Category Archives: Leader

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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New Year… New Thought… Obedience

10 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by in Attitude, Intentions, Leader, Leadership, Obedience, Purpose

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As the new year is now upon us, everyone talks about the need to start something new. But that “newness” of whatever quickly goes stale and we revert to what we were once before. We are creatures of habit.

The question I have for each of us today as we start the new year is, “What would it take to start something new?” Not just with the stirring of the heart or having a new mindset, but starting something new that would create permanent change for the betterment for ourselves. What would need to happen to trigger such an event?

One thought I have toward this includes the word I have been thinking about for myself…

Obedience…

I believe this is something we have to pursue. With everything that goes on in society, we have to be obedient to the point of eliminating the silliness, the drama, and pretty much all the worldliness that causes us to be complacent and accepting of the wrongs in our lives. Obedience leads to commitment without compromise. It creates consistency for others, but most importantly, ourselves.

Having obedience places a new perspective toward allowing ourselves to eliminate the need for the usual quick fix of a new strategy. Many times we try to be clever and work around something to get to where we need to be instead of facing the problem knowing we are lacking nothing more than just being obedient. The problem is our willingness to compromise with everything else and allow the lie of not being able to change to fester within us. We stop fighting for the truth we know to be true in our lives.

Whatever it is that needs to be changed in your life and your “want” to change, it starts with obedience without wavering. Find what it is you want to change and create the obedience in your life that is needed. You might just develop the “2020 vision” to see it through. Go and do the right thing…

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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Leadership As A Christmas Tree Ornament?

06 Friday Dec 2019

Posted by in Authentic, Christmas, Essence, Leader, Leadership, Presence, Purpose

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Like many of you, I am sure, we put our Christmas tree up last week. I tackle the outside of the house, and Heather, my wife, decorates the inside. As she was finishing up placing ornaments on the tree, I helped out with getting a few to the top areas of the tree. When we were finished, like always, I stepped back to take an approving look.

What I did next, I found myself doing every year. I just started looking at our ornaments. What I noticed is that every one of them has a backstory, and for some reason or another, I am proud they are on our tree. As always, it “got me to thinking…”

What if the ornaments on our trees represent the leadership that others see? Better yet, what story do they tell?

Here are a few thoughts I had…

This year I took a few pics of ornaments and sent them to my mom, asking, “You remember these?” And of course, she did. Ornaments have a way of connecting our lives and memories to days that do not exist anymore. However, they do continue to live in our hearts. That is what great leadership does; it connects and resonates in our hearts in a way that continues to touch others’ lives. This is a big deal for me and my life. I want to have leadership that has “connectivity” with others.

Almost every ornament on our tree, we can tell you where it came from or who gave it to us. Each one unique on its own. Some have been passed down multiple generations and are beginning to show age. But, like those and the other ornaments, they help to create a personality of our tree. Just like ornaments, our leadership has a personality. What is it saying about you?

You cannot lead based on a cookie-cutter approach. What you are missing out on is the authenticity of not only yourself but the leadership you are trying to provide. That is what an original ornament brings to a tree. More importantly, it is authentic to you for your own reasons. It definitely is not store-bought in a box.

When we decorate our Christmas trees, I believe it is as much for ourselves as it is for others, providing a meaningful reflection of moments that have touched our hearts. Each ornament hangs on our tree is purposedly placed there for no other reason than our own.

As we think about our leadership and Christmas tree ornaments, we want it to touch our hearts, have substance, create an emotional feeling that we can recall and want to have again, and most of all, feel its presence. That is what leadership should always do and what we as leaders should strive to provide.

If your leadership were an ornament, would someone place it on their family Christmas tree?

 

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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