Cutting Through The Noise To Make Your Own Noise
I love all the hard rock collaborations that are happening. It is so cool when artists get together and co-create. One of my favorites who does this a lot is Lzzy Hale. Yesterday I heard a collaboration with Nita Strauss featuring Lzzy for the song “Through The Noise.” It is awesome and the lyrics sparked some deep thinking and reflection. I so love the art of lyrics because we can interpret and use them in any way we want.
The lyrics “This crowd won’t recognize your crown / Doesn’t mean you’re out / When you hit a rut, keep it up” convey a message of resilience and self-belief. It suggests that even if others don’t acknowledge or appreciate your success or potential (“crowd won’t recognize your crown”), it doesn’t mean you’re finished or defeated (“doesn’t mean you’re out”). When facing setbacks or difficult times (“hit a rut”), it’s important to persevere and continue pushing forward (“keep it up”). These lyrics do an incredible job of encouraging staying confident and persistent despite lack of external validation (which I say is overrated anyway) or temporary challenges.
Additionally, the phrase “In the dark I see you / A spark within the dust” adds a powerful layer of meaning to the lyrics. It suggests that even in difficult or bleak circumstances (“the dark” and “dust”), there is something bright and resilient—like a “spark”—that stands out. This imagery emphasizes hope, inner strength, and individuality amid adversity.
The subsequent lines, “Tearin’ down the obvious / ‘Cause in this world there’s nothing left to trust / But your own voice, make your own noise,” reinforce the idea that external sources of certainty or guidance may be unreliable. Instead, one must look inward, trusting their own intuition and voice.
Overall, these lyrics highlight themes of resilience, self-reliance, and the importance of finding one’s own light and truth even when external signs seem bleak or uncertain. It encourages confidence in oneself to create change and make noise despite challenging surroundings.
Adding the Perfect Cherry on Top: Final Touches for Ultimate Success
I just finished reading the great new book, The Octopus Organization. This book has a lot of awesome learning in it and I took lots of notes. One phrase that ended up in my notes was “Don’t do cherry toppings.” This was an incredible metaphor advising against doing superficial things that maybe look good but don’t really add value or are just superficial fixes that don’t address underlying issues. The authors suggested that instead of just adding something extra—like a cherry on top—that masks or superficially improves a problem, organizations should focus on deeper, more meaningful changes.
This aligns with the book’s overall message about fostering genuine adaptability, transparency, and authentic growth, rather than relying on quick fixes or surface-level solutions. Essentially, it’s a call for sincerity and thoroughness in products, services, or tackling challenges, rather than resorting to superficial enhancements.
Being Open To New Experiences And Deeper Understanding
Yesterday I wrote about Elaine Scarry’s essay “The Difficulty of Imagining Other People” in Imagining The Complex Unique Individual. Today I was inspired to write about a quote from her book, On Beauty and Being Just. Scarry said, “This willingness continually to revise one’s own location in order to place oneself in the path of beauty is the basic impulse underlying education.” I believe she was suggesting that the desire to continually reevaluate and adjust our perspective to encounter beauty is a fundamental human impulse.
When she said “willingness to revise one’s own location,” I believe she meant that genuine engagement with beauty requires openness to changing our views, assumptions, or positions. By doing so, we open ourselves to new experiences and deeper understanding.
This process is central to education because teaching and learning involve not just acquiring knowledge but also being willing to shift one’s perspective to better appreciate beauty and truth. It emphasizes humility, curiosity, and growth—values that foster empathy and a more just, compassionate society. Scarry was portraying the pursuit of beauty as an active, transformative process that encourages ongoing self-reflection and openness, which are vital for personal development and social harmony.
Our Internalized Sense of Awareness
In advance of my upcoming trip to the Philippines I have been doing some studying of the Filipino culture. This culture is fascinating and many concepts have caused me to consider my own actions and ways of doing things. You should take a look at my prior posts, Pag-unawa and Leading With Pakikisama and Kapwa, if you haven’t already. In this post I want to discuss “hiya.” Hiya is one of the most influential and deeply felt social values in Filipino culture. It guides Filipinos to act with respect.
Hiya refers to a sense of shame or propriety that influences how Filipinos communicate. It acts as a social lubricant, encouraging individuals to choose words carefully, avoid offensive language, and be considerate of others’ feelings. This emphasis on hiya helps preserve harmony and prevent conflict in social settings. Hiya often serves as a guiding principle, prompting people to act with respect, consideration, and self-control to uphold social harmony and personal integrity.
