Category Archives: Importance

You Have One Job… Thoughts from the Movie “1917”

17 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by in Actions, Agenda, Courage, Decisions, Heroes, Importance, Intentions, Leader, Leadership, Obedience, Perseverance, Purpose, Sacrifice, Trust

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This past weekend we went to see the new movie 1917. I am not a movie critic by nature, but 1917 is well worth your time to see. The leadership which takes place and seen in the film is powerful, and that is what I want to discuss today.

Quick synopsis… “During World War I, two British soldiers — Lance Cpl. Schofield and Lance Cpl. Blake — receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time, they must cross over into enemy territory to deliver a message that could potentially save 1,600 of their fellow comrades — including Blake’s own brother.” – retrieved from “1917 movie synopsis” Google search.

Take-a-ways… Without telling parts of the movie (in case you have not seen it, if you have, hopefully, these will resonate).

Schofield and Blake had one job…

1. When a person is determined to get a job done, they will go beyond sacrifice and defy obstacles to ensure that the job is completed.

2. A person with a vested interest will go further than someone who is not. Sometimes, it just means more.

3. Quality leadership is about seeing the end result, and it is defined with a purpose. Quality leaders do not get “caught up” with the distractions around them.

4. Sometimes you have to hold on to a partner to find your way and have faith when they tell you to jump even if you cannot see.

Obviously, there are more take-a-ways, but these four were significant while I watched the movie and pondered them afterward. Even if you have not seen the movie, these four thoughts can be and should be part of the excellent leadership characteristics that you need for yourself and want for others.

With anything, as in the movie, leadership is about trust in those who lead and those who carry out orders. Wherever you are in your leadership, be the leader who looks out for others. Leadership is not always life or death, but it always affects the lives of others.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2020 J Clay Norton

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What is the message I am teaching?

18 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by in Actions, Balance, Clarity, Communication, Humility, Importance, Leader, Message, Relationships, Servant, Teachers, Value

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How many of us, when we first started teaching, spoke a different message than we do now? When it comes to teaching, many teachers are “talking” way further down the road, then they are actually “walking.”

The struggle for many is that we are talking so much and in so many areas where students cannot hear our message. Or do they? The contrast of what is heard between not saying something and saying something is profound, and our students are listening.

Any given day, we can point to areas where we know our teaching has not caught up to the truth we are speaking and sharing with others. It is at this point in time we must remember the idealist mission we first started with. I believe the challenge of our message is, “Are we doing right with and by students?” In all humbleness, we teach to grow and serve students to be more and better than they realize they can be.

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Deep down, we know what a message of teaching should sound like. We know about pedagogy, methodology, classroom management, best-practices… and since we know these things, we automatically think we have them. But, do we know about teaching the message of kindness, patience, fairness… yes, we know about these as well, but we do not automatically have them.

The message we speak for our students carry beyond the time we have them in class. We can make all the necessary changes here and there to make ourselves better teachers. However, if we do not find a platform on which to stand for our students, and actually hold them accountable and be for them, the platform we stand on is not any better than trying to stand on a 2×4 in the ocean.

Being a quality teacher is teaching a message that gives credibility to others and as a byproduct, credibility to you in return. This message must be part of ourselves and not lip service. Let your “walk” and “talk” catch up with each other.  Everyone will be better for it.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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Avoiding A Leadership Decline…

27 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by in Actions, Authentic, Choice, Consistency, Decisions, Decline, Importance, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Relationships, Servant

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Why is it that many times a leader starts out providing excellent leadership and then over time, people begin to wonder what happens? Well, I have a lot of thoughts for that, but we can save that for another blog topic.

Unfortunately, it happens. I believe a leadership decline happens when leaders start thinking about themselves more than others. The focus of arrogance instead of serving corrupts not only the leader but others as well to the point that no one has any pleasure in being associated with the leadership provided.

Leaders who begin to decline harden their hearts toward others who oppose or challenge the norm. They become cold in their relationships and provide a horrible example to follow. Being “right” about something is different than “having” to be right.

