A few Saturdays ago, my eyes connected with a board member’s and, instantly, I knew we were having the same thoughts: Why am I here? Why do I subject myself to this? These meetings are always more frustrating and hurtful than they need to be.

As quickly as the recognition of those thoughts was the unspoken understanding that we wouldn’t choose anything different. But I couldn’t quite find the words for that . . .

. . . until I saw a 60 Minutes interview with Bob McDonald, the new United States Secretary for Veterans Affairs.

Scott Pelley asks, “When you got the call suggesting this job, I would imagine you would’ve thought, “Oh boy. I’m not sure I need that headache at this point in my life.”

McDonald replies, “My immediate reaction was, “I want to do it.” I feel like my whole life has been designed to lead to this.” And then he recalled the West Point motto ingrained in him as a young man: “Duty, Honor, Country.”

I don’t pretend to have a leadership assignment as critical as our Veterans Affairs, but I do have a sense of duty to the organization for which I’m responsible – to the 200 owners that have invested in us, to the 250+ team members that choose to work with us, and to the thousands of guests that trust us with their treasured family vacations.

My selection to that position was probably just as unlikely as Secretary McDonald’s. You would never have found it on my list of aspirations or goals. Yet, I felt the same “I want to do it” tug.

And I’m betting you’ve felt it too.

You want to lead your family to a better life. You want to lead an organization to change the world. You want to build a business that provides well-paying jobs. You want to provide a successful vision and roadmap for your community.

No matter the direction, if the tug is there, I’m writing for you.

I want the responsibility of leadership, and I want to serve others that want it too. I believe that we must choose to prepare ourselves for leadership excellence. Frankly, the challenges of our time demand it.

Are you in?