I provided. 

In just 13 questions you can ponder last year and move forward into 2021. The general idea is not to get bogged down in the past but to reflect honestly and start building momentum toward 2021.

In addition to these questions, I list the good and bad things that happened during the year. Just a bulleted list without details (not re-living the emo of them all). My lists mix personal and business because they get listed in the order items come up, but some people prefer to do the exercises separately.

It is helpful to reflect on last year to fully grasp the lessons and loves to bring into the new year.

I have been doing this, and studying it, since it was a sixth grade assignment. 

High-performance is not an accident, and neither is living a fulfilling life.

I am excited to share more with you soon so you can take the reflection further into 2021! Let's make 2021 our most All-In year yet!

3 ways leaders are like pizza

In a meeting this morning, a colleague spoke about the importance of rest. Mimi Gatschet (Founder of Art in Connection) talked about the importance of taking a break, and she equated it with pizza dough.

My dear Italian friend spoke about making homemade pizza dough and the way the ingredients work. Mimi described the way dough has to be worked so the ingredients come together, then the dough needs to rest overnight. After the rest, the dough is malleable and ready to become a tasty pizza.

What a terrific analogy!

Yes, we need to take breaks and turn our brains off so they can rejuvenate. The rest also enable us to tap into our strengths better, just like the ingredients of the dough do.  But, the dough is not the pizza. It is the foundation of the pizza. It needs more to become a pizza, just like we do.

Here are the 3 ways leaders need to be like pizza:

#1: Start with a solid foundation. 

In pizza, it’s the dough. In life, it’s the values, perspective, EQ, and personal make-up. Like Mimi said, we need to mix the ingredients in a way that enables them to work together and become the foundation of greatness.

#2: Enable collaboration. 
Collaboration is key because it takes more than dough to make a pizza. Similarly, it takes more than one leader to make a workplace thrive. Add the right ingredients. “Right” is key because what’s right for one is not for another. Just ask my husband. He likes spicy meat on pizza, while I like a variety of veggies and sometimes even pineapple. We always order half-and-half, and neither of us minds. Could workplace compromises become as simple? Obviously, many workplace challenges are not as simple as pizza. In those cases, select what is right for the Mission, and remember, there can be more than one right choice.

After selecting the right toppings, let them do their work. On pizza, we let the cheese melt all over the top so we can enjoy the wonderful flavor combination. At work, foster collaboration and empowerment. It takes more than dough to make a pizza, so be selective about the ingredients then enable let them be their best.

#3: Expect some heat before greatness. 
Once a pizza has been made, it’s still not ready to be devoured. It needs to bake. Baking brings out the best in the whole combination, just like the heat, or pressure, of deadlines and client demands brings out the best in most teams. Don’t be thrown off by some heat. No team holds hands singing Kumbaya throughout the entire project. But, don’t worry, a little heat can help a team rise and become its best.

Lead like a pizza: start with a solid foundation, collaborate with the best, and thrive after challenges. One last word of caution: In accordance with the pic from a friend, leaders don’t try to please everyone…you are not a pizza.

Lead like a pizza and you'll be All-In!

Can you think of additional similarities between leadership and pizza? Add to the list below.