Category Archives: Authentic

“A Christmas Story” Leadership Lesson…

09 Friday Dec 2022

Posted by in A Christmas Story, Actions, Authentic, Christmas, Leader, Leadership

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A few years ago, I wrote in my blog that my three favorite Christmas shows are A Charlie Brown Christmas, Christmas Vacation, and A Christmas Story. I have written about the leadership of the first two in the past. So, to close the trifecta of shows here is the leadership I find in A Christmas Story… 

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Don’t fall for gimmicks

The decoder… Ralphie waited on it to come in the mail. All excited and everything. When it did, a special code on that night’s Little Orphan Annie Radio Show… Ralphie locks himself in the bathroom, stressed out as the anxiety comes to the point of solving the clue… “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine,” it read. The Decoder Scene

To listen to Ralphie’s thoughts and see his face is where we all have been at some time or another. Wanting to believe something was the “real deal” or believing in someone who eventually showed their leadership was a gimmick. We might not know it until the last possible moment, but when we do, we throw it in the garbage. I bet that’s what Ralphie did with the decoder. Like many in leadership, all it is is an ad for a crummy commercial.

Keep dreaming

Ralphie takes many different approaches to getting his Red Rider BB Gun. From planting advertisements in his parent’s magazines, blurting it out at the table while eating, writing a school essay on it, and even telling Santa. Everyone responds the same, “You’ll shoot your eye out.” But somewhere, in all that, his dad made good (he had one when he was eight). The funny thing, though… they were all almost right. Ralphie’s Pursuit of the Red Rider BB gun

People are standing in line to destroy your dreams. It’s up to you if you let them. Your dreams might not work out or come to fruition when you want them to, but keep them from dying because you didn’t quit dreaming. 

Reward the people

It’s a major award. The classic leg lamp. A Statue. Front and center in the living room for all to see. The amber glow. Delivered in a box that spelled “Fragile.” It could be Italian; who knows? A major award. The Leg Lamp

People, by nature, love accolades. Find ways to acknowledge and give them credit. Let them be celebrated. It doesn’t even have to cost anything. Create something… you get the idea; just make sure it’s not lip service. It’s not always about the reward but the acknowledgment of a well-done job. 

Enough is enough

Ralphie, Randy, Flick, and Schwartz were constantly being bullied by Scut and Grover. Day after day, before and after school. The dread of going to school and coming home. Until… Ralphie had had enough. The whole gang and others were watching the unleashing of pure fear and hatred that had been bottled up explode. If Ralphie’s mom hadn’t come, he would still be hitting Scut Farkus. Ralphie’s Fight

No one likes a leadership bully. Contrary to popular belief, they are out there. They are the ones who are using gimmicks to fool you. Leadership bullies lead with fear until they cannot. Anyway… when people have had enough, they have had enough. At some point, they explode. Like Scut Farkus, they have a small following (Grover), and once they get hit, you really get to see how weak they are.  

A Christmas Story is a family favorite for us. We watch it right after Christmas Vacation on Thanksgiving night and whenever it’s on TV. We will find good or bad leadership if we watch shows close enough. 

At any time of the year, the key to leadership is to put others first. It should not take a Christmas season to make that happen. Let the Christmas spirit take hold of your leadership and let others know, see, and feel it. It should be the gift we give others. 

Next week will be my Christmas Thoughts 2022. 

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…

H.O.P.E. – Help One Person Everyday

21 Friday Oct 2022

Posted by in Actions, Authentic, Education, Educational Leadership, Effective, Hope, Leader, Leadership, Teachers, Transformational, Value

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This past Friday, at our weekly Civitan meeting, one of our guest speakers spoke and, while speaking, used the acrostic H.O.P.E. for Help One Person Everyday.

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When he said that, my leadership radar immediately went off, and I knew I could somehow get that in a blog. So, here we go…

If we dig into the word “hope,” we find that it comes from the old English “hopian,” which means a positive expectation. To me, it sounds like “hope in,” which is what we do when we hope. We place our hope in someone, something that changes the way we want an outcome; for ourselves or others.

If everything is working nicely, hope is really not in the conversation. However, we use hope to navigate for a specific outcome when challenges appear. I believe hope goes along with transformational leadership. Many times in leadership, we want hope for ourselves. That’s not a bad thing, per se. We hope this happens or does not happens. But when we truly serve with transformational leadership, we also hope for others. We create an inspiration that transcends into many facets of authenticity.

In leadership, our role should be to help others, and we should do that every day. I see too many leaders using others instead of helping. I see too many leaders who put themselves first instead of others. I see… you get the idea. When we help one person everyday, we acknowledge and give value to a belief of greater good.

