Category Archives: Useful

Leaders who have truth-value or truth-claims… Who do you want to follow?

30 Friday Aug 2024

Posted by in Consistency, Decisions, Empower, Honest, Influence, Inspiration, Integrity, Intentional, Leader, Leadership, Learning, Loyalty, Respect, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Understanding, Useful, Value, Wisdom

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The leadership world as we know it is rapidly evolving, with everyone trying to come up with some new leadership tagline… I’m guilty as well. It’s all about trying to get the reader interested enough to read…

So… Is there a difference between truth-value leadership and truth-claims leaderhsip? Stay with me…

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The concept of truth-value leadership…

Truth-value leadership is of immense importance. Why would it not be? It’s more than leading with integrity (remember, if you have to ask someone if you have integrity, odds are you don’t); it’s embodying and living out the essence of integrity, honesty, transparency, authenticity (you can keep adding to the list)…

Truth-value in leadership has seeds planted and roots established in fostering trust, inspiring loyalty, and building relationships with a substance that lasts. It starts with self-awareness, prioritizing honesty within themselves before they can expect honesty from others. A stand-firmness characteristic that doesn’t shy away from difficult truths or uncomfortable situations. It is not passive or even passive-aggressive and sure doesn’t send someone else to “handle” issues. They deliver facts, stay away from public opinion, and just plain do right by people. When this happens, people engage in an encouraging environment, knowing leadership truth values are the guiding principles.

However, truth-claims leadership…

Have you ever seen a leader when it comes to truth, veer from reality? Many leaders assert and claim they embody truth leadership without aligning their actions with their words (This is where my daughter would say, “PERIOD!”). I call this a credibility gap; all it does is lead to skepticism among followers. Empty claims lead to hollow voices that can erode trust, often causing reputational harm to others in order to make truth claims leaders look all the better.

For all who chase leadership, truth-value leadership is profound. Leaders who live by their values and are accountable to truth, benefit everyone in trusting decision-making, and true loyalty follows. The tell-tale true test of a truth-value leader lies in their consistency—how often their claims match their actions. Truth-value leadership is, therefore, not just a moral or ethical stance; it is a strategic approach to sustainable success. Truth-value leadership offers a powerful path toward lasting influence and impact in a world craving authenticity.

Do you know those in leadership positions that can be characterized as one of the above? I bet you do…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2024 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… X @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

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Who do you want leading… A leader who leads by choice or chance?

23 Friday Aug 2024

Posted by in Accountability, Actions, Choice, Culture, Decisions, Effective, Encouragement, Essence, Influence, Inspiration, Intentional, Leader, Leadership, Opportunity, Passion, Purpose, Respect, Servant, Transformational, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Understanding, Useful, Value, Vision, Whole

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Leadership, call it what you want, but hopefully, you can agree that it is and will continue to be a journey. It demands conscious effort, a vision that is not blinded by self, and a deep understanding of who we are individually…

So, today’s discussion compares and contrasts leading by choice vs. leading by chance. Too many times I see people who are in leadership positions who have earned their way there or thrown into the position. Is there a difference? I believe so, and by the end of reading, hopefully you will discover which is better and why…

Leading by choice…
They are the leaders who embrace responsibilities and challenges with clarity and purpose. Driven by the desire to be a difference-maker for the good of others, inspiring and creating positive change because it is the right thing to do, not because they just think it will be better. They uphold deliberate leadership that is informed and backed for growth for all they lead. They constantly look to refine their leadership, learning from truth without blinders and adapting to challenges. Leading by choice is intentional and fosters trust, collaboration, and a shared vision. They believe in others and understand the impact of aligning actions with values for all to see.

Leading by chance…
They lack the intrinsic motivation required to truly succeed in it for themselves and lack preparedness. They lead from the hip, often finding themselves in leadership positions due to circumstance or out of necessity, without an actual desire to lead. This type of leadership becomes reactive rather than proactive. Purpose and direction lack consistency in decision-making, and opportunities for growth are missed. They struggle to connect on any level and only want loyalty and engagement that benefits a self-sense of purpose. This creates a hollow leadership that causes disengagement and a lack of cohesion.

From a Christian worldview, this aligns with the idea of servant leadership, all day, every day. Such leaders by choice are better equipped to serve others selflessly, making decisions that reflect wisdom and love, embodying the essence of servant leadership that transforms integrity and conviction in and for others.

We see it every day… Those who lead by choice and those who have to lead by chance. One allows you to succeed; the other, well, they give you a chance. You might ask, “Are opportunity and chance the same thing?” I say no. Ultimately, leaders who lead by choice are more effective because they approach leadership with a passion that spills over and over into the lives of others.

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2024 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… X @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

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It’s about the one who wields it…

31 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by in Actions, Andy Griffith, Attention, Attitude, Character, Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Inspiration, Intentions, Leader, Leadership, Servant, Unity, Useful, Value, Vision

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I saw the below tweet on Twitter the other day…
“A stone in evil hands killed Abel. A stone in righteous hands killed Goliath. It’s not about the stone; it’s about the one who wields it.”

