Category Archives: Andy Griffith

Context in Leadership? It’s Needed!

27 Friday Oct 2023

Posted by in Actions, Andy Griffith, Consistency, Contentment, Context, Empower, Leader, Leadership

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Currently, I’m reading Simply Trinity by Matthew Barrett. While it is a book on understanding the theology of the Trinity, it’s easy to find leadership in almost everything if you look.

Barrett’s statement in the book was a quote by D. A. Carson, “A text without context is a pretext for a prooftext.” I had to reread that statement about three times and even reread the section leading into it to wrap my thoughts together. Once I tied a knot around it, I wondered how often this happens with everyday leadership? How many times do leaders miss the context?

context-2021-Aug12

I think there is profound significance in the statement. It underscores the importance of understanding that leadership is not just about following a set of rules or adhering to a fixed flow chart of “what happens when” but about comprehending the nuances in which leadership decisions are made. A situation taken out of context becomes a pretext that needs proof.

Every day, leaders wake up, get into their leadership vehicle, and ride the day’s journey. Very few times is the journey the same. When traveling, the scenery of the landscape always changes. Your really good leaders are those who can effectively navigate the road. With so many twists and turns, an awareness of context is required. What works once in a situation may not be appropriate in another; context is essential.

For my Andy Griffith Show fans, take this into context… 🙂

Deputy Barney Fife… We all know those in leadership positions who are rigid and only adhere to that flow chart of “what happens when” without ever considering the context. When this happens, they overlook that context is a dynamic and evolves. This is where the “pretext for a proof text” comes into play. Failing to acknowledge the context, leaders find themselves attempting to apply a “one-size-fits-all” solution, and we all know how that works out. They lead with a control mindset which is often out of fear. Leaders who believe they are truly in control only lead to poor decision making.

Sheriff Andy Taylor… Successful leaders recognize the ever-changing nature of leadership. They take the time to understand their context and adapt their approach accordingly. This adaptability is what sets them apart. It allows them to draw upon their knowledge and experience, much like a prooftext, to provide relevant and effective guidance.

Also, effective leaders understand that context ain’t (bad grammar to prove a point) solely about external factors. It also involves understanding the unique perspectives, strengths, and weaknesses of the individuals they lead. This seems to be a lost commodity in leadership everywhere right now. By not understanding, they will never be able to hone their leadership approach to motivating and empowering others. “A text without context is a pretext for a proof text” wraps up a critical truth in leadership. True leadership goes beyond a rule book. It involves the ability to interpret and respond to the journey. Effective leaders understand this. Knowing the context of a situation is like having a blank sheet of paper, where leaders can write their leadership with an awareness that sets them apart.

Basically, lead like Andy, not Barney…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2023 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

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It’s about the one who wields it…

31 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by in Actions, Andy Griffith, Attention, Attitude, Character, Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Inspiration, Intentions, Leader, Leadership, Servant, Unity, Useful, Value, Vision

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I saw the below tweet on Twitter the other day…
“A stone in evil hands killed Abel. A stone in righteous hands killed Goliath. It’s not about the stone; it’s about the one who wields it.”

hand-black-and-white-finger-rock

As I read that, I thought, “Man, this is good stuff.” And, of course, it got me thinking…

I’m sure there are numerous analogies one can use instead of stone in the hands of either, but I thought immediately about the tongue, the pen, and, ultimately, leadership.

My mom had a Rudyard Kipling quote cross-stiched in our house growing up, “Keep your words short and sweet, for you do not know the ones one day you will eat.” (many have been attributed to that quote). Yes, there have been many a person who cannot wield the tongue. I think of the Andy Griffith episode where Andy tries to catch his words back after a conversation with Ellie. He fictitiously grabs them out of the air and pretends to eat them, saying how bad they taste. The tongue with the right mindset can create a beautiful oration of eloquence. Alternatively, it will speak with a forked tongue of divisiveness, manipulating meaning to justify one’s own means.

The pen… I am fascinated with people who can write well. The nuance of language can move emotions when sentences begin to flow. No wonder, English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, stated, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” a metonymic adage indicating that the written word is more effective than violence as a means of social or political change. However, we also see the pen as a means to direct harm toward others, especially when words are written by one hiding behind a keyboard. False accusations, slander, you get the idea.

