Category Archives: Expectations

United or Divided? (A Re-post)

26 Friday Jun 2020

Posted by in Agenda, Attitude, Change, Character, Conversations, Courage, Crisis, Culture, Expectations, Freedom, Future, Honest, Humility, Inspiration, Integrity, Intentions, Leader, Leadership, Listening, Love, Purpose, Reflection, Relationships, Sincerity, Trust, Understanding, Unity, Value

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For what it is worth, I am not a fan of “reposting” my blogs. However, I am reposting the blog “United or Divided” today. This blog was originally written on January 26, 2018. I believe that leadership stands and transcends time and many other things and ideas as well.

When I wrote the blog the first time, it was written with the idea that we are in a crossroads of education. Now, as a Nation, we are as well. 

Only one sentence I will add for the blog is this…  “We, as people, must find our likeness in Christ for healing to begin and to sustain.” 

I hope you enjoy the re-post.

Below you will find the lyrics to the new song by Christian artist, Mandisa, “Bleed The Same.” The other day I heard it for the first time on KLOVE riding down the road. Like many things, it made me start thinking…

We say this, and we say that, only to get and keep the same results. We say we want more or better, but we do not put the effort in to change. Many times we might even be influenced by others who do not want to change. I/we want to…. I/we wish… I/we… The “want list” just goes on and on.

When it comes to the lives we live, they are the sum collections of thoughts created from experience or instilled as a way of life. However, the funny thing is, we are all in this together. At some point, we must acknowledge that everything in one way or another, affects everything else. The ripple effect might have diminished very small by the time it got to us but rippled it did.

Our world of humanity has its foundations based on morality. Sooner, rather than later, we should all know the difference between right and wrong. Yet we continue to make the same choices that enable our lives to stay the same, while at the same time always wanting more or better. The system can only be blamed so much. The issue becomes that we want the spotlight on others and their faults. We never want to turn the spotlight on ourselves. The last thing we want is for our inadequacies to be shown in the light.

I figure the best way to handle all of this, is to start with me. What am I doing to make it better? The “it” is anything that divides. It is united we stand. Can we (you, I, whoever) choose to work for a greater good? How many times does each of us have that one opportunity to do just that? Actually we have many opportunities.  We just wait on someone else.

As you read the lyrics below, I would dare say that each of us would agree with everything it says. So many solid truths. Whatever change you want, let it start with you. Most of all, let others see it. Go out and prove it. Your essence of leadership does one of the two… it unites or divides.

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

 

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2018 J Clay Norton

©2020 J Clay Norton (edited)

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If you want to listen to the song, click here:

 

We all bleed the same
We’re more beautiful when we come together
We all bleed the same
So tell me why, tell me why
We’re divided

Woke up today
Another headline
Another innocent life is taken
In the name of hatred
So hard to take (hey!)
And if we think that it’s all good
Then we’re mistaken
‘Cause my heart is breaking

Are you left?
Are you right?
Pointing fingers, taking sides
When are we gonna realize?

We all bleed the same
We’re more beautiful when we come together
We all bleed the same
So tell me why, tell me why
We’re divided
If we’re gonna fight
Let’s fight for each other
If we’re gonna shout
Let love be the cry
We all bleed the same
So tell me why, tell me why
We’re divided

Tell me, who are we
To judge someone
By the kind of clothes they’re wearing
Or the color of their skin?

Are you black? (black)
Are you white? (white)
Aren’t we all the same inside? (the same inside)
Father, open our eyes to see!

We all bleed the same (we all bleed the same)
We’re more beautiful when we come together
We all bleed the same (we all bleed the same)
So tell me why, tell me why
We’re divided
If we’re gonna fight
Let’s fight for each other (fight for each other!)
If we’re gonna shout
Let love be the cry (be the cry!)
We all bleed the same (we all bleed the same)
So tell me why, tell me why
We’re divided

Only love can drive out all the darkness
What are we fighting for?
We were made to carry one another
We were made for more, said
Only love can drive out all the darkness
What are we fighting for? yeah
We were made to carry one another
We were made for more!

We all bleed the same (we all bleed the same)
We’re more beautiful when we come together (let’s stand united!)
We all bleed the same (we all bleed the same)
So tell me why, tell me why
We’re divided
If we’re gonna fight
Let’s fight for each other (fight for each other!)
If we’re gonna shout
Let love be the cry (be the cry!)
We all bleed the same(we all bleed the same) (bleed the same)
Let’s stand united (let’s stand united)
Let’s stand united!

So Father God, I pray
That our families will come together right now
And seek Your face
You will forgive our sins
And You will heal our incredible land
In the name of the only Savior, Jesus Christ
Amen

Yo-Yo Leadership…

06 Thursday Feb 2020

Posted by in Actions, Authentic, Communication, Courage, Culture, Engagement, Essence, Expectations, Humility, Leader, Leadership, Message, Purpose, Servant, Sincerity, Understanding, Value

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We can all agree or should, at least, that leadership is not about popularity. Oh, but how many “leaders,” think and lead that way.  You know them…

What begins as, hopefully, a genuine desire to serve others in leadership soon can become nothing more than an act of impressing others. If a leader’s leadership depends on the applause and approval of others, the genuineness, or lack of, is so apparent, people get blindsided because of it. And there lies the problem….

I read something the other day about popularity being similar to a yo-yo. I thought it was funny because we all know some yo-yos. Yo-yo up, yo-yo down. Now, it has been a while since I toyed around with a yo-yo, but as I reflect, I can definitely see how the analogy takes true. As the yo-yo goes down, gravity takes over, everything is natural. As the yo-yo comes back up, it is drawn back with a force of having to get back to the top.

