Dr. David Dyson - DISTINCTIONS - VALUES - WRITINGS
    Patriot and David on their first ride after earning trust. With a magnifying glass, minor adjustments in focus make the difference between light and light plus power. A plan, a shift in focus for your calling, commitment, or courage can make a difference in your actions and results. A boost in student attitude, attendance, and achievement can make a difference in your success as a school. | MISSION: To help people and organizations PLAN and LEAD in LIFE. For lecture and event planners: The Last Leg of My Life Leadership Lectures Summary My calling includes helping us as individuals write plans for life that include action on best practices to PLAN and LEAD in LIFE. I am trying to install the learning and development I wish was available when I was in school, college, and young professional life. When I share my vision with parents, they usually comment something like, "I wish I had that..." or "my child needs that..." or "if I had done that earlier, my life might look better today." The principles and practices supporting this vision have been heard by many though implemented by few--some estimate 5% or less have written a plan for life of even the length of a school paper long since discarded. One's plan for life merits beginning in school and continuing through life. The key to success on taking action on this best practice will be found in organizations served by leaders who put systems in place to help people do the right things automatically. After the first 10 years of full-time practice, I learned books and speeches are not enough, never will be. Setting a good example is required though not enough. The next level is available to us. Examples of action incude writing assignments, life and career counseling, course curricula, graduation requirements, applications for college, graduate school, and/or career opportunities, plus improved designs for preparing best-self citizens and servant leaders. To make best practices start and last, I want to help leaders in colleges and schools, corporations, churches, communities, plus couples and families create systems and curricula to teach and reward people to learn and do what helps them become our best-selves. Personal leadership is, understanding and acting on the common denominators of doing our best, regardless of academic, professional, or other life choice. Life Leadership adds to prepare for all seven areas of life. This is part of the core for preparing good citizens, for good stewardship of our callings, gifts, and talents, and part of what students prepared for life should understand and use. I help as advisor, servant leader, lecturer, trainer, or facilitator to educate, coach, and execute plans to help people implement better and faster. It's a calling and I am not even close to being finished. My research shows that most students and professionals believe they have "C" averages in attitude (commitment, confidence...) and a little higher in ability. I became aware of a gap in thinking about 10 years ago, thanks to a question from a frustrated executive, and am convinced many inspired leaders are seeking to excel without awareness of a gap that holds their organizations back. Our "inside the box" thinking with incremental improvements is adding value though not fulfilling the vision as well or as fast as we could. When I have applied these principles plus the best practices and tools developed to implement them in classrooms, attitude, attendance, and achievement increase. If you are a leader wanting to envision, be, and serve at a higher level--or know someone who does, I would love to hear from you. If you are a college president or dean, school or system superintendent, community or political leader, corporate executive and/or organizational development advocate, church pastor or minister of education--or a board member for one of these--I invite you to discuss ways to boost potential. Or, you may be wanting to leave a legacy through one or more of these organizations launching a program to serve them and our nation. A higher level of stewardship and success in school, professionalism, patriotism, relationships, and spirituality is attainable. We can do it on the current path and likely get there eventually; or we can implement more core princples as well as common sense to escalate our success in our life work. David A winning scenario:
A few short documents may add inspiration or insight: A second bucket list goal is gaining momentum in 2012. David is directing America's Veterans Day Founding in Alabama History, Character Education, and National Branding Project. We would love to tell you more: David@PatriotismInAction.us.
Short Bio
David authored Suggestions for Successful Living, Presidential Priorities, The Career Planner, numerous articles, and has a book for Life Leaders in progress. He co-authored books Professionalism Under Stress and Patriotism in Action with Col. Stretch Dunn (USA Retired).
In 1988, David completed his doctoral degree studies in Educational Leadership at Vanderbilt University (Peabody College) and started full-time efforts to serve people and organizations to help them fulfill their callings. In 1992, he founded the Personal Leadership Association with Johnny Johnson. After the "911" attacks, he founded Patriotism in Action with Col. Stretch Dunn (Retired), now led by Col. Bob and Nancy Barefield (Ret). In 2008, Life Leaders combined Dyson Leadership Institute and the Personal Leadership Association.
David seeks to serve more colleges, corporations, churches, community groups, and couples who wish to help people PLAN and LEAD in LIFE with actions and results. If you know someone who thinks like we do, please help us meet--they are hard to find because they are among the fewer than 5% who invest time, inspiration, money, and energy (T.I.M.E.) in principle-based best practices like planning, leadership development, and education aligned with desired plans, assessments, and rewards. Many people want to do those things--and will as soon as their leaders and organizations raise the bar and set up rewards for fulfilling best practices.
Sample Seminar (Attitude and Ability)7 Best Practices for Life Leaders 7 Best Practices for a True Professional7 Best Practices for a Best-Self Servant LeaderEmail address for David: David@LifeLeaders.us Video channels in progress (humble offerings though hopefully helpful): DrDavidDysonTVonLifePlanningAndLeadership LifeLeadersTV
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Personal and Interpersonal Leadership Learned with Horses that apply also to Humans
Horses can help humans learn best practices for personal and interpersonal leadership instinctively. An area of new learning includes lessons that apply to horses and humans, including those David shares in seminars such as “Earning and Re-earning Trust” influenced by the process of earning trust instinctively with his horses--one who had low trust for humans and had to gain trust with David before he was safe, plus a colt who gained trust with him from birth. Some leadership training puts people in stressful situations to help us learn how we react instinctively so we can improve at deeper levels. People and animals are more trusting when they feel trust instinctively.
A horse weighing over 1,000 pounds will tell you when you have earned trust. They have taught me more about servant leadership and applying best practices until they become instinctive. You can try to be a bully with a horse and "break" him, but it does not work as well as natural horsemanship that includes taking responsibility that you are the leader in charge of feeding and protecting that animal, earning his trust, teaching him what to do, giving him purpose, and establishing trusting leadership along the way so that under stress both of you will know better what to do.
I assumed I would be trusted because I had good intent. Most "leaders" and "bosses" and others have good intent. I learned the hard way that I would have to overcome Patriot's distrust of humans. The first week, he bit me and bolted with me on his back; soon after, he bucked me over his head. Two injuries involving blood (mine) made me realize I had better start listening to understand and take time to earn his trust--showing him that I would be different than one or more of the others who had handled him. I finally figured out, at over 1,000 pounds, he was still afraid. [There's a great story, if you want to hear it.] When I finally understood him--it was more about fear than disobedience--we slowed down, spent time together hiking and exercising, and I spent alot of time serving him and showing he was safe. The day of trust came, and since then he has never done anything agressive to hurt me since. He eats from my hands and carries me bareback, even when bitless.
Horses have become a passion. I enjoy helping people gentle their horses and learn life leadership principles along the way. Some people like coaching connected to horses that helps them develop higher levels of courage and connection. David
A few videos based on horses and horsemanship, with a few lessons for humans:
LifeLeadersAndHorsesTVwithDrDavidDyson
Our last ride in Washington before returning home to Alabama:
My goal is to help you develop and succeed better and/or faster with me than you would without me. -- David
