Category Archives: Transparent

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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A Window into Your Leadership…

20 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by in Appreciation, Authentic, Culture, Facade, Leader, Leadership, Relationships, Transparent, Trust, Value

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The role of a window is to let the light shine through it… and the role of your leadership should be transparency.

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Two ways not to let light in; put curtains up or just keep a wall up… either way, transparency is blocked.

Why do you think this is? Why are some leaders transparent and others not?

I believe it has to do with a trust issue.  Trust and transparency exist only with the help of the other. How many times have you been a part of an organization where “shade” was consistently thrown? For the most part, people do not like surprises, especially when it comes to their work environment. As a leader, you are responsible for letting, not allowing, people to see with greater clarity.  As a leader, you are responsible for eliminating the “behind the scenes” actions and be proactive in creating an atmosphere where people want to belong.

The more I look around, I am beginning to believe more and more that people leave an organization because of leadership; the lack of. No one I know wants to be associated with weak, insecure leadership, and that precisely is what lack of, or no transparency gives. Who wants to lose good people?

Having transparency as a leader is not a weakness.  Actually, it is very powerful. It allows you to connect on a level that promotes trust, that goes both ways; for you and others. Some leaders are not transparent because they feel it will lessen their “rule,” their “status” will not be appreciated, or they do not want to have shared-leadership. Each of these limits the productivity everyone can have – relationships become fragile, trust is not developed, and the suppression of reality creates fake leadership.

The need for transparency in leadership is at an all-time high. Too many leaders “close the curtain” or “put up a wall” when it comes time to lead. The authenticity of having a window to let others into your leadership does not exist, and ultimately it is the leader who loses.

Transparency is open and honest. More importantly, it is real. It inspires hope and promotes an opportunity for all. As you continue to lead, let the window do what it is designed to do… let others see your leadership. It is the one key element you have to cultivate the culture where everyone is on the same page.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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“Masked” Leadership

07 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Authentic, Character, Consistency, Expectations, Facade, Honest, Integrity, Leader, Leadership, Mask, Transparent, Trust

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This past summer when we visited Los Angeles, my daughter and I decided to take a tour of the Warner Brothers Studio.  One of the areas of the tour was the “Streets and Buildings” section. This section of the tour took us up and down streets on the grounds of the studio with buildings that were “sets” for many of our favorite TV shows.

While I knew each building was just a “prop,” seeing it up close reinforced my notion of the great facade within TV shows.  You might be saying, “Duh, really?  You did not know that?”  Well, yes I did, but to see it up close makes you realize just how real, “fake” can be.

The same can be said with leadership.  Often, leadership is nothing more than a facade, providing a face that appears to have it all together.  As we continue to live our lives in leadership positions, and the more mature we grow in that, we should begin to see how many fake, masked leaders are in roles that end up causing more harm than good.

How can we tell the difference? How do we see beyond the facade that “fakes everyone out?” What is really “behind the scenes?”  To answer these questions, we must look at the actions, and then hear the words to see if they connect.

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I believe leaders who wear a mask do the following…

Fail to speak the truth

Masked leaders swallow the truth.  They speak what they think is best to cover themselves.  When this happens, they also swallow their integrity, self-respect, and most of all their authenticity.

Want to be “blenders”

Masked leaders want to be whatever they think they need to be for whatever environment they are in. They change their leadership style to accommodate and blend into every new crowd.

Find it hard to apologize

Masked leaders find it very hard to apologize. Either they do not, or they deflect with, “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

Are “copycats”

Masked leaders who “copycat” other leaders cannot be themselves. I believe this is one of the more dangerous characteristics of leadership. People want a real leader.

Promote their “perfectionism”

Masked leaders cannot handle situations where no one agrees with them. It causes them to feel rejected. Believing that your leadership is perfect actually stems from the fear of knowing that it is not.

Shine their “light” too bright

Masked leaders never dim their light. They always want to be seen as the brightest in the room. Having their light the brightest automatically dims anyone else’s light that actually could shine brightly.

When you wear a mask, you rob not only yourself of what you could be, but you rob others of their ability to be who they are around you. If you are wearing a mask, please lose it.  Halloween should only come one time a year, and life is not an everyday masquerade ball.

©2018 J Clay Norton

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP!

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What You See Is What You Get…

07 Friday Sep 2018

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Authentic, Character, Leader, Leadership, Relationships, Servant, Teachers, Transparent, Understanding

≈ 1 Comment

The key to effective teaching is subject matter knowledge. But more important than that is your ability to convey your understanding, while at the same time being able to bridge the gap of teacher-student relationships. Teachers who do not foster relationships with their students in and out of the classroom forfeit their sincerity, authenticity, and transparency.

So… As a teacher, do your students see what they get from you?

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I believe in answering that statement; a teacher needs to have two characteristics.

One, be a servant-teacher…

How many teachers do you know that make the classroom all about them? I find these type of teachers having poor student interaction and have difficulty with their classroom management. The goal of a teacher should be to “get” their students to enjoy coming to your classroom for the right reasons. If that can be the case, then maybe, just maybe, they might give the subject matter a better chance, even if they dislike the class.

Being a servant-teacher requires intentionality with being who you say you are. It means having an understanding of the lives of your students. It means that you grow your students from the inside out. If you can change their heart, hopefully you can change their mind. Servant-teacher means you put them first. Empower them with ownership.

Two, be an example to follow…

The power of teaching has a direct proportion to the character of the teacher. The great concept about everyone we interact with is knowing if we like or dislike the example they portray. It does not take a student long to figure out what you see is what you get with teachers. Our students are much smarter then we give them credit for sometimes.

Christian author and speaker Josh McDowell said it like this, “You can con a con and kid a kid, but you cannot con a kid.”

Think on it like this… The example you provide might just be the only example a student sees as to how they should be. There are enough terrible examples in society for their picking. Give them an option for positive models for the betterment of themselves.

Teaching is a privilege, and not everyone can or wants to do it. Nothing we do as an educator gives more pleasure than to see a student succeed. Be the servant-teacher, and the example students need to see.

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP!

©2018 J Clay Norton

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