RLL 43: How Do You Begin to Lead with Passion? Serve!

Real Life Leading #43

To Find Your Passion, Begin by Serving

This past week, I was blessed to see two very different organizations be celebrated for their service in local communities. On Tuesday evening, my family and I were able to attend a dinner fundraiser for our local Boys and Girls Club, and on Thursday I spoke at the luncheon of our local chapter of the Lions Club International. At the Boys and Girls Club dinner, the club awarded their annual 'Home Town Hero' award to a woman who has served the local club for almost twenty years; at the Lions Club meeting, the local chapter (Anniston) was awarded the 'Club of the Year' for the entire state of Alabama.

After attending both of those get-togethers, I asked myself, "What do the members of those groups have in common?" The answer should have been obvious: a desire to serve. The woman who received the 'Home Town Hero' award is a former prison administrator, who at one point was in charge of six facilities. Thus it makes sense that she would spend much of her free time helping underserved youth, hoping to help them follow different life paths than what she saw everyday.

The men and women of the Lions Club are doctors, reporters, attorneys, bank managers, and former school teachers. The Lions Club helps raise money and awareness about diabetes, childhood cancer, vision-screenings for kids, and world hunger. Again, it makes sense that these types of people would, after their 'job' ends for the day, continue to help others through volunteering with the Lions Club.

What's the point? We are called to serve, and one common reason that people give for not serving is that they haven't yet found their passion.. So how do you find your passion? You take a page out of the Boys and Girls Clubs and Lions Clubs playbook, and you simply begin to serve in your local area. Jesus himself said that he came not to be served, but to serve, and He calls us to do the same. These two groups are just a couple of examples of the countless ways you can get involved.

Perhaps working with at-risk youth isn't what you end up being passionate about. Perhaps you find that you are drawn to serve the homeless in your area. Perhaps you feel passionately about raising money for families who are dealing with cancer or other diseases. Perhaps you are, like my wife, constantly drawn to help animals who are without homes.

Here's the crux, though: you won't know until you get out and try. Nothing is set in stone: go get information, volunteer with a local organization, and see how God may be calling you to use your skills in the service of others. As you serve others, you'll start to see what you enjoy and what you don't, where your skills are a great fit and where they might be better utilized. But you have to begin by doing it, not just by thinking about it.

If you want to learn more about why it's so important to serve as leaders, and to get more ideas on how to do so, go grab a copy of my recent book Inverted Leadership: Lead Others Better By Forgetting About Yourself . (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1983110167/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1528802141&sr=8-1)

In the meantime, get out and serve, and then be sure to tag me on social media so I can celebrate your service as well! 

RLL 42: Lessons from the 'Worst Class in School'

Real Life Leading #42

Lessons from the 'Worst Class in School'

Happy Sunday, everyone! I'm excited this week to share with you a few things I've learned from what has been labeled 'the worst class in school' (I mentioned them in last week's blog post. You can find it here: https://reallifeleading.com/real-life-leading-blog/83ywznecpjax2f76fxktx8rkg6pzpy). Last week I mentioned the importance of setting high expectations early and to believe the best in people. This week I want to follow up with two others lessons associated with this group.

First, I find that it is vital to address the 'elephant in the room', the giant issue that everyone knows is there but most people refuse to acknowledge. The reason for this is simple: if you just ignore it, it continues to be an issue. For this class, the elephant in the room was their reputation and the things that have contributed to it: being disrespectful, constantly breaking rules (e.g. dresscode, gum-chewing, etc.), and generally being disinterested in their school work. So together we addressed these issues by discussing their importance, and once the students saw that there actually is a purpose for these things, their approach became somewhat more respectful. Keep in mind, though, that habits take time to break, and these are still kids after all. That's where it's important to have grace, and it also leads us to the second point.

The other important thing is to revisit the expectations daily or at least very regularly. Students shouldn't have to be reminded to follow the dress code; but neither should adults have to be reminded to follow the speed limit. And yet we need those reminders. Whether through simple forgetfulness (or, more likely, sinfulness), we tend to slack off. So in my class we revisited each issue once or twice during the week, reminding the students of the policies, but more importantly, reminding them of the progress they're already making in terms of changing their reputations.

I find that it's extremely important to "catch the students being good" (if I could remember who I heard that phrase from, I would gladly credit them!) and to show them that you saw what they were doing. Much of what I've shared this week has been strongly influenced by a book called 'The First Days of School' by Dr. Harry K. Wong. It's a must-read for every teacher, and I also believe the principles would be useful in any leadership setting.

So, this week in your world, be sure to address whatever 'elephants' are causing your group problems. Just remember to do so with patience, grace, and love, the same way we want people to address us when we're not doing what we should. Jesus has forgiven me for much bigger things than leaving my shirt untucked; therefore, I need to be willing to forgive students when they don't follow the rules in my classroom. Discipline still occurs, but it's done to teach and instruct, not to punish; again, in the same way God disciplines us. 

Thanks for your time, and feel free to share this article! Also, I'm still booking speaking engagements for the rest of 2018 and into 2019, so if you'd like to learn more or hear me in person, contact me via the form on the website, or email me at joel@speakerjoel.com. Thanks, and have an amazing rest of your day!

RLL 41: Lessons from the Beginning of School

Real Life Leading Blog Post #41

Lessons from the Beginning of School

This past Thursday marked the first day of my thirteenth year as a high school teacher, and in those thirteen years, many changes have taken place, both in education and in the rest of life: kids have changed, technology has advanced, my family has changed, etc. Reflecting on these things, I was reminded of two quick thoughts that I wanted to share with you all regarding leadership both in the classroom and outside of it.

First, It is absolutely vital to set expectations early. In my classroom, the first assignment is for the students to write an essay telling me what they hope to get out of the class and telling me a little bit about themselves. We then spend the next forty-five minutes of class going over the rules and procedures (four rules, twenty procedures), detailing what I expect from them: how to enter, how to head papers, how to conduct themselves during class, what they can expect from me, how to exit the room, and everything in between.

Because we go over these expectations early, the students know from the very first day what class will look like and what will be required of them. There is no guess-work about how to do things or how to act. This provides both a structure for the class and stability for the students and for me. If at all possible, in your leadership position, let your team know as soon as possible what the goals and expectations are, so that everyone is on the same page.

Second, I find it is important to believe the best in people while also knowing they will make mistakes. The current group of freshman at my school have long had a negative reputation within the school: loud, obnoxious, disrespectful, lazy, etc. I heard this from multiple teachers, and I'm sure there is some basis for these statements (teachers don't generally lie to each other). However, after reading Bob Burg's book 'The Go-Giver,' and realizing that my job is to help and serve, I realized also that if I go into the year expecting these kids to be awful, then I will see everything they do through that lens. Instead, I also remembered my C.S. Lewis (this is a paraphrase) from 'Mere Christianity': however bad something could be, it also has the potential to be the same amount great.

So I started this year by expecting these kids to be phenomenal. And so far, they have not let me down: they are engaged, they are interested, they show up on time and participate in class, and I'm excited to be teaching a class with such huge potential. Believing the best in them is helping me see the best in them, rather than the reverse. I have found this to be true in other areas as well. Will they be perfect the entire year? Of course not. But I am excited to see just how high their ceiling is, knowing that we've started off in a positive direction. 

I hope these two tips help you out this week, and if so, I'd love to hear about it!

Action Step: Within your team, communicate your expectations, and believe the best in people!