Category Archives: Servant

Thanksgiving in Three Words

17 Friday Nov 2017

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Authentic, Family, Freedom, Giving, Gratitude, Humility, Leader, Leadership, Servant

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“What if today, we were just grateful for everything?” – Charlie Brown

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Have you ever considered what “makes” Thanksgiving work? Not the “works” of turkey and dressing and the other fixings, but the “works” of our thoughts and why we are thankful. I am sure we have many ideas as to why we are thankful, and you can probably start the sentence off with “I am thankful because…”

If you are on twitter, you might follow @goodreads. It is a site for book lovers. Often, it will tweet out, “Describe the book you are currently reading in three words.” I find this interesting because I catch myself asking this with a lot of my general activities. Simple questions like this sometimes provide the most thought.

So, my statement for you today and next week is, “Describe your thoughts on Thanksgiving in three words.”

It would be interesting to know what each of you would say. I am very sure that there would be an overwhelming amount of the same words from person to person. The idea here is not to limit our thinking, but to be intentional about our thinking.

My three words for describing my thoughts on Thanksgiving are:

Authentic
I once heard someone say, “You can never separate who you are with what you say you believe in.” One reason I admire the Pilgrims is that they were a group that held firm to their beliefs of who they were. May we unapologetically do the same.

Generosity
Another saying I once heard was, “Your level of generosity is not determined by how much you give, but by how much you hold onto.” How often do we give of ourselves? While giving is not a natural born characteristic, we can learn how to give of ourselves and be generous. It takes time and most of all, effort.

Gratitude
Everyone has something to be thankful for, and only you know what those things are. Allow your gratitude to be intentional. Let it show as a helping example for others but not in a boastful manner.

This Thanksgiving, as you celebrate, take time to consider the statement, “Describe your thoughts on Thanksgiving in three words.” You might even decide to have this as a topic for conversation with friends and family at the table.

But most of all, make sure you take time to give thanks. By doing so, we bow before the Lord in our humility. Thankful that He is willing to save our souls as we look forward to an inheritance of eternal life which He has promised.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Remember… THINKLEADERSHIP

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

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

 

 

Let’s Talk About Me… No, Let’s Don’t

20 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by in Attitude, Leader, Leadership, Servant

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Let’s start this week with some lyrics of Toby Keith’s song, “Let’s Talk About Me.”

“But every once in awhile

I want to talk about me

Want to talk about I

Want to talk about number one

Oh my me my

What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see

I like talking about you, you, you, you usually, but occasionally

I want to talk about me

I want to talk about me“

 

 

While this is a comical song with some hidden truths… There is a great message of leadership within it.

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Let’s Talk About Me…

 

Well, do you know leaders like this? (I can imagine you counting them now.) All a “me leader” wants to talk about is themselves…  How I do this or that… What I have accomplished… What I mean to the organization… What I etc…

You might not agree with this but… there are a lot of selfish leaders out there.  After all, isn’t leadership actually about the leader? Here is what the selfish leader is saying, “Feed me, feed my ego.”

Well, let’s punt all the above and not talk about the “me leader.” Let’s talk about others. Let’s take everything you want recognition for and give it to others.

But you might be thinking, “I do not get to talk about me?” NO! and I am glad you finally figured it out… Let’s turn the conversations around.

Here is the deal… No one wants “you” to be the topic of the conversation when you are the one speaking. If all you have or want to talk about is you, you are sending a powerful message to everyone around. It is a message that is loud and clear.

The hard part of leadership is making it about others. It is not natural for some. True servant-leaders see people as an end instead of a means to an end. It should be what you strive for every day in your leadership.

At the end of the day, it is about other people receiving the glory. Take the spotlight off of you and place it on others. How ironic it is… When you decide to do this, you will end up receiving the recognition you deserve. Let it happen on its own.

We need leaders who are intentional for the right reasons of leadership. One of the right reasons is putting others first and losing the “Let’s Talk About Me” attitude.

Remember… #thinkleadership

 

©2017 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

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

 

How Powerful Is Your SERVE?

06 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by in Attitude, Heart, Inspiration, Leader, Leadership, Servant

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“Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet to call to self-importance.” – J. Donald Walters

 

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Why do some leaders not serve? Are they too __________… you can fill in the blank.

 

I once heard an adage that stated, “It is very hard to give or receive anything with a closed hand.” That statement can also go for anyone who has a closed heart. A closed heart has got to be one of the saddest things out there. A leader with a closed heart is even worse.

This I believe… Having a closed heart slams the door on you being able to serve.

The amount of influence a leader has is extraordinary. But that influence has both positive and negative measurements. Why do we not understand the value we bring to any situation when we serve? I fear that most leaders today would rather be served than to serve others. Serving has become a lost commodity in leadership.

So… What must we do to make sure we have a powerful SERVE?

Inspire…

Believe it or not, there are people who want you to lead them. When you lead, give others the feeling that makes them believe in themselves.

 

Respect…

Give others the respect you would want yourself. For a true leader, it takes zero effort to be nice and respect others. Let others see you value them and their commitment.

 

Give…

Not only of yourself, but give everything that others will need. Please do not put someone in a situation where they do not have the resources to complete a job.

 

Help…

Help those around you. Do not be that leader who does everything themselves. Convey the knowledge you have and allow others to glean. Help them become successful. The better they look, the better you look.

 

We do not have to go very far to find an opportunity to serve. And when you do have that opportunity, please do not blow your own horn. It does not sound as good as you think it does anyway. Serving is not about you. It is about those who you are serving. In the end, you will make a difference and will have an impact on others.

The powerfulness of your SERVE is about others working hard with you and not for you. This happens when you work hard with and for others. Please notice the difference between the two sentences.

An opportunity to SERVE awaits us all. We just have to have the “want to”…

 

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.