The 10 on the Team
Exploring team-ness, collaboration, and connectivity with experts around the world from dynamic and engaging fields
The 10 on the Team
The 10 on the Team: Summer Clayton aka @YourProudDad
THE 10 ON THE TEAM
October 3, 2022
By Jody Thompson
Summer Clayton, also known as @YourProudDad, has appeared on NBC Today and CNN to feature his social media sensation of being a “Digital Dad” to over 4 million followers on TikTok.
The name Summer Clayton, also known as @YourProudDad, might sound familiar from feature interviews on NBC Today and CNN. Summer is a civilian Strength and Conditioning Specialist working for the United States Air Force in Columbus, Mississippi and a “Digital Dad” of over 4 million followers on TikTok (you can catch him on Instagram, too). He is a dessert connoisseur and an amateur photograpgher. We caught up with Summer for the latest 10 on the Team to get his thoughts on teamwork and leadership.
What are 5 qualities of highly effective teams?
Communication, humility, integrity, flexibility, and reliability are my five most important qualities for an effective team.
Of those 5 qualities – is there 1 that is an absolute essential?
Out of these five qualities, I believe humility is the most important.
What facilitates good team communication?
Humility facilitates good communication in that it allows overall cohesiveness to grow. Humility allows individual teammates to comfortably sit in both the teaching and learning roles. A bigger dose of humility allows all roles to easier digest constructive criticism. Humility allows us to step out of our own ways and progress without being burdened by the chains of toxicity.
What is kryptonite to a good team?
Pride is kryptonite to a good team. Pride creates illusions of grandeur. Pride tells self: “I’m too good for...,” “I’m better than...,” “I don’t need...,” “It’s not my job to...” Pride kills growth, but can also dismantle a team in a heartbeat as it can breed resentment.
What are ways in which teams can “grow”/develop their team-ness?
I’ve most always wanted to bond with my team members after the work day or work week. I felt like when I was closer to my teammates it helped me to have more grace when, for example, they showed up late, or were short with me, or had poor communication. As much as we’d like to believe we can “leave our personal lives at the door” when starting work, I’ll bet 99% of us struggle with it. Finding ways to bond as a team allows us to see each other as humans and empathize when things go wrong.
Even with over 4 million followers on social media channels including Instagram and TikTok, your authenticity shines through - how do you preserve this valuable attribute, and what are some suggestions you may have for others seeking to consistently showcase their authentic selves?
I have spent too much of my life caring about what others think of me. Being blessed with a large platform also creates personal accountability as it forces me to lean into being transparent. Maybe sharing who I am, little by little, empowers others to not delay in being themselves. I have a responsibility to lead by the example God gives me in His son Jesus so why not be open and honest. My suggestions for those on a similar journey are a set of questions: “Who is going to be you better than you?,” “Wouldn’t you want others to fall in love/like with you rather than a fake representation?”
You will not be everyone’s cup of tea, similar to how not everyone is your cup of tea. This is normal, and in a way, liberating. Knowing this means that, inevitably the people that are meant for you, will find you. There will be people for the real you, who like you as you are.
CNN recently featured your work for a Father's Day piece (congratulations!) and highlighted a main theme that threads in almost all of your posts - the concept of being proud of others. Why do you think recognition and acknowledgement are so important and what do you think this pride in/for others does for them?
People benefit from reassurance. When parents, coaches, friends and others show pride in us, it helps us assign value to ourselves. It tells us that we are, ”good,” “worthy,” and “competent." These things increase our self-esteem and confidence.
Speaking of your fan and follower base, creating and managing digital content is certainly no easy task, and you’ve shared how you struggle to balance helping everyone that reaches out. What do you do to recharge? What can others learn from your approach?
I am still learning to set healthy boundaries as this is still all relatively new to me. I have to be really intentional with myself and extend grace to myself when I set a boundary on my social media usage. When I am feeling overwhelmed I resolve to set aside time for myself to just use social media for entertainment. Sometimes this means just scrolling and consuming media rather than actively documenting trends or responding to messages or comments. A lot of the time I lean on God to take the burden off of my hands if I know I haven’t been as active corresponding with my social media family.
Be kind to yourself and take things one day at a time. One expression a Naval Chief named Donald Acker once told me was, “Their wins are not your wins, and their losses are not your losses.” This helps me to focus on what I can control, rather than what I can’t.
You kick off your NBC Today interview breaking down some “basics” of parenting, “We are going to clothe you, feed you, make sure you have a roof over your head and that is raising a kid. But there’s a lot of other stuff behind the scenes.” Switching gears a bit, but staying with the same idea - do you see any misunderstood or even outdated “basics” of leadership? How do you think leaders can be more aware of and comfortable with the “behind the scenes stuff”?
The idea that being a leader is simply barking orders and paying your employees is so outdated. The best leaders, I feel, are those that have done and feel comfortable with, and will do the work they assign even if it is not in their job description. Your team wants to see you work alongside them when things get rough. Your team wants to see that you have their back when they’re facing unfair situations. Communicating with your team sets the stage for transparency. When you listen to those that you lead, you’ll find that they follow your lead with less friction. I’m still working on all of these things… it’s all easier said than done.
Sharing a digital meal is one of the cornerstones of your @officialyourprouddad content posts. What is your favorite comfort food or meal to be shared? And, if we were planning a virtual meal, what is a traditional Mississippi specialty you think we need to try?
Mississippi has been home for around three months now and I have yet to find any particular “specialty” that I could highlight. If you think of “the south” as a whole though, I would recommend anyone try a dish called “Gumbo.” Go to a place down south (Louisiana mainly) where it’s too dense to breathe and the mosquitoes are relentless. You’ll find the best Gumbo of your life there. I will say though that I love cake. If I could have cake for every meal without ramifications, I would. That, and danish…yep.