Celebrating Creativity: How Street Performances Enrich Communities and Inspire Joy
I spent this week in Nashville, Tennessee at the annual conventions of the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) and Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). It has been an incredible week and I love spending time working with the National FFA Teacher Ambassadors. On Wednesday evening we took the ambassadors to Sixty Vines on Broadway for dinner. While walking down Broadway to the restaurant I spotted three young street performers playing the drums – five gallon buckets. I immediately decided I would ask to join. I was welcomed to the drum (bucket) line. Check out the featured photo.
I had done this before when in New Orleans, Louisiana. Check out Drumming Up Relationships to read about that experience. I love learning these kids’ stories.
Most people walk by and laugh, maybe throw a little change in the bucket (literally), but I always see humans. Those humans are being and they have a story. These young people were utilizing everyday objects creatively to produce music and entertain others, turning simple items into instruments.
Additionally, these young people were learning resilience and determination. Often, street performers face challenges and uncertainties but continue to pursue their passion and livelihood despite obstacles. These young people are really entrepreneurs. Their entrepreneurial spirit, showcases how initiative can lead to earning and recognition.
I worry, however, when I see the kids on the street what everyone else is thinking or what needs they might have. I also worry about those who do not understand their culture looking at them as a public nuisance. I worry about the kids who have talent but no other creative outlet, but the streets. I encourage you not be I just keep walking past but take a moment and talk to the young people. Better yet, sit down with them, pick up a bucket, and channel your inner Phil Collins!
Leading Like Admiral William McRaven
I was so impressed by Admiral William H. McRaven’s keynote yesterday morning at ExcelinEd’s National Summit on Education. He began by saying, “If you are not a person of character, you will struggle in leadership and will really struggle leading in a crisis.” With this comment he really grabbed my attention. I was also reminded of how Angela Duckworth had defined character the day before in her great keynote: “Character is all the things you habitually do, think, say, and feel that are good for others and good for you.” Having encountered leaders in my career that lacked character, all this really resonated with me. To me, character is the “walk” part of “walk the talk.” Character encapsulates how we act and what we do. Whereas, “talk” is the values part of “walk the talk.” Those leaders I mentioned earlier talked a big game of values, but then we never saw the actions, or character. We cannot just say we will do the right thing, we have to actually know what the right thing is and do the right thing. Character is all about our habits. Thus why Admiral McRaven said the leader without character would struggle, especially in a crisis when our character really shows.
“The truth will always, always, always, come out.” ~ Admiral William H. McRaven
Admiral McRaven also shared leadership lessons from his great book, Conquering Crisis: Ten Lessons To Learn Before You Need Them. He outlined five key leadership components:
- Assess: we need procedures for getting facts and evaluating the quality of the information. We need a group of trusted advisors – what McRaven called a Council of Colonels. This is an advisory group that will speak the truth to power.
- Report: I love what the Admiral said here: “Always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Also he told us to, “Use truth and transparency to show you understand the problem.” This helps us to personify the crisis.
- Contain: one point Admiral McRaven made here that really stood out to me here was to, “slow the pace of the crisis with one strong decisive move directed at the fastest-moving concern.” This involves us, as leaders taking control of the crisis and dictating the tempo.
- Shape: we need to actively influence situations and control the narrative. The Admiral told us to, “weaponize the truth.” He urged us to, as leaders, mold the circumstances and perception of the crisis so our organizations come out stronger on the other side, rather than just surviving it.
- Manage: This point said it all: “Reinforce your actions with a resource heavy approach to dictate the tempo and shape the outcome.” In other words, as I stated in the beginning paragraph of this post: “walk the talk”.
I love that in a conversation after his keynote with Jeb Bush, Admiral McRaven discussed the need for leaders to be humble and have the humility to listen and learn first. He discussed having a great team around him so he finish this sentence: “I need to understand…” I’ll conclude this post by saying that Admiral McRaven is one of America’s great and iconic leaders. His record shows him to be a man of character who has walked the talk and walked the walk.
Needed Therefore Belonging
I am a huge believer in “belonging.” Whether it is students in our schools or adults in our organizations, everyone needs to belong. This “belonging” is central to our engagement. When we believe that our presence and contributions matter, we feel more connected to our community—be it a classroom or a broader social environment. This sense of connection fosters trust, safety, and acceptance, making us, whether a student or adult, more comfortable to express themselves and participate actively. As a result, we develop a stronger sense of belonging, which enhances their confidence, motivation, and overall well-being. In essence, when we feel needed and appreciated, we are more likely to feel that we truly belong, supporting our growth and success.
