This Is Day One Summary

Leadership isn’t reserved for those with titles, fame, or influence; it’s for anyone ready to embrace values and act on them every single day.

1. Leadership Starts with a Clear Philosophy

Leadership is effective when grounded in a well-defined philosophy. Without it, actions lack direction, leaving individuals to rely on chance rather than strategy. A leadership philosophy acts as a compass, aligning actions with meaningful goals and values.

Developing a philosophy means identifying personal priorities and understanding what kind of leader you want to be. This isn’t about meeting others' expectations but finding clarity in your own ethics and vision. Writing down your core values helps define your driving forces. Reflecting on what matters most in decisions—whether family, honesty, or courage—aligns choices with deeply held beliefs.

The film The Truman Show offers a helpful exercise: Imagine if an audience watched your life for 30 days. What values would you hope they observed in your actions? Accountability, creativity, or respect might top your list, but regardless of what you select, this process helps shape the foundation of your leadership philosophy.

Examples

• Leaders with clear values score 135% higher on trust metrics.
• Reflecting on life for 30 days reveals strengths and guides self-improvement.
• Choosing between a job opportunity and personal time shows alignment with key values, like family or authenticity.

2. Six Values Shape Influential Leadership

Great leaders consistently embody six values: impact, courage, empowerment, growth, class, and self-respect. Living by these values leads to personal and professional transformation while inspiring others.

Impact stands out when leaders recognize others’ abilities, creating trust and positive change. Courage allows leaders to embrace risks, learning and innovating without fear of failure. Empowerment fosters belief in others’ potential, elevating both morale and results. Growth keeps leaders proactive instead of reactive, enabling them to guide others to higher levels. Acting with class ensures kindness and respect, even in chaos, while showing self-respect motivates authentic and confident choices.

Stephanie Dixon’s story captures self-respect beautifully. Despite societal expectations, she embraced living authentically with crutches over using prosthetics that caused her pain. Her leadership inspires others to prioritize authenticity over pleasing others.

Examples

• Recognizing a peer’s effort cultivates a culture of shared leadership.
• Paralympian Stephanie Dixon opted for crutches, valuing comfort over external judgments.
• Risk-taking results in stronger methods and innovative outcomes.

3. Leadership Culture Grows Through Repeated Habits

Leadership culture doesn’t happen by accident—it’s created through deliberate actions informed by personal values. Continually questioning behaviors ensures they reflect your desired identity and goals.

The question-behavior effect supports this idea. By regularly evaluating how your actions align with your values, you reinforce those values over time. Selecting a value like impact means defining clear actions, such as recognizing at least one person’s contribution daily. These small, consistent efforts build a culture of thoughtful and value-driven leadership.

This approach isn’t about grand gestures. For instance, the author’s small but sincere joke during the lollipop moment ended up empowering someone to change their life. Embracing this kind of intentionality allows leaders to foster connections and value-driven work.

Examples

• Asking “What have I done today to recognize someone else’s leadership?” reinforces impact.
• Highlighting coworkers' contributions builds trust and community.
• Small actions like a joke or compliment boost morale and inspire change.

4. Reflection Unlocks Growth

Self-reflection allows leaders to learn from both successes and failures. This growth-oriented mindset focuses on honing skills and building stronger connections with others.

Using reflective tools like the “edge-of-the-bed” question fosters learning and sharing. Imagine sitting by someone’s bedside as they ask, “What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned for happiness?” This exercise encourages leaders to consider their own experiences and stories. Reviewing life lessons helps leaders uncover teaching moments and challenges their personal growth.

Reflection also sharpens focus and reduces regrets. Considering questions like “What did I do to help someone learn today?” encourages accountability and purpose in daily actions.

Examples

• Crafting a list of 30 life lessons identifies values and stories for teaching.
• Asking “What have I done today to teach someone?” nurtures growth.
• Reviewing daily actions fosters accountability and accomplishment.