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So… how do we avoid being a leader who flirts with the slippery slope of decline?

Treat your leadership seriously

Nothing taints good leadership quicker than letting the poison of weak leadership continue to manifest itself. Many leaders make the joke, “fake it until you make it.” I do not want to lead or ever be led by a leader with this mentality towards leadership. My belief in what leadership is and should be is much more serious than “faking it.” Leadership is serious; it affects the lives of others.

Maintain sound leadership

What is sound leadership? Sound leadership is doing what is right by and for others for the greater good of the organization. Sound leadership is the process of building up, not tearing down. Leaders should never compromise the true meaning of why to lead.

Walk closely to other good leaders

Now this point could make you think a while.  How do you know if you are walking with a good leader? I would say, deep down, you know. A good question to ask, “Are they for others or themselves?” Look at the decisions a leader makes when the spotlight is not on them. This will tell a lot.

Be open to having a growth mindset.

Yes, you can still hold true to your values. Yes, you can still stand-firm on issues that are blatantly right from wrong. But not being open to suggestions is different. There is a great danger in leaders who stop hearing the voice of others because they only want to listen to what they say themselves.

As leaders, we stand in a position of influence, and you must hold yourself accountable in order not to let your leadership decline. If your leadership declines, you run the risk of alienating yourself to the point that no one will care what your leadership is or stands for because they have lost all respect for you, the leader.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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Crushing Your Leadership?

16 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in Expectations, Importance, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Reflection, Servant

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Well, here we are again with the start of another school year and for many of us, the first full week with students. As we look toward the end of May, the 36 weeks ahead of us does seem long. However, you are in a position to control the magnitude of your attitude and spread your leadership most positively.

A few weeks ago, I was playing golf one Saturday morning with our group. It was my turn on the tee box, and hit a drive that CBS Golf would have loved to put the shot-tracer on. As I got back into the cart, I told my partner, “That was crushed.” You might want to know that our group does “trash talk” each other out of jest, and we have a lot of fun with it. Norm, who is a great friend and mentor in my life, said, “It didn’t go as far as you think it did.” In response (ego inflated), I said, “That had to carry at least 260.” When we got to my ball, Norm just patted me on the back and said, “about 230.” Now, with my ego deflated, I said, “Well, the wind must have picked up while my ball was in the air.” Norm, in his mentor voice, made a profound statement, “They never go as far as we think they do.” (I still think it flew farther… Maybe his SkyCaddie was broken?)

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As I look back on that conversation, I immediately thought about leadership and the notion that a lot of times, we believe our leadership carries a lot further than it actually does. “Profoundess” and good intentions are needed, but what of lasting ripple effects?

Do you see your leadership as a “hit or miss” idea? Is it like a new clothing style, a fad that you will hope it comes back in style one day? Or, is it something more than like a one-hit song? What we are looking for is that all-time greatest hit, styles that transcend time, and leadership that hits the target.

Measuring your leadership takes time, but how long? I am not sure what the answer must be or is, but I do believe if you lead with a servant-heart, the lasting effects will carry the actual distance it should. Strong leadership is seen over time, whereas weak leadership is almost recognized immediately.

A few thoughts to make sure our leadership carries the distance it should over the course of your endeavors for the foreseeable future…

  • No matter how small, how routine, or how insignificant your leadership may seem, someone is always watching, and you never know what effects it will bring.
  • Your call to pursue quality leadership is built on the foundation of being for others that rests on servant hood. Any pursuit of leadership apart from this is futile and only for yourself.
  • It must be recognized, however, that to have the right view of your leadership, you must hear what others say.

Providing leadership that carries as far as we think is often tricky. Societal “feelings” change with the drop of a handkerchief. Sometimes, there actually may be a strong wind in our face. However, others always see the results. Our challenge is to find a way that measures the true distance our leadership carries, and eliminate the self-inflated ego that gets in the way.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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