According to a group on Facebook, April 29 is National Pay It Forward Day. What does that really mean? It means simply a time to do something for a stranger somewhere, just do it, as a way of paying it forward. Think about how our world could be different on that day if every single person did that.

Several years ago I saw a show on Oprah about random acts of kindness. It became a thing with me, that I still do today. When I go through a toll booth on a highway, I always pay for the car behind me. It’s just a little something to brighten the day of folks, something done by a total stranger, and something for which nothing is required. While I imagine it made them feel good, it always made me feel awesome. It was just about a little something to make someone’s day where they didn’t even know who did it for them.

Tonight my brother, husband and I attended a concert. As we left the parking lot, we noticed that nobody was allowing any cars to get in the line. We eased out into the line with the help of the parking lot attendant, and joined the long line of cars heading toward the exit and the highway. Along the way there were several cars trying to get out of the parking lots, just waiting for anyone to offer them a break. We decided to do a little experiment. At each entrance, I let at least 2 or 3 cars go in front of me. I imagine there were some folks behind me who weren’t too happy, but those who were allowed to get in the line were sure glad. An interesting thing happened. Each car that was let in then stopped at the next entrance and let someone else in. And on it went. It was pretty fun to watch. Sure, it took a little longer to get to the entrance to the highway, but it was so worth it.

Another idea that is a fun thing to do is to see someone who serves in our military in a restaurant. Get in touch with their server and offer to pay, anonymously, for their meal, with a message that just says “thanks for your service.” Having lived out of the country the last two years, I am so thankful that I now live close to a military base and actually get a chance to do this now and then.

What about your neighbors? See some way you could do a little something to help them out? Don’t ask, just do it. Then watch what happens.

What can you do in a random act of kindness? Will you join me in the next week to find one random act of kindness a day that you can do for someone? I believe after the week, you’ll want to continue. Let’s see how many people we can influence. Enjoy it and I’d love to hear what you did and how it went!

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As leaders, it is so important that we “walk the talk” in our lives. Leaders are watched all the time to see if they are actually doing what they tell others to do. This is true no matter where you are, your work, your family, friends, and coworkers. It is disheartening to have a leader who you believe in and see them not do this. And yet, it is perhaps one of the most challenging things we must do as leaders.

Take a few short minutes and watch this film and then I’d love to hear your comments below. What is your biggest challenge and how will you meet it today?

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Have you ever had one of those days, or weeks, when you’re the leader and you work to motivate the folks around you, yet nothing you do seems to work? Or something you tried just fell flat and didn’t work at? I think we have all had those times and they sure aren’t fun. What happens then? Who motivates the motivator?

A friend of mine once said “leadership’s not for sissies,” and I sure agree with that statement. It’s tough work. There are days when it just seems too much to keep going and you want to quit. What do you do then? Well, a good leader just bucks up and moves on, right? Yes, and if only it were that easy.

I believe leaders need to have a plan for those times when things just aren’t easy. Here are a few suggestions for you:

• Have someone you can go to who WILL encourage you. It may be your spouse, your best friend, just have it be someone who isn’t on the team you’re trying to motivate. It has to be someone who can and will let you be “human.”
• Read motivational quotes and books. I find some great pick-me-ups in things like this. You can subscribe to daily motivational quotes as a way to start your day.
• Remember the times when sometime DID work. Take a few minutes and remember how it felt when something you did was awesome and you just wanted to push even harder to get more done.
• Network with other leaders. It helps to share challenges with other leaders and learn from each other how someone else has handled a similar situation.
• Take a look at the people you have mentored. For me, that’s one of the biggest feelings of accomplishment, watching someone else grow. It’s exciting to see them come into their own and to remember how they started.
• Take a break! No one can be “up” 100% of the time and sometimes it’s best just to step away and take a break. Imagine a day with no work, no internet, no interruptions, just to relax and do for YOU. It can be quite refreshing.

What have I left out? What other things do you do to find motivation when you just don’t feel like it? I look forward to your comments.

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Linchpin: GaryVee from Seth Godin on Vimeo.

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As leaders, our perception of ourselves and others have a huge impact on the world around us. What were your thoughts as you watched the movie?

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Over the next few weeks, I am going to be talking about the ABC’s of Leadership. This will be a series of posts, each one beginning with a word from the alphabet. We will start with A and go to Z. You can expect at least three posts per week, which means it will take us about two months or so to cover the alphabet. It is my hope that through your comments we will have some great discussion.

For today, I would like to know what qualities you look for in a leader. We all have a notion in our minds of what a great leader looks like. Perhaps they are visionary, perhaps they are kind, able to inspire. Put your thinking caps on now and start thinking about what it is that says to you “that’s a great leader.”

For me, it begins with integrity. I want a leader who says what they mean and means what they say, and will do what they say they are going to do. I don’t tend to be a “sugar coat” kind of person so just tell me the facts, even if it’s bad news. I happen to believe that people would rather hear bad news than try to make up in their heads what is really happening. I will expand on what I think integrity is when we get to “I” in the alphabet!

What about you? What’s the number one quality in a leader? I look forward to your comments.

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My niece, who is 9 years old, was telling me the other day about their studies about Dr. King. I asked her what he did and her response was with the simplicity of a child: “He made it so blacks and whites can be together. Aunt Kathy, without that, you and Henderson might never have met.” All she sees is that she has an uncle that she loves very much and who is special to her. The lesson she learned in school actually just reinforced what she already knew.

I think Martin Luther King taught us some great lessons in leadership and the blogs today are already full of those leaders. For us today, I simply want to encourage you to watch the video (it’s 17 minutes) and reflect on what this man taught us about leadership.

What lessons do you take from Martin Luther King’s life about leadership? How can we apply those to our own lives today? I look forward to your comments.

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