5. Learn from the Best and Worst Days

Our highest and lowest points reveal a lot about our core values. Reviewing moments of triumph and regret helps clarify what truly matters to us as leaders.

The joy of personal victories comes from honoring values like courage, resilience, or kindness. On the other hand, regret often stems from violating deeply held beliefs, and examining those moments provides lessons moving forward. These experiences help leaders train to stay true to their values and improve behaviors.

For instance, reflecting on a moment when you acted selfishly instead of kindly could reveal significant personal values related to generosity or class. By recognizing these moments, you develop greater awareness and alignment with your ideal self.

Examples

• Success in helping others shows empowerment and courage at work.
• Regret over dishonesty highlights the need to prioritize integrity.
• A proud moment, like completing a tough goal, showcases resilience.

6. Questions Drive Action-Oriented Leadership

The most effective leaders rely on thoughtful, specific questions to guide their actions. Vague questioning leads to incomplete answers and unintentional behaviors, but purposeful phrasing ignites accountability.

For example, vague questions like “Did I help someone?” allow for hollow affirmations. Instead, asking “How did I help someone today?” forces us to articulate specific actions and rituals, strengthening our leadership habits. These sharper questions also inspire others to adopt a similar mindset, resulting in healthier and more aligned environments.

By rephrasing daily prompts, leaders ensure forward momentum in both personal and team growth, creating a ripple effect that motivates continual improvement.

Examples

• Changing “Am I honest?” to “How was I honest today?” enforces integrity through clear examples.
• Team leaders asking “How did we improve?” builds shared accountability.
• Specific phrasing encourages actionable reflection, not passive excuses.

7. Give Away Leadership to Cultivate It

Rather than hoarding power, great leaders amplify the potential of others by entrusting them with leadership opportunities. Recognizing leadership in someone else encourages personal and professional growth.

Highlighting a teammate’s leadership ability carries an enormous impact on morale. For instance, pointing out good ethics in small meetings encourages future confidence and leadership. It also affirms that leadership is an everyday act tied to efforts instead of formal titles.

This inclusive view of leadership ensures sustained growth—both for individuals and organizations. It fosters cultures where recognition and shared empowerment thrive.

Examples

• Acknowledging quiet contributions boosts team spirit.
• Allowing someone to lead a project fosters confidence in their skills.
• Positive feedback, tied to leadership actions, strengthens respect and trust.

8. Focus on Day One to Stay Grounded

Adopting a “Day One” mentality means staying devoted to today’s commitments instead of worrying about past missteps or future uncertainties. This mindset prioritizes clarity and action, ensuring that every action aligns with desired values.

Focused leaders take ownership of their present, using it to cultivate long-term habits. Avoiding complacency leads to a sharper understanding of one’s goals and values, ensuring continued progress.

Starting each day as Day One gives leaders an opportunity to refresh, recommit, and inspire—not just themselves, but others.

Examples

• Stephen Covey’s “Begin with the end in mind” principle aligns goals with values.
• Waking up with clear leadership questions refocuses priorities.
• Regular resets keep motivation alive, no matter past challenges.

9. Kindness is Non-Negotiable

All respected leaders practice kindness and class, no matter how chaotic situations may get. Simple acts of kindness ripple outward, inspiring change while strengthening relationships.

This value is far from optional—treating others well fosters understanding and trust quickly. Even during uncertainty, maintaining this commitment provides stability, respect, and motivation.

The author’s lollipop story illustrates how seemingly insignificant kindness, like a light-hearted joke, influenced someone’s pivotal decision to stay in school. Great leaders recognize these small but meaningful moments.

Examples

• A heartfelt compliment during a tough day inspires positivity.
• Acts of generosity—like buying coffee for a peer—build connections.
• Fair communication keeps teams thriving under pressure.

Takeaways

1. Ask action-oriented leadership questions every morning to align your day with your values.
2. Use reflection at the end of the day to assess how your actions promoted your leadership culture.
3. Commit to recognizing leadership in someone else once a day, building a culture of shared growth and impact.