What I have taken away from learning about hiya is the idea of having a deeply internalized sense of awareness. Hiya gives us an emotional and social compass. It heightens our awareness of acting with modesty, dignity, and respect for others. Because hiya is a social virtue rooted in modesty, humility, and consideration, it can have both positive and negative aspects. I have considered those here:
Positive Aspects of Hiya:
- Promotes Respect and Consideration: Hiya encourages us to behave politely and thoughtfully towards others, fostering harmonious social interactions.
- Reduces Conflicts: By cultivating humility and shame when appropriate, it helps prevent arrogance and boastfulness, leading to fewer misunderstandings and conflicts.
- Supports Social Cohesion: Acting with hiya helps maintain community bonds, as people demonstrate respect for shared norms and values.
- Encourages Self-Reflection: Modesty and humbleness can motivate us to improve ourselves and avoid overstepping boundaries.
Negative Aspects of Hiya:
- May Lead to Excessive Self-Criticism: An overly strong sense of hiya might cause us to be excessively humble or ashamed, potentially impacting our confidence and self-esteem.
- Can Cause Social Anxiety: The fear of embarrassment or shame may result in anxiety, making social participation or expressing ourselves difficult.
- Impedes Assertiveness:
Excessive modesty might hinder us from advocating for ourselves or sharing their opinions openly. - Cultural Misunderstandings:
Different cultures interpret modesty and shame differently; what is considered respectful in one context might be perceived as lack of confidence or disengagement in another.
Hiya serves as a valuable social virtue promoting harmony and respect. It is important to remember that balance is crucial to ensuring that hiya fosters positive social dynamics without hindering personal growth or expression.
Virtue in Action: How Justice and Mercy Shape a Thriving Society
G. K. Chesterton said, “Virtue is not the absence of vices or the avoidance of moral dangers; virtue is a vivid and separate thing, like pain or a particular smell. Mercy does not mean not being cruel or sparing people revenge or punishment; it means a plain and positive thing like the sun, which one has either seen or not see.” Chesterton’s quote emphasizes that virtue isn’t simply about avoiding bad behaviors or moral pitfalls. Instead, he was suggesting to us that virtue is a distinct, positive quality—something tangible and noticeable, much like pain or a specific smell. It’s not just the absence of vice, but an active presence that can be seen or experienced.
The idea that virtues like mercy are active and observable qualities ties closely to how justice functions as a foundational virtue in world-building. Just as mercy isn’t just about avoiding cruelty but actively demonstrating compassion and understanding, justice isn’t merely about avoiding wrongs; it’s about fostering fairness, equity, and integrity in society.
When Chesterton talked about mercy, he was illustrating that showing mercy isn’t just about refraining from cruelty or revenge. Instead, it’s a positive, deliberate act—something as obvious and perceptible as sunlight. You either recognize its presence by seeing it in action, or you don’t. Essentially, Chesterton was highlighting that virtues are active, observable qualities that define character, not merely the lack of negative traits. This all reminds me that actions really do speak louder than words!
When justice is seen as the key to world-building, it emphasizes creating structures and systems that actively promote righteousness, balance, and trust among individuals. It’s not enough to simply prevent injustice—we need proactive measures that encourage positive interactions and uphold moral principles. In this way, justice becomes an observable, guiding force that shapes a stable, thriving community—much like mercy’s visibility in acts of kindness. Both virtues serve as active principles that construct and sustain a healthy social fabric, demonstrating their importance through tangible actions rather than mere absences of bad behavior.
Being Cool
One thing I believe people, both young and old, struggle with is being themselves. An elementary student gave this advice: “Be your own kind of cool!” I loved this because I always say we are all cool in some way and we need to recognize that coolness in ourselves. We also need to find and appreciate that coolness in others.
Being our own kind of cool encourages us to be authentic and true to ourselves, rather than trying to conform to someone else’s idea of what is trendy or fashionable. It’s about embracing our own unique personality, interests, and style, and feeling confident in who we are. True coolness comes from authenticity and self-acceptance. And as I said, we are all cool in our own way.
Rebuilding with Resilience: Nurturing the Spirit of Hope and Renewal
You ever had your spirit broken by someone, something that happened, or something someone said? Pretty sure we would all answer a resounding “Yes!” to that. I know I have. There might even be things we’ve not got that spirit back from. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I was reminded of something a mentor early in my career told me: “Your spirit can be easily broken, but it can also be repaired.” Noticed, she didn’t say “easily” repaired. Because it is not easy. She was reminding me, however, that resilience and hope are powerful and our spirit can be repaired.