Also, let’s not forget that along with love, belonging is on Maslow’s five tier hierarchy model of human needs. While we used to think of this hierarchy more linearly than we now know it to be, Maslow showed love/belonging to be right after physiological and safety needs. We now know that we seek multiple needs simultaneously.
Yesterday at ExcelinEd’s National Summit on Education, Angela Duckworth told us that “Every student needs to be needed.” 🎤 I loved this and thought it was a drop the mic moment. Angela Duckworth meant that every student should feel valued and important—that their presence and contributions matter. When students feel needed, it boosts their confidence, motivation, and sense of belonging, which are essential for their growth and success. She emphasized the importance of fostering environments where students recognize their importance to others, helping them develop resilience and a positive sense of self.
As leaders, let’s make sure everyone belongs!
Leaders Try Crickets
This past Wednesday night I worked with students at our annual “Dinner With A Story” during National FFA Convention, at Ulen Country Club. Chef Nick Townsend and I did this for students from Montana, Kansas, and Indiana. This is something I love doing on the Wednesday evening of convention each year. We used the FFA Convention theme of “Empower” as our throughline for the story. It was such an incredible evening as we served students a four course dinner, one of which included oven roasted crickets on salad wraps. 🦗 Yes, you heard me right – crickets. We always have something that is a little outside of the norm.
The students had some insightful reflections during the story/meal. As they said, trying new foods like crickets can contribute to feeling empowered in several meaningful ways. It encourages stepping outside of your comfort zone, which can boost confidence and foster a sense of bravery. Making a conscious choice to explore unfamiliar foods also reflects a willingness to embrace new experiences, cultivating curiosity and adaptability.
Additionally, the students recognized that sometimes not trying new foods because of preconceived notions is similar to not empowering someone due to stereotypes or biases. In both cases, assumptions prevent us from seeing the full potential—whether it’s discovering delicious, nutritious foods or recognizing someone’s capability and value. Challenging those preconceived beliefs allows for growth, open-mindedness, and the opportunity to experience positive change, whether it’s expanding your palate or fostering understanding and empowerment in others.
Trying new foods can be a metaphorical and literal act of self-empowerment by challenging perceptions, broadening horizons, and reinforcing your ability to make conscious, adventurous choices.
Learning System
Yesterday, during a leadership development gathering we got into a discussion about developing a coherent “high-quality learning system.” We then talked about defining a learning system. Here is what I came up with:
A high-quality learning system is a structured framework designed to facilitate effective education by incorporating key components that enhance the learning experience. It is differentiated to meet diverse learner needs, responsive to feedback and changing circumstances, relevant to real-world applications, transferable across contexts and disciplines, rigorous to ensure depth and mastery of content, and usable by learners to apply knowledge confidently in practical situations. Together, these elements create an environment that promotes meaningful, adaptable, and enduring learning outcomes.
A few other elements of a high-quantity learning system that I subsequently considered for addition were:
- Consider the development of the adults facilitating learning. This would be andragogy – the method and practice of teaching adult learner.
- Making sure an environment, with the necessary supports, is created so students belong.
- Provide a supportive learning ecosystem – culture, family, community, resources
All of these considerations should help lead to a responsive learning environment.
Change Leadership: The Iceberg Analysis and Perception Versus Reality
Back in August, a group of leaders and I got to do a presentation on next steps in a change leadership case study. Our task was to make a pitch promoting next steps using one of the five key tools of change.
The five key tools of change are:
- Problem statement;
- Stakeholder mapping;
- Iceberg analysis;
- Causal loops;
- Iteration and testing.
Our team chose to use an iceberg analysis. The iceberg analysis is a key tool in change leadership that helps identify underlying issues that are not immediately visible. Just like an iceberg, only a small part is seen above the surface, while the larger, more significant concerns lie beneath. By exploring these hidden aspects—such as underlying beliefs, assumptions, and cultural patterns—leaders can address root causes of challenges, fostering meaningful and sustainable change within our organizations’ systems.
In the context of the case study we were given, we chose to expand the metaphor of the iceberg (which is the point of this post) even further by creating a bigger iceberg (see the featured photo to see my graphic recording of the presentation) that encompasses the original. Sometimes we consider the iceberg as what we see above the surface and imagine is below the surface, but sometimes the iceberg is bigger than what we see above and below the surface. We called this perception versus reality.
All the data in the case study we were using, which was related to systems change in a school educational system, had been collected qualitatively using administrator perceptions. We wanted to know if the positive perceptions held by administrators was reality for the teachers. Check out our graphic perceptions/realities in the photo inset (don’t miss our penguins).
