Category Archives: Decisions

I’ve got change in my pocket? More change than I realize…

28 Friday Jul 2023

Posted by in Actions, Change, Decisions, Education, Educational Leadership, Effective, Embrace, Encouragement, Leader, Leadership, Relationships, Servant, Teachers, Value

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The summer sun is still high in the sky, pouring down heat that makes thermometers sweat. Some of us have started the new school year with a new change that brings, well… change. Yet, regardless of the start time, many things remain the same.

For students, parents, and educators alike, this period marks a fresh beginning, a chance to set new goals, and an opportunity to make the most of the academic journey ahead, developing future success now.

The start of a new school year is set in motion by what was recently achieved or not the previous year, and that goes for everyone in the school business. What a teacher, administration, or students previously did or did not do carries an effect into the new year, but each has an opportunity to wipe clean the past year, per se, and start anew.

Every new year brings change; embracing the change is up to you. Your effective leaders are going to be the ones who can. Adapting is a key concept while remaining open-minded and having perspective is a mindset that fosters a positive attitude. Something that is much needed in schools today.

Change brings an opportunity to kindle a new curiosity for what will come our way. To see more clearly, to rediscover a passion for how things should be. That is what the new school year brings. All involved in education should have a new thirst for doing and being better than before. Improving our motivation for continued success, creating an even more sense of purpose and responsibility.

Leadership is not just about individual achievements; it’s also about fostering collaboration and teamwork. The more things that can be done for the good of all by serving sends the message that a oneness exists among faculty and staff. This alone helps others embrace change more than anything else.

Change can also bring about an opportunity to exhibit empathy and support. Mistakes might happen, but I have yet to meet an educator who was in education for the right reasons mess up on purpose. If leaders want everyone to feel valued and encouraged, they need to model kindness, show gratitude, and not lead with a “me” mentality.

The new school year has started and at different times for each of us. We have the capability to change more than we realize. If we can always be for others, then change can be the helping tool others might need. That is what education should be about.

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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Leadership and Warning Labels – What is your message?

21 Friday Apr 2023

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Authentic, Conflict, Consistency, Decisions, Education, Educational Leadership, Influence, Insecurity, Integrity, Kindness, Leader, Leadership, Passive-Agressive, Perception, Perceptions, Sensitive

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When is the last time you read a warning label on a product? Some are quite funny, while others seem plain dumb with the question, “Who would do that anyway?” But nonetheless, they are printed right there on the product (fine print sometimes).

Here are just a few…
A cup of coffee – Caution, content may be hot.
Hairdryer – Do no use while sleeping
Wheelbarrow – Not intended for highway use
Baby Stroller – Remove child before folding
Nyquil – May cause drowsiness

You get the idea. I often wonder who made the particular blunder for that specific warning label?

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Segue to leadership…
It is often said that perception is not reality. But can everybody be wrong? A very good friend of mine says, “Everybody can’t be wrong about the same thing.” Perception becomes a way of understanding or interpreting things. At the same time, reality is the state of things as they actually exist rather than as they may be perceived or might be imagined. That said, what if we had a warning label about us for others to see printed right there on the package, that package being us?

Here might be a few…
Warning:
Do not think on your own – I micromanage
Do not disagree with me – I am moody
Do not cause conflict – I am insecure
Do not outshine me – I am passive-aggressive
Do not have a different opinion – I am highly flammable
Please handle with care – I get my feelings hurt easily
Be a yes person – If you are not, I will find fault
I’m sure you can add to the list…

How refreshing would it be if these warning labels were reversed?
Warning:
Think on your own – I delegate
It’s ok to disagree with me – Does not mean that you are wrong
Sometimes there will be conflict – I will not run from it, and I will support you
Outshine me – The better you are, the better we are
Have a different opinion – I encourage diverse thinking
Please handle with honesty – I will not get my feelings hurt easily
Do not be a yes person – I do not want minions around me

However, I believe the leadership we lead with does carry labels. You might say, “Well, that’s not how I lead,” or “I don’t care what someone else thinks.” But at the same time, we would quickly say that’s not the reputation we want. Well, is everyone wrong, then?

