Boldness

Like so many things in life, boldness is a two-edged sword that can either accelerate us toward the growth and performance we desire, or it can be the barrier that prevents the same.

When boldness operates in us as a good thing it tends to cause us to think/act in the following kinds of ways: 

optimistic, 

     tenacious, 

          confident, 

               forward-thinking, 

                    risk-willing, 

                         progress-oriented, 

                              energized, 

                                   persistent.

In its uglier form, boldness morphs into brashness.  Here are some ways that kind of boldness manifests itself in us: 

offensive,          bombastic,          reactive,          lacking thoughtfulness,          selfish,          brutish,          argumentative,           arrogant,          rude,          ill-mannered.

As always, at the end of the day, we get to choose for ourselves how we will think and how we will act. 

This is not a multiple-choice test or check box activity.  We have to WORK to make ourselves into what we want to be.  That's the bad news (but not really too bad).  The good news is none of the things in either list is genetic (like male-pattern baldness is).  

We really do get to choose...

CottonCandy

Over the years I’ve observed organizations that have had all kinds of folks in leadership roles. I suspect you have, too.

Some of those leaders remind me of cotton candy.  

Their persona is attractive and sweet, yet vacuous and inconsequential.  

Their words are lofty and their ideas are often noble.  Yet they repeatedly fail to manifest grit, dependability, steadfastness, trustworthiness.  

On the contrary, they often prove to be hollow, even bogus.  Time and again their actions fail to align with their words.  

In effect, a pretty and delicious temptation, hanging on nothing but thin air.

Leaders of substance for me, please.

Divergent

^{I recently read Divergent, a novel written by Veronica Roth (2011).}

The book was brought to my attention by both Moe (my lovely bride of 37 years) and my daughters.  

<sup>Heroine Beatrice (Tris) Prior navigates the transition from childhood to adulthood in this adolescent fiction.  The story is set in a post-apocalyptic American urban setting, in which the remnants of society have organized socially into like-minded, like-behaving clans (called factions).  As adolescents reach the age of 16 they are given an aptitude test to determine to which faction they are most dispositionally inclined.  However, at the sixteenth birthday they are allowed to choose the faction to which they desire to attach themselves for life.  

The story plots (of which there are several) are weaved into and around this societal segregation structure.  Typcial adolescent themes are explored: dealing with authority, struggling to find identity, the emergence of romantic feelings, and the search for meaning and one’s moral compass.</sup>  

I found it to be a good read (my first fiction in a while).  In fact, good enough to start the second book in the series. 

BigBoxItis

I’ve been doing some reflecting of late on my buying habits.  I’ve developed real concerns about my inclination toward bargain hunting.  

To be sure, I can save money by buying in bulk from the folks who ship and stock it in mega-bulks.  I’ve noticed that, despite the fact that I got the products for a really cheap price, problems inevitably emerge if/when I need some kind of assistance in relation to the product(s).  

The Big Box Boys don’t seem nearly as interested in (or even capable of) helping me when the table saw they sold me has a malfunctioning on-off switch.  They cheerfully put me on hold, bounce me from department to department (if not country to country), and ultimately tell me that I can re-box and ship the hole darned thing back and they’ll replace it.  

The problem is: I wanted/needed the saw today. I don’t need a whole new saw. I just need a little troubleshooting help.

Because of scenarios like that, I am more and more frequently buying from the "little guy," who knows a lot about the products he sells and knows why he chose to sell those products in the first place.  It gives me comfort to feel confident that the seller can actually tell me things like where the on-off switch connects to the power, how the pump works when its down in the well, where and in what conditions those vegetables were grown, how one kind of tire will perform vs another, etc.

The Mom & Pop folks are increasingly getting more of my money (if I haven’t already driven them out of business, that is).  And, I'm okay with it.  The service they provide seems every bit as important to me as the product itself.

In that line of thinking, I think I need to hone my own skills at providing service in my areas of vocation as well.  I'm pretty sure that's what will keep the "customers" coming back (or not).

GoodReads

As most of you know, I generally post in this blog a brief review of the books I read.  Those reviews occur in onsies, instead of batches.

From time to time someone asks me for a list of books that I can recommend.  I received one of those requests a couple of weeks ago from students in a graduate class at the University of Texas at San Antonio, which was using my own book, Leadership Tools for School Principals, as one of their texts.    

Below is the short list of worthy books I recommended to that class.  All these works have significantly challenged my thinking and changed my behavior (in one way or another).  Enjoy.

^{Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (1991).  Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass.}

Collins, J. C.  (2001).  Good to great:  why some companies make the leap…and other don’t.  New York:  HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Christensen, C.M., Allworth, J., & Dillon, K. (2012).  How will you measure your life?  New York: Harper Business. 

Goleman, D. (2008).  Social intelligence: The revolutionary new science of human relationships. New York: Bantam Books.

Palmer, P. J.  (1998).  The courage to teach:  Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life.  San Francisco, CA:  Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers.

Schwartz, T., Gomes, J., & McCarthy, C. (2010).  Be excellent at anything: The four keys to transforming the way we work and live. New York: Free Press.

Senge, P., Scharmer, C. O., Jaworski, J., & Flowers, B. S. (2005).  Presence: An exploration of profound change in people, organizations, and society.  New York: Currency Books.

Wheatley, M. J. (1999,2006).  Leadership and the new science: Discovering order in a chaotic world, 2^ndEdition.  San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. 

^{Whitaker, T.  (2003).  What great principals do differently:  Fifteen things that matter most.  Larchmont, NY:  Eye on Education, Inc.} 

JB'sPassing

The circle/cycle of life has taken another of my mentors this week.  Jimmy Bickley, the school superintendent that both Moe (my lovely bride of 37 years) and I broke into the profession under, passed away the other day.  In fact, we had the great good fortune to have worked for/with Mr. Bickley on two different occasions.

Some of the powerful lessons of life and leadership I learned from Mr. Bickley:

• Faith - Understanding God is a lifelong process that is never completed, but we should never presume to know the mind of God.
• Unflappability - Steadiness under fire from leaders is a hallmark of the best ones.
• Stewardship - Wanting resources and needing resources are two different things; leaders should be able to tell the difference and exhaustively try to provide for the latter.
• Family - Devotion to family is a sure indicator of the depth of our character.
• Affirmation - Support and recognition for those who are "doing the work" on the front lines of an organization is worth its weight in gold.
• Kindness - Even in the heat of battle/argument/debate, civility and courtesy must prevail (warranted or not).
• Humor - See, and help others see, the humor that underlies almost every human endeavor; life is too painful otherwise.

RIP, Jimmy Bickley.  A legion of educators (and the students they serve) are better for having known you and served with you. 

Seriously

One of the many things my lovely bride of 37 years (Moe) has taught me is the dichotomous power of seriousness.  

On one hand, it is extremely important that we approach our work and endeavors with serious attention and effort.  To do less is a direct challenge to our integrity.  And, less than serious investment of mental, physical, and psycho-emotional effort in this regard indicates to others a disconnect between what is spoken and what is enacted.  

We can try to fake it, but it just doesn’t work.

On the flip side, Moe has gently coached me over the years to understand the power of NOT taking ourselves too seriously.  Being able to laugh at ourselves and forgive ourselves is a necessary tool in keeping balance and sanity. 

Seriously.