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As I read that, I thought, “Man, this is good stuff.” And, of course, it got me thinking…

I’m sure there are numerous analogies one can use instead of stone in the hands of either, but I thought immediately about the tongue, the pen, and, ultimately, leadership.

My mom had a Rudyard Kipling quote cross-stiched in our house growing up, “Keep your words short and sweet, for you do not know the ones one day you will eat.” (many have been attributed to that quote). Yes, there have been many a person who cannot wield the tongue. I think of the Andy Griffith episode where Andy tries to catch his words back after a conversation with Ellie. He fictitiously grabs them out of the air and pretends to eat them, saying how bad they taste. The tongue with the right mindset can create a beautiful oration of eloquence. Alternatively, it will speak with a forked tongue of divisiveness, manipulating meaning to justify one’s own means.

The pen… I am fascinated with people who can write well. The nuance of language can move emotions when sentences begin to flow. No wonder, English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, stated, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” a metonymic adage indicating that the written word is more effective than violence as a means of social or political change. However, we also see the pen as a means to direct harm toward others, especially when words are written by one hiding behind a keyboard. False accusations, slander, you get the idea.

And leadership… Yes, leadership in the hands of an evil person causes more damage than can be imagined. With a me, my, mine mindset, the complete culture of an organization can be wiped away. Leadership in the hands, and I will use the word righteous, person shows servant-based, others first, a we, us, ours mindset. Edifying the body of an organization where others feel welcomed, not threatened. Where the culture reciprocates the empowerment of ownership. We have all seen and/or been part of leadership in the right or wrong hands, and we have felt the result of such.

It’s about the one who wields it… Powerful, indeed.

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2023 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

Sage Advice – Don’t get all your exercise by jumping to conclusions…

10 Friday Feb 2023

Posted by in Actions, Advice, Consistency, Deciding, Decisions, Exercise, Importance, Influence, Leader, Leadership, Relationships, Teachers, Useful

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First, to quote the great Paul Harvey, “You learn two things from everyone you meet. Either something that you like or dislike.” Sage advice…

I am always appreciative of the good stuff we see on social media. It is also good to follow like-minded friends. So, the other day I ran across this great post from my friend Joe Odenwald who posted the below picture with thoughts…

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So, the masterful quote by Joe’s grandfather, “Don’t get all your exercise by jumping to conclusions.” When I saw and read that, I responded to Joe that I would put it on my quote list of quotes to remember. I love hearing and learning new stuff; that quote is one of the best lately.

So, about those people who jump to conclusions… they seem to be everywhere. I’ll admit, I’ve done it a time or two myself. Not so much the older I get, but I can remember the times I have; it didn’t work out all so well. Can you remember times you have? But the question remains, why do we?

The effect of doing so is normally unwanted. I see jumping to conclusions as ignorant of the facts and not knowing the situation or the person (we see this constantly with social media and the hiding behind a keyboard).

There are actually psychological studies done on this subject. I guess there is enough material; go figure. In a blog post (and a good read) by Leandra McIntosh and Nick Hobson, People Who Jump to Conclusions Show Reasoning Errors, False Beliefs, Overconfidence and Impaired Learning a study was done by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In that study, the researchers found that people who displayed high JTC (Jumping to Conclusions) behavior made significantly more errors, were more likely to endorse conspiracy theories, and demonstrated more knowledge corruption. I’m like, I know a lot of folks that fit these characteristics.

Let’s segue into the leadership world and tie this into education. Leaders/teachers should edge on the side of being sensitive of not jumping to conclusions. The ones who do, turn it into an art that is not a pretty picture. It takes us only a short time to see how really ineffective they are on a daily basis.

The more information out there, the more opportunity we have not to know everything. However, when it comes to making conclusions, more information is better. Without time, effort, a little digging, and, most of all, thinking, all we can do is make assumptions. When we do this, we create a persona that leads people to say, “It sure is scary how they think.”

Even worse, when leaders jump to conclusions, they will seek out others for affirmation who share a similar point of view, or they will find others who are afraid of the ramifications if disagreement is not allowed.

Really good leaders are aware that they are not perfect. We all have blind spots and biases. That’s why it is so important to be open, have independent facts, not always your own, and seek others for helpful information, even if they disagree. But many of you know this, and I’ve said before, if a person has their mind made up, it doesn’t matter what the truth is.

So, I have never thought about an exercise that could actually weaken your muscles. Still, if jumping to conclusions is the only exercise you do, I believe it weakens your mind to the fullest extent and, by default, weakens your creditability.

I’m glad my friend posted something good earlier this week that strengthened my thought process. I’m also glad that he mentioned receiving sage advice. I’m glad I have people who can provide me with the same. I hope you do as well. Now, time to exercise…

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2023 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.