Crystal’s Clear View
 
What it takes to be a leader
 
 Most companies have a leader. But not all companies have great leaders. It takes a lot to be a great leader.
A great leader is not someone you must follow, but one you want to follow.
Last week I watched first hand as a leader of a company took on a dirty maintenance job.
This job could have easily been dictated to another person in the company, one or any one of the ones who were not on a "leader level."
However, I watched as this leader did the job themselves. Never once asking or expecting anyone else in the company to do the job.
Over the years, I have been both an employee and an employer, and to be a great leader, you must be willing to serve and treat those around you with respect. I witnessed that in that leader that day.
The great leaders know they are responsible for establishing the tone of the company. A great leader knows how to teach, and if done correctly, employees will follow and learn wholeheartedly.
A great leader is also a master of communication. If you are a leader of a company, remember to communicate with not only managers but your employees as well. A well-run team will take their leader far. 
If you are a leader, here are some tips you can start doing today to help not only yourself but your team:
Build trust. When it comes to leading a team, you must be willing to go out on a limb for your employees to show them you have their back.
Promote an open environment for two-way feedback.
Be a coach.
Show confidence in your decisions.
Take responsibility.
Show respect.
 

Crystal's Clear View

I was watching a television show recently where one person asked the other, "how is your day?" That person was complaining that it was Monday and they didn't want to be at work, didn't want to get out of bed, had too much to do, and the list went one. 
The other person, with their upbeat and positive attitude, quickly pointed out, "You have a job, don't you? You have a home, don't you? You have a bed to sleep in, don't you? ... Then life is not so bad."
Many people in this world don't have those things and long for them each day. You see this every day if you travel the city streets.
Having an attitude of gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.
In a study published by Harvard Health, researchers found that gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships.
Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. 
In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week, focusing on topics.
One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them.
After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. They also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources negatively.
So, remember to be grateful for all the things in your life, both big and small and even during times of adversity. 
It is often challenging times and experiences that prepare us for future opportunities.

Crystal Vandegrift is professional wedding photographer based in Virginia. Her email address is cip4you@gmail.com

​Crystal’s Clear View
 
Equality for all
 
On the third Monday in January, America celebrates the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and for many, this day means a day off. For others, it means taking part in a "day of service" and helping others.
For some, it is a day to remember how Dr. King fought and died for equality.
Some see that Americans have come a long way in equality for all; for others, that justice is still lacking and fought for.
Though we as Americans have come a long way when it comes to equality, there is still work to be done.
Since the 1960s, several laws have been passed to guarantee civil rights and freedoms to Americans; however, there are still groups who are still fighting for their rights day in and day out.
Those groups, including women who are still wagging the war on the pay gap between their male counterparts and people with disabilities, the homeless, those with mental illness, and the LGBTQ community, are still in a fight for equality.
Everyone, no matter their skin color, gender, or financial status or mental capacity, deserves to be accepted and treated with dignity. Think back to a time when you may have not felt accepted. Remember how that felt? Probably not good. Some live with that feeling each day. 
You do not have to agree with what a person does or does not do to show them respect. We all deserve respect.
The next time you encounter someone who is "not like you," remember, meeting that person can be a blessing. They could have come into your life to help you or even teach you. Just because someone is different from you does not make them less of a person.
In the end, we are humans and I think King said it best, “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
 
 
 Crystal Vandegrift is a professional wedding photographer based in Virginia. Her email address is cip4you@gmail.com