This iceberg analysis that includes perception versus reality is such an important part of change leadership. Does perception meet reality? Great leaders care whether perception is reality. In the context of the case study, we needed to know if all the changes being made in this school’s systems were being experienced by the teachers in the same way as the administrators perceived them to be. Furthermore, this speaks to another key tool of change, stakeholder engagement. The teachers are an important internal stakeholder in the community that was being formed in the case study school.
Our Portable Assets: Skills and Reputation
Something I believe is important for young people and adults alike to understand is that our skills and reputation are portable assets. These qualities are valuable resources we carry with us across different situations, careers, or environments.
Skills are like tools in our personal toolkit—they can be applied in various roles or industries, making us adaptable and versatile. Our reputation, which is built on trust, credibility, and how others perceive us, can also follow us from one job or community to another, often opening doors and creating opportunities.
We must remember and make sure that our students and young adults understand that both skills and reputation are assets that aren’t tied to a specific place or time; they can be transferred and utilized wherever we go, helping us succeed and grow regardless of the particular circumstances.
Don’t Let Others Limit You
This is another post inspired by the students at Shields Valley High School in Clyde Park, Montana. I was in Montana all this week doing a student leadership development event. These students were very engaged and thoughtful. I took lots of notes from their thoughts that inspired me. I’ve already blogged about this event once in Grounded in the Present: Embracing the Power of Being Where Your Feet Are. Another great comment made by a student was “You are not limited by other people.” I loved this because so many times we let others limit us by letting them influence what we are doing, by telling us what we should be doing, by letting our parents live vicariously through us, telling us we can’t do something, negativity, or other ways.
We stopped a moment to discuss this comment. These students were very cognizant of how others can limit us. We can all learn several valuable lessons from thinking about not being limited by other people. Here’s how:
- Empowerment and Self-Potential: We are encouraged to recognize that our abilities and potential are within our own control. External opinions or doubts shouldn’t define what we can achieve.
- Resilience Against Negative Influences: We often face peer pressure or criticism. This phrase reminds us that we are not confined by others’ perceptions, allowing us to stay true to our vision and values.
- Independent Thinking: It promotes confidence in making decisions based on our own judgment instead of being overly influenced by others’ expectations.
- Encouraging Innovation: When we understand we aren’t limited by others’ beliefs about what’s possible, we’re more likely to pursue creative ideas and initiatives.
- Fostering a Growth Mindset: Recognizing that limitations aren’t imposed by external sources motivates us to focus on our personal growth and continuous improvement.
Overall, these high school students gave us a powerful reminder for to trust ourselves, embrace our unique strengths, and not let external judgments restrict our personal journey.
Grounded in the Present: Embracing the Power of Being Where Your Feet Are
This week I’ve had the honor of being in Clyde Park, Montana at Shields Valley High School doing leadership development for high school students involved in FFA, BPA, student council, volleyball, basketball, and football. It has been a great week working with the students around the theme of “Everyone Is A Leader.” As is always the case, I am being inspired by the students as much as they are by me. One of the students, FFA officer Andrew Long, made the very profound comment on our first morning together that, “we need to be where our feet are.” This fit so well with our discussion of leading from where we are and that everyone is a leader and very quickly became a theme we kept coming back to.
The phrase “we need to be where our feet are” means to fully focus on and be present in the current moment or place. It encourages mindfulness and paying attention to our immediate surroundings, rather than being distracted by past concerns or future worries. Essentially, it’s a reminder to stay grounded and engaged with what’s happening right now.
The leadership lesson from the phrase “we need to be where our feet are” is the importance of presence and mindfulness in leadership. As a leader, being fully engaged in the current moment allows us to better understand our team’s needs, make thoughtful decisions, and respond effectively to challenges. It encourages leaders to listen actively, be attentive to details, and prioritize the task at hand, rather than getting distracted by future uncertainties or past mistakes. Ultimately, it promotes authentic leadership rooted in awareness and connection, fostering trust and clarity within our team.
Experiences Over Experience
Today during a discussion with National FFA Teacher Ambassadors about who we influence and how we influence others, a teacher commented that sometimes she worried she lacked influence because others viewed her as not having enough years experience. This teacher is going into her third year of teaching and went on to say she has had a lot of experiences that others with more years of experience have not had. Did you catch the distinction here? I loved this and it is something I have always told teachers I’ve coached or mentored: Experiences trump experience!
While the number of years someone has spent in a field can give a general sense of their exposure, it doesn’t necessarily reflect the depth, quality, or relevance of their experiences. Considering the actual experiences of others allows us to understand their challenges, problem-solving approaches, and lessons learned in specific situations. This deeper insight helps us evaluate their true expertise and adapt their knowledge to our own circumstances more effectively. Ultimately, focusing on meaningful experiences fosters more genuine learning and growth than simply counting years.
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