What are you doing to ensure that you have positive leadership labels instead of warning labels? In the end, we are all wearing some type of leadership label. The question is, what does your leadership label say about you?

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.

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

Keeping A Hold On Your Foundation…

24 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by in Actions, Circumstances, Decisions, Foundation, Leader, Leadership, Perseverance

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Over spring break, Heather and I drove down to Natchez just to mess around and see a few landmarks that Greg Iles, a Natchez, MS, author, uses in his books. On the way back, we stopped by the Rocky Springs site on the Natchez Trace and walked a few trails. One trail we hiked was way in the back to the old deserted town of what was Rocky Springs.

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As we walked around, I saw this great looking tree. As I looked longer, I wondered how many years of eroding had occurred. I also looked at the roots of the tree. As you can see, they are still digging down into the soil. I looked up and down the tree and noticed how alive it was. Outside of something happening irregularly, I figure the tree will not die anytime soon.

So, I decided to take a picture. I thought it was just cool looking, and then I got to thinking as we hiked… The tree represents the leadership life that many live. How? I’m glad you asked.

How many leaders do you know that are still surviving after someone else tried to erode the foundation under them? Those leaders, who had strong roots, have stretched their roots into the soil beneath them and chosen to continue thriving. It seems that, as with eroding, those others just simply wear away at your foundation. Little by little, over time, their short-sightedness toward others’ leadership has weathered away many good people.

Actually, we see it in all aspects of society. There are so many “out there” who do everything they can to erode your foundation for what you stand for from beneath you. They will challenge your beliefs, your ethics, your values, your… And when it happens, those same roots must stay strong and continue to dig, sometimes way down, to find new soil, grab hold, and stand.

I have no idea how old that tree is, but I know it has stood the test of time thus far. It has taken everything thrown at it, even the erosion to take the foundation from under. Yet, it still stands. A favorite quote of mine is, “Make sure your feet are planted in the right place; you never know when you will have to stand firm.”

Ultimately, that’s what real leaders have to do, stand firm. Let your roots stay established and continue to grow. I’m not sure when I will return to the Rocky Springs site again, but if I do, I think I’ll stop to see how the old tree is doing…

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.

Guard Your Attention…

24 Friday Feb 2023

Posted by in Actions, Attention, Choice, Deciding, Decisions, Importance, Intentional, Leader, Leadership

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Scrolling through my Twitter feed the other day, I noticed a post regarding “guard your attention.” The post stated that television screens are beginning to appear in elevators showing the latest news worldwide. It went on to say that it was mostly bad news being offered and that if we don’t guard our attention, we can become consumed by the negativity surrounding everything of such nature.

As I thought about that and what all went along with it, I wondered how much of what I do “gets” my attention. Like all those bad snacks I enjoy, especially late at night, what I put into my stomach is as unhealthy as what I put into my mind and, ultimately, my heart. When my mind and heart get distracted, it can threaten everything and everyone around me. The world and society are ready to tear us down.

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For me, guarding my attention is not giving in to wanting to shift focus. How do you do that? Well, it continues to be a work in progress. That’s why we guard. The first line of defense is just a matter of saying NO, not going there.

Our attention is a limited resource, per se, especially in leadership. We only have so much we can pay attention to. But we continue to give it away to trivial matters that bear no fruit for our lives. Often I think about guarding our attention like managing money. When I allocate my attention, what kind of return do I get? Is it something that will profit me or something that could cause financial hardships or ruin? I like having money in my pocket, so I must make certain my attention is on what can strengthen my account.

Do we even realize how much is out there; the voices, the visuals, the… it can wear you out, and it does. It’s like silly putty and the stretch man toy; pulled in all directions and gets bent out of shape. If we do not guard our attention, it will be a hostile takeover of our minds. Let’s do what we need to set the boundary and draw the line in the sand that guards our attention and tells everyone and everything, “You shall not pass” (think Gandalf in LOTR).

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.