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Leadership and Performance Development

Leadership

Mentorship is a Gift

Leadership

What is the greatest gift someone could give you?

One of the greatest gifts someone can give you is mentorship. The act of sharing knowledge and experience. It is a subcategory of leadership that is vital to the progression of society and the next generation.

What gifts do you have to offer the world? It is our duty to share these gifts with the world. We must not overlook the smallest of abilities. Dig into the details and showcase the micro-talents. Identify a piece of you that would benefit one individual.

Make a list of your shareable gifts and be purposeful with their distribution. Much of our society sees great change originating from those in political power. Change and influence are inspired by the courageous actions of those in small communities. The first actions establish the momentum for extraordinary change. When you are courageous, it awakens the self-perceived ability in others, where they seek courageous moments.

Merchant of Hope

Leadership

Everyone wants to be part of something great. As a football coach, I discovered that most players seek to be part of a team that brings additional value to their life beyond the game. Many kids grow up without an father figure or mentor. These boys were often looking for a coach to fill that role. They were eager to follow a mission and vision filled with ideals. The gridiron callused their mind and body for the hardship that no other environment could provide. Strength and overall performance training made them feel strong, capable, & ready. The character and leadership development program taught them to communicate and operate effectively in the world. I felt like a merchant of hope.

Hope is the thing that forms in you because you keep going, which is something we all can draw from.

Debra Seattle

Where there is mission and vision, there is hope. People expect a better future and anticipate greatness on the other side of hardships. It is every professional educator and coach’s duty to be portals to hope. The portal must be an invitation to experience greatness. A merchant of hope extends a hand to welcome others into voluntary personal transformation. All in an attempt to help others encounter more.

What is Hope

Hope is the thing that forms in you because you keep going, which is something we all can draw from, according to Debra Seattle. The keep-moving-forward mindset is the creator of hope. The mind will eventually believe all adversity is conquerable. When you quit, your internal dialogue swings self-perception and internal talk toward disbelief. It erodes all previous victories one drip at a time. Hope is a well you can always draw from, but is only available through perseverance.

Create Margin

Author of Culturize, Jimmy Casas, says that leaders should create an environment where people feel no limits are placed on their talents or strengths. There should always be margin for growth and exploration. Great football coaches do not harness the talented. They put them in positions to succeed through schematic and physical tools. Educators do the same in classrooms. Corporate leaders recruit, train, and deploy their people people with confidence. When it’s evident that someone has a gift, unleash and let them run.

Leaders should create an environment where people feel there are no limits placed on their talents or strengths.

Jimmy Casas

When creating hope, great leaders appreciate and play the long game. The process is where actual development is established and continues to flourish. Mistakes will occur, but by modeling forgiveness and mastering one-degree shifts, the finish line will appear in the distance 🏁

Hope Finalized

I love what Jimmy Casas says about placing no limits on the talents and strengths of those around you. That is a significant piece to leadership and maximizing the team’s ability. If you’ve enjoyed this post, head to the YL Archive for more content.

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Attract the Right People in Your Tribe

Leadership

A tribe is a group of people that share a history and culture while operating in an enclosed environment. The modern society tribe is structurally different than many years ago. Tribes tend to be small. They may have resources that are vital to existence and must be protected. Modern tribes place a priority on culture. The working culture can jeopardize existence or allow the tribe to flourish. Tools are resources that enable tribes to exist and continue to grow. Today’s tools are electronic technologies, transportation, physical structures, athletic fields, etc. Without these various components, the tribe will falter. The people are the most valuable component of a tribe. To attract the right people in your tribe, you must protect the culture, tools, and people that allow it to operate. 

As a modern tribe leader, how do we protect our culture, tools, and people? 

We Must Carry the Banner!

To carry the banner high, we must set high standards for the “tribe.” Everyone must know how to operate and maintain their load. When the bar is not met, the leader must reinforce the standard and communicate the shortcomings of those involved. After sharing this, the leader teaches and provides resources, allowing members to renavigate their path.

The culture of your organization will be defined by the worst behavior you are willing to tolerate.

Todd Whitaker, Steve Gruenert, School Culture Rewired

Leaders must be conscious of their tone and delivery when reinforcing the standard. They must be effective communicators and understand how to influence behavior. An aggressive and demeaning tone erodes confidence and perceptions of others. This negative outcome will potentially infect the tribe with negative dialogue and activity.

I challenge you to infuse a sense of pride into every conversation and every action and to be intentional about inspiring others to want to do the same.

Jimmy Casas, Culturize

When leaders carry the banner, they do it with enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and body language. They do not fall victim to tempting gossip or undermining behavior. They relentlessly retract from this and steer with vibrance and compelling narratives that talk life into the tribe. “Banner Carriers” are proud of their tribe and speak with great admiration for its achievements and pursuits. They are eager to celebrate the accomplishments of others and are constantly seeking betterment for the entire tribe. Leaders know when the tribe wins, their existence will remain intact and will flourish. Author and Educational Leadership Consultant Jimmy Casas writes in his book Culturize, “I challenge you to infuse a sense of pride into every conversation and every action and to be intentional about inspiring others to want to do the same.” Intentionality with pride is an infectious approach that builds belief in the tribe. 

