He showed up. Beyond any card, or gift, or email, or phone call, just showing up was the most impactful message. My friends Jerry and Holly Leachman have a family motto: "You can fake caring, but you can't fake showing up". So when Mason Whithead (Churchill leader out of Dallas) flew in to celebrate our CFO's retirement with him, the impact was huge. He could have called, sent a card, or a text, but he showed up, and it made all the difference.
The Leachmans have another family motto: "Winners take responsibility, losers blame others". Between these two codes of conduct, there's real clarity for their inner circle of what it takes and what's expected in their household. That permeates through others they connect with and expands their influence. They know why they are there, what God's called them to accomplish, and how to act along the way.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come." (Luke 4:18-19)
About a decade ago, I established a set of Core Convictions. It is a code of conduct, if you will, that I was convicted to live by. They are beliefs that would guide me personally and professionally, as well as expectations for our company and our household.
While each of those could take a whole chapter to dive into, the important takeaway is that they exist and that we have committed to doing our best to live and lead according to their purpose. We have sprinkled in a few more at home as we have matured together, such as: "We don't lie in this house", "Maybe tomorrow, but not today", and "Be in, or be out". As a family, we have clarity. It's not easy, but it's clear.
Jesus kicked off his ministry with some real clarity. People knew why he was there and what to expect. He executed flawlessly.
What about you? Have you established clarity on what you expect from yourself and things you are so convicted of that they guide your everyday decisions and actions? What about for your family and your team? Take the time to do so. Don't rush it. Start with a long list and hone it down to the point where it's so clear you can't help but remember them and can share them easily. Belief systems are so strong, you simply cannot operate against them. Engineer those beliefs in such a way that, through the ambiguity of the world, the clarity of your convictions shines through.
You can fake caring, but you can't fake showing up.
So show up.
Thank you, Mason, for living your beliefs out loud.
