Evolving As A Leader

In a professional development I was doing this week a participant made the comment, “We can’t be afraid to evolve.” So true! With all the experiences I have been blessed to have I know I have certainly evolved. I discuss this in my book, Mere Leadership, saying, “Even in my seventh decade, I must continue to learn and evolve. No matter what decade you are in, you must do the same” (p. 157). I also quote C. S. Lewis in my book, saying, “All that is not eternal is eternally out of date” (p. 157). Lewis was reminding us that things that are not timeless or everlasting in nature eventually become obsolete or irrelevant. If we don’t want to become irrelevant, we must evolve. Plus it is just part of becoming wiser.

Our personal growth and progress often require change, adaptation, and stepping outside of our comfort zones. Fearing change can hinder development, and instead, we should embrace our own evolution as a natural and necessary part of life. Being open to evolving allows us to learn, improve, and become better versions of ourselves, even if the process feels challenging at times.

Leading By Knowing Just Where You’ve Been

I wrote about the great band Five Finger Death Punch’s song, “Battle Born,” already in Navigating Life’s Journey: Embracing The Unknown. The other day when spending time in the tractor cab I heard the song and thought about how how the phrase in the song, “I don’t know where I’m going, but I know just where I’ve been (battle born)” relates to a phrase I often use about being the “deer in the headlights.” In my book, Mere Leadership, I said, “Usually, this term is associated with being a bad thing, but I have come to realize that it really is a great thing. To truly gain expertise, become great at leading in a specific area or circumstance, and/or develop empathic concern, which we considered in the previous section, we have had to be the ‘deer in the headlights’” (p. 30).

Getting back to the lyrics, “I don’t know where I’m going, but I know just where I’ve been” reflects a sense of uncertainty about the future combined with a familiarity or perhaps nostalgia for the past. It suggests a feeling of being unsure of the next steps, but having confidence because of our past experiences. Just like having been the deer in the headlights.

We’re reminded to regularly take a moment of pause to allow ourselves to process our experiences and assess situations. Sometimes, taking a fleeting moment to reflect or gather ourselves can lead to better decisions or a clearer understanding inspired by our past experiences.

Being Scared Means We Are Paying Attention

There have been a lot of things written about fear and even more research done on the topic. We all get scared and we all deal with fear in different ways. On Tuesday night while watching the new season debut of NCIS, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) made a great comment to Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray): “Being scared (afraid) doesn’t mean your weak, it means you are paying attention.” Feeling scared or anxious can sometimes heighten our alertness and focus, as our brain perceives a threat and activates the body’s stress response. This heightened state can make us more attentive to certain details in our environment.

This “paying attention” when we are scared in an important psychological response. Our attention becomes laser-focused on the perceived threat. As a result, it’s really hard to concentrate on other stuff. That’s a good thing if there’s an actual threat. Funny how the show NCIS can remind us that fear helps us stay in the present moment and to focus.

Leading By Being Adaptable

This week when spending time with a first year teacher that I am coaching and mentoring, he commented that one of the big things he has learned in the first quarter of the school year is that being able to adapt is key. I was impressed and told him that is a very important part of teaching in many ways. The day I was there he had to adapt a lesson because an outside stakeholder who was helping with a project was not able to be at the school. My mentee shifted seamlessly to another lesson. I’ve seen seasoned teachers struggle with making these kind of adaptations.

I love that this teacher has realized the importance of being adaptable. It is such an important leadership attribute. In my latest book, Mere Leadership, I wrote, “In today’s rapidly changing world, leaders need to be able to adapt to new situations and challenges” (p. 60). This is hugely important in teaching. Teachers are leaders and need to be adaptable in various ways to effectively support their students and navigate the dynamic classroom environment.

The teacher that is the focus of this post used adaptability to modify lesson plans and content to meet the needs of students, whether due to curriculum changes, student feedback, or unforeseen circumstances such as remote learning requirements. During our discussion of being adaptable we also discussed the need to adjust teaching methods to suit different learning styles, abilities, and interests of students. This includes using diverse instructional strategies like project-based learning, technology integration, or differentiated instruction.

All leaders need to be malleable. I used that term in Mere Leadership saying, “Malleable leaders are open to new ideas and perspectives. This openness fosters innovation and encourages our team members and those we serve to share their thoughts, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making” (p.p. 158-158). This also means growing professionally. We must continuously update our skills and knowledge through professional development to stay current with research and other innovations.

Brotherhood and Blame: Exploring Fëanor’s Pride, Impulsiveness, and the Power of Honest Friendship

There are so many incredible themes that J. R. R. Tolkien wrote into The Silmarillion. One such theme is that of friendship. I always say we should never judge someone by their worst moment. Olwë‘s rebuke of Fëanor reflected a deep understanding of true friendship. By saying, “We renounce no friendship. But it may be the part of a friend to rebuke a friend’s folly,” Olwë, the King of the Teleri, was rebuking Fëanor for his reckless behavior and obsession with the Silmarils. Olwë emphasized that genuine friends do not abandon each other in times of mistake or folly.

Fëanor’s intense desire to reclaim and possess the Silmarils (jewel-stones created by Fëanor that contain the light of the Two Trees). These led him to betray his oath and forge alliances with Morgoth, the dark enemy. His obsessive pursuit caused strife among the Elves, led to wars, and resulted in tragedy for many involved.

Olwë’s rebuke reflects a concern about Fëanor’s pride, impulsiveness, and the destructive consequences of his actions. Despite his disapproval, Olwë’s words also reveal a sense of brotherhood and the understanding that, even amidst disagreement, friendship entails honest and loving confrontation. This underscores the theme that true friendship involves guiding one another toward better choices, even if it means risking conflict or discomfort.

Part of caring and supporting is to honestly and kindly point out errors or misguided actions. This act of rebuke is motivated by concern and a desire for the other’s growth, showing that true friendship involves both love and honesty. So, Olwë is implying that even if he disagrees with or disapproves of Fëanor’s choices, he still considers him a friend and believes that sometimes friends must speak difficult truths to help one another.