Moments of Crisis

In moments of crisis, people resort to tribal habits and seek out community to survive. This innate act has kept humans safe for millennia. Author and war reporter Sebastian Junger has an interesting take on people in moments of crisis through his book “Tribe.” He speaks about how difficulties can be a blessing and draw out the best in us. When times are tough, we naturally gravitate to those we trust for survival. When leaders create a community and a tribal environment, people feel safe, lean into trust, and act to preserve the existing culture and environment. When trust is not established, and there is no sense of community and positive culture, the people will retract and seek another tribe to self-preserve.  

Raise the Banner High

“Banner Carriers” are inviting and civil. They do a fantastic job of accepting others for who they are and the unique gifts they bring. The banner remains high when the leader deters negative attitudes and intrusions that erode the culture and climate. They do it with compassion and grace while giving everyone their signature moment. “Banner Carriers” model desired behavior through their lives, ultimately inspiring others to do the same. 

Work on strengthening your tribe with each interaction with your people. Take pride in these encounters and carry your banner high. If you’ve found this helpful, please share it on social media. Shoot it in an email to a friend or colleague who will benefit. You can find additional leadership content to maximize your banner-carrying ability at youniversalife.com 

How to Be a Champion for Students

Inspiration, Leadership

To be a champion for students, we meet their needs through immediate action. Consistently show up for their demanding life experiences. We must personally take the time to search out students. Go hold a conversation and ask questions about their life and education. Genuinely listen to their stories and react with empathetic body language and words.

Pursuit

Teachers and leaders are champions for kids when we pursue them and build trust. Educators unpack student gifts through conversation. This can be a friendly greeting in the hallway, a deep discussion in class on various topics, or a post-class status report with individuals. Seek to deepen conversation through open-ended questions. Students are humans who like to be heard and allowed to tell their stories. These stories often unpack student gifts. These gifts should then be brought to light. 

Reveal their Gifts

Many students are quick to dismiss their talents. They have blinders to their developed gifts and do not continually cultivate them. They do not know what or how to release their gifts to the world for us all to experience and benefit from. It’s the educator’s job to help students to learn to fly. Give them the eyes and wings to take off. Show them how to build confidence and take another step forward. Make them believers in themselves.

Relationship Building

Students are worth the time and energy it takes to establish relationships. Relationships drive a positive culture and make any institution successful. Relationships through family, friends, school, and community build environments where we want to exist and contribute to.

Relationship building transcends all leadership. It is not limited to the educational setting. It rings true in business, family, and community. Do not underestimate the power of asking questions to extract life stories from individuals. It allows leaders to determine where gifts reside. Gifts that can enter the world and bring great value to us all.

Key Takeaways

  • Take the time to search out students.
  • Teachers and leaders are champions for kids when we pursue them and build trust.
  • It’s the educator’s job to help students to learn to fly. Give them the eyes and wings to take off.
  • Relationship building transcends all leadership.

If you found How to Be a Champion for Students helpful, check out the youniversalife archive for additional leadership content and how to implement strategies into your area of influence.

Leaders Create Powerful Mission & Vision Statements

Leadership

Every organization must have well-articulated Mission and Vision Statements. These statements are touchstones for all stakeholders. They identify the ultimate goal for the overall community and create an ideal scenario for everyone to move towards. Considering the big things while completing the small ones ensures the team is heading in the right direction (Alvin Toffler, Futurist). Great leaders have an awareness of the overall picture. They must operate from a 10,000 ft view while their teammates are on the ground. This high vantage point allows them to direct and maintain the grand vision and mission. Great leaders understand the nuances of the functional space and are well-versed in multiple disciplines. This comes with practice and experience.

You’ve got to think about the big things while you’re doing small things so that all of the small things go in the right direction.

Alvin Toffler, Futurist

Form Direction for the Organization

When outlining the mission, vision, and core values, professional experience plays a significant role. Leaders must know what is needed and what the professional landscape is to create a powerful movement. They must accurately forecast where momentum is headed. With this knowledge in hand, they can communicate the needs of an organization to collaborators who also contribute significant input to the mission, vision, and core values.

What is Your Why?

  • Why does your school exist?
  • Why does your team exist? 
  • Why does your business exist? 
  • Why does your family exist?

Powerful questions that are at the heart of successful leadership. To outline an actionable mission, vision, and core values, you must know the why of the operation. The primary reason schools exist is to educate students and help them become highly influential members of society. Teams come in many shapes and forms that operate for different reasons. They are typically a subset of a larger community supporting it. Businesses exist to help solve problems and provide services or goods that benefit people. Families serve the deep meaning of us all. They are the support system that nourishes us on a micro and macro level.

Main Talking Points

  • Every organization must have well-articulated Mission and Vision Statements.
  • Great leaders have an awareness of the overall picture.
  • “You’ve got to think about the big things while doing small things so that all the small things go in the right direction.” Learn more about Alivin Toffler and his legacy.
  • When outlining the mission, vision, and core values, professional experience plays a significant role.
  • Powerful questions that are at the heart of successful leadership.
  • Leaders Create Powerful Mission & Vision Statements

If you enjoyed Mission & Vision Statements, look at the Youniversalife Archive. You’ll find additional Leadership and Performance tools that you can apply to your daily life.