As I thought more about popularity and the yo-yo, I transferred the concept to leadership. Does your leadership, naturally work, or are you leading because of a controlling force? And the most critical question to answer today is, “Is that controlling force your wanting to be liked?” When things are going well, we strut and swag; when not, we drop our head and mope. When your wanting to be liked becomes the “want of your day,” nothing good happens. It makes you miserable (it should) and others around you miserable.

Let people like you because they see true leadership in you. It seems that a reoccurring theme in my blogs is talking about “being for others.” I think we should; why would we not? But it is tough to be for others when we are for ourselves first. It goes back to a thought I had the other day… “Finding value in what we know instead of what we think carries greater leadership responsibility.” Lead because you know… If we do not, how can we ask for society to grow to be better leaders? Be popular becasue you are respected, not the other way around. Bottom line… Do not be a yo-yo leader!

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2020 J Clay Norton

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My “Christmas Vacation” Tree Good Intentions…

13 Friday Dec 2019

Posted by in Character, Christmas, Expectations, Intentions, Know Your Why, Leader, Leadership

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In keeping with the theme of Christmas for December’s blogs, let’s think of the topic of good intentions with a story from my Christmas past.

Have you ever started out thinking something would be a really great idea? Yep, me too. Stay with me, there is leadership in this…

The first year of our marriage, Heather and I did the Christmas Vacation thing. On the first weekend of December, we loaded up in my truck and went to get a real Christmas tree, even singing Christmas carols (“Deck the Halls” in my best Clark Griswold impression) on the way there. We went to a Christmas tree farm out in the country somewhere and actually cut a tree down. We walked up and down row after row until we said, “There it is, the ‘Norton family’ Christmas tree.”  The tree farm even gave us a saw, so I did not have to pull the tree out by the roots. We were proud of our accomplishment.  We were going to do our first Christmas right, real tree and all the trimmings.  It was going to be the “Hap, happiest Christmas of all.”

Remember how we started this story? Good intentions…

When we got back home (one-bedroom apartment), we lugged our tree upstairs. Now… this is the part where the good intentions come in. Someone had told Heather that if you put sugar-water in the tree stand, it would make your tree stay green and fresh longer. So, we did. What we did not know is that with full sun, sugar-water will begin to ferment. And guess what, we had our tree placed in front of the double full-length french doors that provided full sun most of the day. Needless to say, after a few days, we would begin to ask, “You smell something?”

About two weeks before Christmas, I was putting a present under the tree and actually got a whiff of what was going on down there in the bowls of the tree-stand. What I found was what cousin Eddie told Clark, “Just a real nice surprise.” The sugar-water had fermented and almost turned to a solid. The smell was so bad, I nearly knocked myself out trying to get up from under the tree. If fumes had color, our tree would have been emitting something green like the disposable waste of cousin Eddie’s RV in the sewer or the Grinch’s bad breath.

That same weekend, we undecorated our tree, threw it out over the balcony to haul it off later. The tree’s “bad breath” had even contaminated the wrapping paper of the presents. We had to unwrap and rewrap all the gifts (I needed a HazMat suit), and spray a massive amount of air freshener. Fortunately, we did not have to file an insurance claim to fumigate.

Good intentions are what they are, good intentions. As leaders, we should show up and provide good intentions every day. However, we must make sure that they are on the right side and can make a positive impact on the greater good. Intentions should be based on the test of time and values.

As leaders, we also need to be conscious of our intent. With every intent, there is always a motive. We just wanted a tree that would stay fresh and green longer. In the end, our “why” was on the good side. The “why” of intentions will always show a leader’s true character.

As I look back, we really had good intentions for our first Christmas tree. Now, we just laugh and ask, “Remember when?” However, it just did not work out. What I learned, though, is never to have a live tree again. By the way, we did not get another tree that first year.

Hoping each and every one of you and your families has a great Christmas season…

 

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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Be Amazed…

30 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in Actions, Amazing, Desire, Effective, Expectations, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Useful, Value

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When was the last time you were amazed at someone’s leadership? Now, I realize that is a loaded question. You might ask, “What type of leadership, good or bad?” That is a question that is definitely worth asking. Let’s focus on being amazed at good leadership for today’s blog.

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Do you ever stop, pause, and think to consider why good leaders are good? Do you look at the details of what, why, and how they lead? Better question… do you experience joy when good leadership takes place? I would say that we all do unless we are wrapped up in an agenda of self. I would also say that we experience sadness when bad leadership takes place and sometimes even regret.

We live in a culture that continually pulls away from recognizing and responding to what and where leadership is. It seems that we are so amazed at good, quality leadership when it takes place because there is so much lousy leadership. In every event, leaders produce leadership. The goal of producing amazing leadership is to highlight the wonders and inspire others. Why? Because that is what good leadership does.

A few thoughts we should consider…

  • Let’s discover how valuable amazing leadership really is and to find a way to obtain it for our lives for the areas we lead.
  • Let’s find a passion for participating in amazing leadership and let it be servant-based and intentional.
  • Let’s use amazing leadership as a means that enables us to cultivate a productive leadership life toward others.

Knowing about amazing leadership does little good if we do not take the time to actually recognize its worth and significance. The gift of amazing leadership includes the desire and energy to go and do likewise. Unknowingly, it starts as a small ripple in a still stream that eventually rushes forth to an immense waterfall that people will stand, watch, and be in awe. They will be amazed!

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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