Category Archives: Purpose

In The Fullness Of Time…

22 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by in Christmas, Heroes, Humility, Inspiration, Integrity, Leader, Leadership, Power, Purpose, Sacrifice, Servant, Unity

≈ 4 Comments

I hope each of you have a Merry Christmas.  Enjoy the time you have for yourself and your family.  Above all else, remember the gift of God, that came in the fullness of time.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” – Galatians 4:4 ESV

 

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 In the fullness of time… God, in His rich mercy and love,

reached down to do the one thing we could not do.

It was at this time, planned before time,

that God chose for Jesus to come and humble Himself

to save mankind.

To leave the throne of Heaven,

the glory of His righteousness.

To come to this world, created by Him,

to save us from our frailty.

The Incarnate who can relate, know our hearts;

to save us from our world of death and offer us eternity.

Lowly shepherds heard this Good News.

Their hearts were stirred to belief,

that they went and bowed at The New Born’s feet.

This same news, we hear too.

Angels we have heard on high;

the sound of their voices still cry…

Peace on earth and goodwill to man…

A Redeemer we needed, and still do.

God, in His Majesty, provided a Savior, born for you!

In the fullness of time… Christ was born.

Merry Christmas!

 

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP!

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page.

 

 

 

Don’t Let Your Leadership Drift

03 Friday Nov 2017

Posted by in Actions, Deciding, Drift, Leader, Leadership, Purpose

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“Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

When we go to the beach, I love to buy a cheap float, blow it up, and float in the ocean. Here is what I do, I go out in a straight line from where we are set up on the beach, this gives me a point of reference. After a while, all I end up doing is floating, riding the waves. Over time, I will be nowhere with regards to my point of reference. All I am is a weight, floating on top of the water. I go with the flow with the waves of the ocean, going wherever it takes me. I do one thing and one thing only, I drift.

 

Have you ever considered leadership with regards to drifting? Think of it this way; leadership is often like a piece of driftwood, sitting there on the water, drifting. No purpose, no fixed point, no anchor, no nothing. Just worthless driftwood.

Driftwood

 

Here are a few things that we should consider with leadership that drifts:

1. It requires no effort.

The moment we decide not to lead, we drift. It requires no effort not to do anything.

2. It is unconscious.

We drift unaware of what is around, against, and under us.

3. We never drift against the waves.

The waves push us, and the wind blows us where it wants. We become no more than a pushover.

4. Once leadership starts going downhill, it goes fast.

Think of it this way, when we hear and see the waterfall; it is usually too late to change the course. One thing is certain; you are about to drop.

5. It loses focus.

If we lose sight of our point of reference, we could end up anywhere other than where we need to be.

6. It will become dangerous and crash into something.

Only a few things can happen. It can rot, crash into something else, go over the waterfall, or collect so much baggage that it sinks.

 

When thinking about these points, we must remind ourselves that our leadership is our own. It should have a fixed purpose and must have a presence that is stable and shows consistency to others.

Does your leadership ever have moments of drifting? If it is, what are you doing to correct it? We must answer both of those questions. You and others around will appreciate it.

Remember… #thinkleadership

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page.

​Who Can Lead?

22 Friday Sep 2017

Posted by in Clarity, Heart, Humility, Inspiration, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Servant, Understanding

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“Do you think we choose to be born? Or are we fitted to the times we are born into?” Daniel Day-Lewis, playing Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s movie “Lincoln,” asked this question.

How often have we heard the question asked, “Are leaders born or made?” Which one is correct? Better yet, why does it even matter? Either way, great leadership at all levels is in great demand.  What society needs is great leadership and they want to know, “Who Can Lead?”

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Everywhere we look there is a new leadership “fad.” Do this and don’t do this leadership… It would seem there is a deficiency in general leadership ability among “leaders.”  And you know what… that is more than likely the correct assumption. (Note: Leadership is not about your position or title. Please change this mindset if you believe this to be true. Change it for the good of others and yourself. As I have stated before, these “leaders” only lead the minds. They never lead the hearts.)