And leadership… Yes, leadership in the hands of an evil person causes more damage than can be imagined. With a me, my, mine mindset, the complete culture of an organization can be wiped away. Leadership in the hands, and I will use the word righteous, person shows servant-based, others first, a we, us, ours mindset. Edifying the body of an organization where others feel welcomed, not threatened. Where the culture reciprocates the empowerment of ownership. We have all seen and/or been part of leadership in the right or wrong hands, and we have felt the result of such.

It’s about the one who wields it… Powerful, indeed.

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2023 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

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Two Important Dates On My Calendar… Charlie Brown and Andy Griffith

07 Friday Oct 2022

Posted by in Andy Griffith, Appreciation, Charlie Brown, Entertainment, Leader, Leadership

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This past week held two days on my calendar of significance. October 2 and 3. I am somewhat amazed at the calendar dates now. It seems every day is now a national day of whatever… I believe it is a conspiracy theory for Hallmark to make more money for cards that someone in your family will eventually throw away.

Anyway, October 2, 1950, and October 3, 1960. Both dates are significant for the value they not only bring me but also to our family and many others, I would hope.

October 2, 1950, the Peanuts (Charlie Brown) comic strip ran for the first time.

FirstPeanutsStrip

So, here are a few tidbits you might not know about Peanuts, created by Charles Schulz…

  • Peanuts started out as Li’l Folks by Schulz, but that name was sold even though it featured the forerunners of the Peanuts characters. The United Feature Syndicate decided on Peanuts, although Schulz did not like it. He wanted the name to be Good Old Charlie Brown.
  • Snoopy is named after a black and white dog Schulz had growing up named Spike (who became Snoopy’s brother). Snoopy became Snoopy after Schulz’s mom said they should name their next dog Snoopy.
  • Charlie Brown’s crush on the Little Red-Haired Girl is based on a lady Schulz had a crush on who worked in the accounting department of the school where Schulz taught drawing lessons. The relationship did not work out, leaving both Schulz and the future Charlie Brown crushed. The Little Red-Haired Girl never appears in the comic strip. Also, while working at the school, Schulz befriended a gentleman named… Charlie Brown.
  • In 1968, Schulz introduced his comic strip’s first black character, Franklin, whose father was a soldier in the Vietnam War. Another character, a yellow bird called Woodstock, was named for the 1969 landmark music festival.

October 3, 1960, a day that will live in television history, The Andy Griffith Show first aired.

andy title

When all else fails, and you have to just watch TV, and there is nothing on, you can always watch Andy. Our family loves Andy. Outside of Heather and Breana, my parents, my brother, I have three friends (Allen, Mark, and Norm) on speed dial for Andy Griffith trivia.

So, here are a few tidbits you might not know about The Andy Griffith Show…

  • Barney, Don Knotts, only had a contract for one episode. He was not supposed to be a regular. I sure am glad he worked out.
  • Aunt Bee and Andy did not like each other nor get along while filming the show. Not until very late in life did Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) apologize.
  • Andy was supposed to be the funny one on the show, not Barney.
  • Andy’s real-life wife, Barbara, had a small role in the episode “Barney and the Choir.”
  • The barber, Floyd Lawson (Howard McNear), suffered a severe stroke after the first season. That’s why we see Floyd sitting most of the time in all the other episodes.
  • The maps behind Andy’s desk are upside-down maps of Idaho and Nevada.
  • Ron Howard’s (Opie) dad was the governor’s chauffeur in the episode “Barney and the Governor.”
  • Two of Andy’s girlfriends, Helen Crump and Peggy McMillan, lived in the same little house with the white picket fence marked “323” on the show.

Anyway… Peanuts and The Andy Griffith Show, October 2 and 3, back-to-back write-ins on my calendar. Peanuts and The Andy Griffith Show have brought everything from a balance of humor and melancholy of life to leadership lessons. Both give stories of characters offering lessons about happiness, friendship, setbacks, perseverance, and life itself. In some ways, a moral compass. It’s amazing how we can identify with so many characters of both or know of people who definitely can. I see a lot of Lucys and way too many Barneys in the world. I wish more people in leadership positions led like Charlie Brown and Andy, by just doing what is right by people. We need more friends like Linus, and the slow-down of Mayberry would be a nice feeling to experience.

We spend much of our time quoting the greats of history, the philosophers, the theologians, the poets, etc. Well, I do as well. But the funny thing is, I find myself quoting the characters of Peanuts and The Andy Griffith Show a lot of the time as well. Especially when I or someone around me unintentionally find ourselves living out a memory moment from a frame of the comic strip or a scene from the show. I have written enough for you to read today, so I will Nip it in the bud…

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…