Quotes and a Canine Speak Values
Post written by Tanya Bittenbender, Program Coordinator at Leadership Loudoun.
Learn More about Leadership Loudoun’s partnership with the Loudoun Chamber, or apply here! The deadline is June 12th.
Quotes and a Canine Speak Values
I sat in the sunshine observing my dog. His behavior can be entertaining. Recently, the experience turned inspirational when I connected my canine to quotes from great leaders.
Ozzie’s actions say: “Staring out the window is time well spent.”
Warren Buffet said, “I insist on a lot of time being spent. . . to just sit and think. . . I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business.”
Ozzie’s actions say: “Belly, back or behind the ear, I am grateful for the rubs I receive.”
Eckhart Tolle said, “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
Ozzie’s actions say: “Fence? What electric fence?!”
Richard Branson said, “Screw it, let’s just do it!”
Ozzie’s actions say: “Hooray a walk today!”
Maya Angelou said, “What a beautiful day, I’ve never seen this one before.”
Tools of all kinds help when we face challenges. Quotes can capture the words we need to hear but struggle to articulate for ourselves. Quotes may serve as inspirational snippets, professional mantras or value reminders—all useful when we consider developing ourselves as authentic leaders.
Leaders who know and align their core convictions to their business express authenticity. Manfred Kets de Vries of INSEAD Global Leadership Center states there is increasing acknowledgement among scholars that sound leadership is values based and that authenticity marks the distinction between effective and dysfunctional leadership.
A tool to identify and assess your core values is the Values in Action (VIA) Survey of Character Strengths. It consists of 240 scientifically designed questions to measure and rank 24 strengths. It was created by Dr. Neal Mayerson and Dr. Martin Seligman leaders in the field of positive psychology.
Some values measured include those reflected in the quotes above such as love of learning (Buffet), gratitude (Tolle), bravery (Branson) and appreciation of beauty (Angelou). Humor and playfulness are also included (Ozzie).
The VIA Survey requires registration and takes about an hour. You can access it for free here.
I encourage you to look into Leadership Loudoun, and the time well spent investing in yourself and your community.
Tanya Bittenbender is the Leadership Loudoun Program Coordinator. Her top VIA Character Strength is honesty, authenticity and genuineness. She genuinely encourages readers to apply for the Leadership Loudoun Class of 2016. Application deadline is June 12, 2015. Visit www.leadershiploudoun.org.