Category Archives: Servant

Reaching a Student’s Heart…

14 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in Actions, Encouragement, Heart, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Relationships, Servant, Teachers

≈ 2 Comments

Never to miss an opportunity to write about the seasonal theme… Happy Valentines.

Does the door of your classroom describe happiness? Or does it create doom and gloom? Just like the entryway into your classroom, the same can be said for the entryway into your students; their heart, and you are the doorkeeper.

We do not always know what students bring when they walk into our classrooms, but we do know that we have them for an allotted amount of time each week. We must know their name, listen to their stories, and answer their questions. In return, odds are, they will do the same.

Reaching a student’s heart is not an easy task. As educators, we are more psychologists than we are anything else. The world we live in is moody, fickle, and most often stubborn. If we are the same, then why would we expect our students to be any different? I realize our job is to teach our subject, but more than that, we are to encourage students; build them up. They are already being torn down in other areas… We need to try to summon the best out of them. We might not reach them all, but the effort, on our part, should not be denied. I find it amazing what a little bit of affirmation does for a student.

As a leader, teacher, whatever your role is… Do you distribute happiness for a student’s heart? Or are students left forgotten in the back of the class? Are you willing to reach out? When you do, respect takes on a whole new dimension. Respect is just being mindful of others. A simple hello and acknowledging a student shows intention on your part; why would you not?

Reaching a student’s heart… small endeavors by you could mean something huge for a student. I would dare say that most young people want a sense of belonging. Help them find that with you. Nothing more than a kind word is the purest of all gestures. Odds are they will not recall a whole lot of the subject matter you teach, but they just might remember how you made their heart feel.

Each of us has this opportunity every day. Make good on it… and tell your students Happy Valentines today.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2020 J Clay Norton

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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

≈ 2 Comments

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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Reasons I Do Not Want To Be A Bad Leader…

31 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by in Actions, Leader, Leadership, Pride, Servant, Transformational, Transparent

≈ 1 Comment

I do not know how many reasons I could list, but like you, I believe a list could go on and on…

The other day I was listening to talk radio, and the host said something about someone in a leadership position… yada, yada…

As I was listening to myself think, I began to talk to myself (Yes, I actually do that, and do not say that you do not). I asked myself why I did not “care for” that individual person’s leadership. I resonated back to this thought, which is one of many that I have stamped into my MO… “You can never separate who you are with what you say you believe in.” Your leadership is who you are, that is reality.

I say all of that to say this… I began listing out loud the reasons I do not want to be a bad leader… The hard part is knowing that some people are just not going to like you or agree with you on anything you say or do. Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for that. However, I do believe that as long as you do right by others and have a servant’s heart, the problem lies with other people and their thought process, not how you actually lead. Time is the actual test of this.

So… here is my list of reasons I do not want to be a bad leader…

Because, bad leadership…

Creates a lack of discipline in my life
Leads to more bad leadership
Never pleases, it only hurts
Creates a greater burden on others
Time spent in bad leadership is forever wasted
Always makes me less than what I could be
Causes others to suffer consequences
Steals what little, good leadership I might have
Chooses not to respect the thoughts of others
May influence others to have bad leadership
…and most of all…

Indicates that I am a lousy leader!

How can you tell if you are providing bad or good leadership? That answer is not our own, for it lies in the time past and yet to come. One idea that we need to come to grips with is to admit that end results do not always equate bad or good leadership. Just because something works out does not mean good leadership was exhibited.

So… what reason would you put on the list for why you do not want to be a bad leader? You fill in the blank… Because, bad leadership _______________.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2020 J Clay Norton

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I am looking at me, so I cannot see you…

08 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by in Align, Choice, Leader, Leadership, Servant

≈ 1 Comment

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I find it interesting that leadership is talked about much more than it is lived. Why are there so many leadership conferences, seminars, books, etc.? I suppose it is for the reason of my opening observation, and that just might be the reason we have such a leadership problem in society.

Everyone I know models their leadership from others. Most often, it is from our mentors who we have “latched” onto – some being good, some being bad… that tells more about you then the leader you emulate.

The more I see the effects of leadership, the more I realize that the excellent leaders are those who would not even think about taking the credit or seeking the limelight for themselves. Is it really that hard to put others first? Obviously so.

We live in an era where many leaders, influential leaders, are crumbling themselves and corrupting others, causing character flaws. We see it at all levels in our lives, everywhere we look. Our hearts become numb; when they should hurt or break over the leadership, which we see that is blatantly not for others. Yet these leaders are everywhere, promoting themselves instead of servanthood.

Good, quality leaders are sometimes hard to find. Is it because we do not know who they are? Probably not. They are hard to find because they are hiding in plain sight. When you do notice them, they are in the trenches with everyone else; boots on and sleeves rolled up, and they are not saying, “Look at me.”

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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