Who are you working for?

Important question. When you start a job it easy to think that you are working for a boss to keep someone happy. When you begin working to just make your boss happy it prevents you from being who you are on on the job and causes you to quickly lose focus on why you are doing what you are doing. If you are a religious person you should work for God and focus on bringing glory to God. Since I am, I try to keep that perspective. As a teacher, I also try to work for my students and remember that I am there because I want to make an impact in their lives. No matter what you do, don't lose perspective of who you are working for.

Do something brave... then run really fast

It's an old picture, but we should all make brave maneuvers... and we should be smart about how we make them as well.

So maybe this isn't bright... but you get the idea...

Confession

I know some irony is coming because this blog is all about standing up to lead, where others won't lead or act, this blog is to encourage you to do so. But I will admit, it gets discouraging to do all of this when you guys rarely comment on what we post!! :(

The Pawns

Although I never get to play very much anymore, I used to love playing chess. My brother was the best player at his high school.

I've taught a few people how to play. It is complicated at first, to learn the ways each piece moves, and then to figure out how each one strategically plays into the game. From the beginning, you have to feel out your opponent, and figure out ways to set up your pieces, using the unique ways each one moves, to set up a defense and hopefully mount a good offense.

It is important to not forget the least of the pieces, the pawns. I have said before, and will say it again. The pawns are what win the game. If you try to get too aggressive with your queen, bishops, knights, and rooks, you are going to loose. The piece that many people don't pay enough attention to are the ones that can win and loose the game if they are placed in the right spot. Given, they can only move straight, one spot on all moves except the first, and can only attack diagonally. However, when positioned correctly, these pieces can slip through a defense and put your opponents in check.

So my point in this is that as leaders, is that life is like a game of chess. It is important when leading a group to understand the talents that are available and use it in an appropriate manner. But at the same time, just because a pawn is so severely limited in it's moving abilities, never underestimate it because of it. They are what win and lose the game. Maybe you or someone you know has a small talent that many would regard as useless in life. However, when employed properly, it can open up the door to success.

A Great Leader is a Thankful Person

When people think of important leadership characteristics, thankfulness is probably not usually at the top of the list, but maybe it should.

Being thankful is a sign of contentment and also a sign that you are paying attention to what is going on in your organization or team. A thankful person notices people and appreciates what they are doing. A leader must be "other-focused". Self-consumed people are rarely thankful because they only pay attention to their own actions and other's reactions to them.

As you sit around a table this Thursday think about this concept. Would others describe you as thankful? Do you constantly show appreciation to others for how they make your life and organization better?

Be a thankful person. Be a leader.

The Bystander Effect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIvGIwLcIuw


In Psychology this week, my class studied the bystandar effect. In definition, this is the effect that when people are in a group, they are more likely to follow the patterns of that group than they are to take a stand and help someone else, even someone in distress.

This video is disturbing. In summary, an experiment is conducted to see how people will respond to a staged kidnapping on the streets of New York City. For 2 hours, people do nothing but just watch as the girl screams, "This is not my dad, this is not my dad!" as she is being dragged away. It is two hours of doing this experiment before two men finally decide to step in and stop him.

What we need in society is more leaders like the ones we see in this video. As we go through life, we see many things going on and expect someone else to do something about it rather than ourselves. Why not be that person who steps up?

Quote for the Day

“I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” -Frederick Douglass

How often do we find ourselves doing nothing and expecting something to happen? If we want to do anything in life, we have to step up ourselves and do it, not wait for someone else. No one is going to get you into college for you. No one will apply for scholarships for you. No one can decide your major or your career goals for you. Find a goal, make a plan, and follow through with the plan.