A Leader

"I had a cousin who accomplished an amazing string of interesting things. She once told me the key was preparing so that life could work in mysterious ways. “If you want your ship to come in, you must build a dock,” she said. Thanks to my list, I’m working on some big docks."
-50 Things To Do Before I Die from The Washington Post by Wendy Swallow Williams 1997 February Reader’s Digest

I had the opportunity this week to read: “True Blue, Through and Through” by Sheri L. Dew, Brigham Young University–Idaho Devotional, March 16, 2004

I wanted to memorize the entire devotional, but the excerpts below are pieces that struck to my core.

“Helaman’s stripling warriors performed “every word of command with exactness” and “were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted” (Alma 57:21; 53:20). In other words, they kept their covenants with precision. They were true blue, through and through. They clearly understood that a half-hearted effort to keep the Sabbath day holy or to be morally clean or to tell the truth is no effort at all. Joseph Smith didn’t declare that we usually believe in being “honest, true, chaste, benevolent, [and] virtuous” (Articles of Faith 1:13). On Mount Sinai the Lord didn’t say, “Thou shalt rarely covet”; or “Thou shalt not steal very often”; or “Thou shalt only commit adultery a time or two.” He said “Thou shalt not,” clearly delineating the line between integrity and infidelity, a line that when we cross we risk losing control of our thoughts, motives, and actions.”

“Seven things that will help us become men and women of integrity:

1.      Decide today, once and for all, that you will be worthy of trust

2.      Have faith that the Lord can and will help you, and then diligently seek His help.

3.      Make covenants and keep them: do what you say you will do

4.      Stand up for what you believe

5.      Expect your integrity to be challenged

6.      Don’t give up

7.      Covenant–or perhaps I should say, renew your covenant–with our Father and His Son to do what you came here to do

Now, that doesn’t mean you are all living up to who you are. Some of you no doubt need to make course corrections. To help with this, I invite you to undergo the spring cleaning to end all spring cleanings by enrolling in Integrity 101. Let me outline the coursework. First, take an inventory of your integrity by asking yourself the questions:

Here is a sample checklist: Do you do what you say you will do, or do you often make excuses for not coming through? Will you rationalize taking advantage of someone else if it is to your advantage? Are you doing your own classwork? Do you give your best effort at work or just put in time? Do you pay a full tithe? Are you really living the Honor Code? Would you date your best friend’s boyfriend behind her back? Are you honest with those you date, or are you leading someone on because no one better has come along and you don’t want to sit home Friday night? Are you straight with your parents about how you spend their money? If you could improve your chance for graduate school by cheating, would you do it? What DVDs do you watch and web sites do you visit when you’re alone? Are you honest and moral in the dark of night as well as broad daylight? Are you true to those who have trusted you with their love and confidence? Are you living worthy of the kind of man or woman you hope to marry, and of the children whom our Father will entrust to your care?

Look for cracks that may have started to form. Be honest with yourself about your past dishonesties. Second, for the next 30 days take time every night to assess how you did that day. Were you true to yourself and to others? Were you true to God in every situation? See if it makes a difference in what you say, how you spend your time and money, the decisions you make, and what you repent of. See if it also makes a difference in how you feel about yourself and your life.

And finally, as you become more fully aware of your strengths and weaknesses, turn to the Savior more frequently and with increasing fervor. Thank our Father for the gift of His Son and the privilege of repenting. Express your deep desire to live with integrity. And then plead for help. The Savior has the power to help you change. He has the power to help you turn weakness into strength. He has the power to make you better than you have ever been.”

That alone would give me enough to work on for the rest of my life.

To add to that I want to remember that when starting my own Business to Make sure I and the people in the business have skin in the game, so our goal will be united in making the business succeed.

Regularly ask the question: “Who Cares?” and “Why?”

Finally, I want to work on the action plan outlined in “The Ministry of Business” by Steven A. Hitz with James W. Ritchie that they learned from J. Paul Getty and David B. Haight:

Success Formula

1.      Get up Early

2.      Work Hard

3.      Get Your Education

4.      Find your “Oil”

5.      Make your Mark

6.      Prepare to Serve / Give Back