Leadership gets complicated. Leadership depends on where and what the situation is and it is not the same across the board for everyone. Just because this leadership “theory” worked in or at one place and time does not mean it will work at another. There are too many variables… But, understand this… It is the challenges that determine a leader, not if they were born or made. Leaders who overcome challenges do so through personal experience and knowledge of situations. They observe others or learn from their own past situations. Great leaders develop a mental portfolio of what has and has not worked in their past and they make use of it.

Our opinion of what great leadership is and what it should look like differs from what others think. Leadership is not a fine-tuned set of ideas and beliefs. When we start to believe we can “box” leadership up and “sell it,” leadership starts to be vague and less effective.  Now, this is not to say that we cannot learn from new ideas, but… At the end of all, leadership is relative. What might be true for you is not necessarily true for me.

It is not a question of if you were born or made as a leader. The question is, can you lead?

So… Who can lead?

Anyone…

Actually, you can… Just decide to.

All you need is a servant-heart, humility, an open-mind, and an opportunity. We cannot control the “when” but we can control what we do with the “when.”

 

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP!

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page.

I Choose To Stand

15 Friday Sep 2017

Posted by in confidence, Deciding, Humility, Integrity, Leader, Leadership, Perseverance, Purpose, Servant

≈ 2 Comments

“You have enemies? Good. That means you stood up for something in your life.”  – Winston Churchill

Well, everyone else is doing it this way… Majority rules, correct?

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Is there value in standing with the few? How many times have you been in the minority regarding your leadership?  Do you often find yourself standing alone?  Sounds negative to me… Who wants to be in the minority?  Well, that depends on what the majority is standing for.

Here are a few “I Choose To Stand” ThinkLeadership thoughts…

If you do not agree with the majority opinion, it does not mean you are wrong.
Be intentional about your stance. Now, understand this… It is going to be hard to get others to follow you. Often times it is hard to believe, but many people want to identify with the majority even if they are wrong. These people are crowd followers. They are going to side with whomever will make them look good and to save their own skin.

Be a good follower.
What? You thought leaders were to lead? Yes they are… But, being a good follower of a good leader enables you to actually lead. Know who is worth following. Being a follower might not be where you want to be in your leadership at this time… so do not push your own agenda. In time, your leadership will show. Leadership should be a shared concept. Servant-leaders recognize this the most.

Do not believe it is all about you.
Even if you are in the minority, please forget the notion that people cannot make it without you. They can and they will. Standing alone is fine if the cause calls for it but do not make it about you. This leads to ineffective leadership. Make it about the cause. You will have the respect of others.

Be yourself.
Finding good leadership qualities to emulate will always help. More importantly, find leadership qualities that identify with your style. Do not try to be another leader. It does not work. Be you.

Know your strengths and your weaknesses.
You will not have to tell people your strengths, they will show for what they are worth. Your weaknesses are a different story. If you know your limitations, you better let everyone else know. Ok… you have to be kidding right? No… (go read the next bold statement).

Be transparent.
Have some humility. Kill the ego. It is ok to know and admit your weaknesses. If you do not, you will soon find them out. Others are usually quick to help you find them (It takes the spotlight off of them). Ask for help when you need it. True servant-leaders will do this and they will help others when asked. Insecure leaders will only focus on themselves. Asking for help is a strength.

 

We can often find ourselves with the idea of… “I do not know if I agree with that…” This thought process does not make us wrong. It just means we agree to disagree.

There will be times when our backs will be against the wall. We will even have to suffer the ramifications of others who do not believe the way we do or have a point to prove. But know this, you stand with honor, humility, and with your core values which were never compromised.

In your leadership, whatever decision you make comes down to this… When you decide to stand firm, make sure your feet are planted firmly.

I will plant my feet firmly.  I will stand firm.  I choose to stand for what is right and honorable.  Above all else, I choose to stand for my faith and my family… even if it means that I stand alone.  I CHOOSE TO STAND!

What do you choose to stand for?

 

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at: TheBookChamber

Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page.