H.O.P.E. works in all areas of leadership. It also works in education. That is what school leaders and teachers should do. We have buildings and classrooms full of students. Many students who need help, not only in the curriculum of the subject but in finding value in themselves. As educational leaders, we can do that. So many students go all day without being acknowledged. So many students need positive correction to understand that they can have value. This is what educating the whole child is about, and it is one area I believe education is failing.

Hope is needed. H.O.P.E. is also needed. We all need hope, and we all need help. Transformational leadership works because when we help others, we help ourselves; how I wish more leaders understood this. When we help one person everyday, society gets better. Let’s be both hope and H.O.P.E. today. Go Help One Person Everyday.

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…

Go Along to Get Along… Not so much…

25 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in Actions, Authentic, Choice, Courage, Decisions, Insecurity, Leader, Leadership

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Bob Marley wrote a song titled One Love, and one of the lines is… “Let’s get together and feel alright.” Does anyone remember that? Sorry if that is stuck in your head now… Anyway, too often in leadership, that is what is wanted. Leaders are saying, “Let’s get together and say that you agree, and we will all feel alright.” Have you ever been in that conversation? Well, I call that… Go along to get along mentality.

Go along to get along… I found this definition on the internet of this idiom… To conform to general expectations so as not to disrupt or endanger one’s sense of security or belonging or to agree with others or do what they want in order to preserve harmony. Is it the right thing to do? Is it ok for you to speak up if you disagree? Will you be labeled as one of those who does not fall in line? You look around the table, and everyone is in agreement, knowing that half of them are thinking the same thing that you are but unwilling to be “that person.”

I think it boils down to the security or insecurity of the leader and of you as well. Why do we live in a society where we must put our values aside to “keep the peace?” Now, I’ll be the first to say that we should major on the majors and let the minor stuff stay minor. I also believe that we must choose our battles, per se. However, when the line in the sand has to be put on notice… This is where insecure leaders are not welcoming of others’ questions or suggestions and forbid a disagreement, for they feel they are always correct in their own infinite wisdom. They want everyone to go along… Leadership that carries this mantle only wants the “yes” people.

In his first inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson stated, “Every difference of opinion was not and could not be a difference of principle.” But guess what… That is exactly what happens when we set aside our voice when we are asked or sometimes told… go along. Finding value in what we know instead of what we think carries greater leadership responsibility. Truth becomes irrelevant when someone’s personal agenda takes priority. But yet… this is said, “I need you all to go along with this…” Strong, secure leaders put what is right ahead of their personal feelings for the greater good. It takes courage.

I acknowledge that there might be a person and charge that makes the final decision, and that is their prerogative. But when they limit the thoughts of others, they steal what could be. I’m pretty sure I’m not the “go along to get along” person. Are you? There will always be a reason why or why not, and you are the only one who can answer…

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…

National School Counseling Week…

11 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in Actions, Amazing, Appreciation, Attention, Authentic, Counseling, Effective, Encouragement, Intentional, Kindness, Promotion, Purpose, Servant, Sincerity, Value

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This week, February 7-11, is National School Counseling Week. According to the American School Counselors Association, the emphasis is to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. Well, I just happen to know a school counselor who fits that emphasis quite well.

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Let me introduce you to a school counselor I know. She is a school counselor with 21 years of experience. What she does day in and day out amazes me. Of all the things she does, the one that amazes me the most is that she takes an intentional interest in every student in the school building. Along with that, there are individual and small groups, peer leadership, helping with after-school clubs, scheduling, new student meetings, parent meetings, student plans, encouragement, etc… you get the idea…

I don’t really remember school counselors growing up. I do not remember one in elementary or middle school. If we had one, I did not know. We had one in high school, but all I thought he did was make out our student schedules. His name was Mr. Leonard. He and I talked about baseball cards a lot, and my senior year, he was our assistant baseball coach.

Anyway, as I think about what this school counselor does and her role as a school counselor, I can see her passion for promoting it. She works after hours at home and during the summers. So many things are behind the scenes. She is a staunch advocate for what the definition of a school counselor should be. Most importantly, she is for all students and their success.

I’m not sure about all the counselors out there, but I do know a good many. Those who are successful have a servant’s heart and a genuine concern for students’ social and emotional needs. And I think to myself, isn’t that what educators and all of education should also do?

Over time, I have seen many counselors who impact not only at the school but also in the community. In many ways, they are the unsung heroes of schools. Since this is National High School Counselors Week, tell your counselors thank you. I’m pretty sure they will appreciate it.

And by the way, for those who do not know the school counselor I talking about, it’s Heather, and I’m married to her, and she’s the counselor at Sumner Hill Junior High School in the Clinton Public School District. For those who know us, many say she is a great counselor because she lives a daily practicum of counseling me… and they are probably right. But, nonetheless… she’s a great school counselor.

Happy National High School Counselors Week to the school counselors who make a difference. The value you bring makes changes in many lives.

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…