While life’s challenges and setbacks may deeply affect us, they do not have to define us forever. Our spirits have an incredible capacity for healing and growth. We are reminded to stay hopeful, to nurture our inner strength, and to believe in the possibility of recovery and renewal, even after difficult times. No matter how tough things get, there is always potential for rebuilding and becoming stronger than before.
Belonging Versus Fitting In
On Monday of this week I had the opportunity to work with a group of very astute fourth graders. We were discussing what it was like to be a leader as a fourth grader. One of the students said, “There’s a difference between fitting in and belonging. When you’re belonging, you’re feeling like yourself and when you’re fitting in, you might not really be yourself.” I loved this because it is so true. The main difference between belonging and fitting in lies in authenticity and acceptance.
Belonging is about feeling accepted for who we truly are. It means we’re valued and included because of our authentic self—our personality, values, and unique qualities. When we experience belonging, we feel comfortable being ourselves and can develop genuine relationships. I was excited that the students realized this is the kind of environment we must strive to create. We all have a need to belong and we all have an obligation to lead by creating an ethos of belonging.
Fitting in, on the other hand, often involves changing or adjusting ourselves to meet others’ expectations. It’s about conforming to certain norms or standards to be accepted, which might mean hiding parts of yourself or sacrificing your individuality. I always wonder, who created all these social norms we think we need to conform to.
I am proud of these fourth graders for reminding us that creating environments that foster belonging helps us grow, build trust, and form meaningful connections. Conversely, emphasizing fitting in can lead to pressure to conform, which may prevent others from expressing their true selves.
Leading As A Mentor
Last week I had a person who had sat in on some of my past leadership workshops, not as a participant but a passerby and got caught up in what we were doing, tell me he was now using what he learned from me on a daily basis as a leader. I was both honored and intrigued by this. So, I had to ask what he had learned. He told me he was inspired on my insistence that every leader needed to hold those they serve accountable while also inspiring both personal and professional growth. He said, “You taught me that every leader should serve as a mentor and role model to those they serve.” I do believe and teach that every leader should strive to be the best mentor possible.
Leaders should be mentors because they have the experience, knowledge, and perspective to guide others through their professional and personal growth. By serving as mentors, leaders can help develop the skills and confidence of their team members, fostering an environment of continuous learning. Organizations thrive when leaders develop other leaders, not just followers.
Mentorship also builds trust and strong relationships, which can improve collaboration and morale. Ultimately, when leaders invest in their team’s development, it creates a more engaged, capable, and motivated workforce that benefits the entire organization. Team members who feel guided, not just managed, are more loyal and engaged. Mentorship makes leadership complete and more human centered.
Mentorship is the key for leaders to develop other leaders!
Being Kind
This past week I had the opportunity to be in Langford, South Dakota for National FFA Week. The Langford Area School District FFA Officers had the great idea to provide leadership workshop sessions designed for every grade level in the school. Their amazing agriculture teacher/FFA advisor and National FFA Teacher Ambassador, AnnaMarie Sachs, made the students’ idea a reality. I’m also very proud that the students requested that I be the provider of all these sessions. I’d had the opportunity to work with some of the Langford FFA members at National FFA Convention, so they had experienced my work.
I shared on social media last week that I am always inspired by the leadership dispositions that young people always seem to have for leadership. The Langford students really inspired me. Remember the show Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? Let me tell you, I met some pretty smart fifth graders last week that I wish I could have some adults I know learn from. One fifth grader really impressed me with her Play-Doh creation that was to represent her as a leader. She made the word “Kind,” using a heart to dot the “i” (see photos). Very cool!
I asked her to talk about her creation. She said that she believed she was a leader because she tried to be kind to everyone. She also stated that she believed that if everyone would just practice being kind the world would be a better place. Pretty smart fifth grader, don’t you think? Are you as smart as this fifth grader?
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” ~ Dalai Lama
As an advocate of loving those we serve as a leadership attribute, this fifth grader made me reflect on what being kind really means. Being kind means genuinely understanding the impact our words and actions have on others. Another word that gets used a lot when defining being kind is “helpful.” I love this because providing help covers so many things. Being kind or helpful is about going that extra mile for others.
Now, taking this discussion a little deeper, I want to describe being kind as a vital leadership attribute because it fosters trust, loyalty, and a positive environment where team members feel valued and respected. Kind leaders are able to build strong relationships, which encourages open communication and collaboration. When leaders show genuine kindness, they inspire others to follow suit, creating a culture of empathy and mutual support. This not only enhances morale but also motivates individuals to perform their best, knowing they are appreciated and understood. Ultimately, kindness in leadership helps cultivate a cohesive and resilient team capable of overcoming challenges together.
Byron's Babbles 
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