The Webmaster's Corner

Putting People First

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:55:00 +0000

In the text, Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership: PracticingWisdom of Leading by Serving Others, the second is “Put People First”. Thispillars deals with the relationships leaders have with the people in theirlives. It states research shows that putting people before profits is aprofitable choice and companies that adopt this value “out perform theircompetitors” (pg. 36). Serving others by our actions is an important aspect ofservant-leadership and the desire to affect the lives of others as a “calling”.In discussing the strengths of a leader, Frick describes the lessons taught tohim by his mentor, Dr. Ann McGee:

“She taught me how to celebrate, but also how to beaccountable.”

I thought that this quote was particularly powerful becauseit is so relevant. In life as well as business, we will encounter successes andfailures and learning to deal with them appropriately is key. These are suchhard lessons to learn and in the spirit of the layout of the book, I askedmyself did I know how to celebrate my successes. I feel that I have learnedwhat accountability entails and in my daily attempts to not abuse, I amcomfortable with accountability. Celebrating is harder, so my annotatedquestion is:

Is celebrating successes harder than taking account forthings that go bad?

Do you think that companies should spend more resourcesteaching their upper level managers these so that they can share them withtheir teams? Will the teams be any stronger if they learn and act them outtogether?

Testing Adobe Muse

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:12:00 +0000

NEW APPLICATION ALERT - CODE NAME 'MUSE'

As Web Designers we are always on the lookout for new tools to help web designers design front end. You know I am always skeptical when a product claims to allow users to create websites without writing "a line of code".

You all know I have used Macromedia now Adobe products for years and I am their biggest advocate. Dreamweaver, Fireworks, etc. have been my lifeline for the past 10 years. Today I was introduced to a new product from adobe called "MUSE".

Muse is in the BETA stage and I am giving it a run. I will update you and let you know how it is going. You will find their badge on my blog - give it a try and then give me a buzz and let me know what you think.

FYI - I am almost finished with the HTML5 tutorials I promised!!!

Maslow and Me

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:48:00 +0000

Maslow Inventory Results

Physiological Needs (27%) you appear to have everything you need to survive physically.
Safety Needs (30%) you appear to have a very secure environment.
Love Needs (67%) you appear to be unhappy with the quality of your social connections.
Esteem Needs (24%) you appear to have a high level of personal competence.
Self-Actualization (46%) you appear to have an average level of individual development.

Take Free Maslow Inventory Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

I Found an online MBTI Type Indicator

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:32:00 +0000

Be honest. Be True. Find out what makes you happy!

ISTJ - "Trustee". Decisiveness in practical affairs. Guardian of time- honored institutions. Dependable. 11.6% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

This is so close to home. Took an online career assessment an here are the results:

Career Inventory Test Results

Extroversion		30%
Emotional Stability		80%
Orderliness		76%
Altruism		70%
Inquisitiveness		70%

You are a Guide, possible professions include - career counselor - (this is what my next career move will be), psychologist, educational consultant (always giving people my two-cents on their educational pursuits), special education teacher, librarian, artist, playwright, novelist/poet, editor/art director, information-graphics, designer, (Have been a web & graphics designer for the past 8 years) HRM manager, merchandise planner, environmental lawyer, marketer, job analyst, mental health counselor, dietitian/nutritionist, research(persuing my PhD because research is my thing), educational consultant, architects, interpreter/translator.

Take Free Career Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

DERRICK TOOK THE TEST TONIGHT; HERE ARE HIS RESULTS:

ISFJ - "Conservator". Desires to be of service and to minister to individual needs - very loyal. 13.8% of total population.

Free Jung Word Choice Test (similar to MBTI)
personality tests by similarminds.com

Voicing Gratitude

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:01:00 +0000

It is important as we grow to acknowlege those who strengthen us daily. I have been blessed with the most wonderful partner, someone who is truly an open vessel for my love. I trusted enough to give him my trust and love and what I received in returned is immeasurable. It is important that we acknowledge positive relationships and not dwell on the scars from those who abused in the past.

Owning Your Worldview

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:14:00 +0000

OWNING YOUR WORLDVIEW

I personally feel that your worldview is very different from your worldview in childhood. As I moved from dependence to independence external forces taught me lessons about the importance of standing on my principals on things I felt were morally right and others that I needed to change to continue to grow in a positive direction. As a child I was very selfish and filtered my words and actions based on how I alone was affected.

As the world taught me the lessons of life I was forced to reflect on how my actions affected others. I learned to step back from my strong opinions and compromise to give validation to the feelings of others. My children and husband were big influences on my actions and decisions. I not only began to filter my decisions through what was best for me to what would be best for my family unit. My relationship with my parents evolved from one of commands and obeying to one of respect and admiration of dealing with adult issues. I watched adults I admired and emulated their actions to achieve similar outcomes.

Once I left my neighborhood and moved into a world where race, religions, traditions, backgrounds were very different from my own I learned how diverse the world is. As my understanding of personal relationships evolved, even in early adulthood, I became more understanding and patient of my coworkers and classmates. As I gain more education, meet more diverse people, and live in different areas my worldview expands and I become a better person.

I have a hard time understanding worldviews that are very different from my own. Worldviews based solely on religion, traditions, and social classes are the ones I find most difficult. Discrimination, exclusion, and persecution upheld by scripture are the hardest for me to process. I feel that if you try hard enough you can find an easy justification for doing what you want. Many of the values we discussed in module 1 such as basic moral values and the theory of obligation are easier for me to justify. I believe that we should look at the actions displayed and try not to judge the person, because in most cases we will not fully know the full back-story. Through my daily evolution I have learned that it is almost impossible to know a person’s intentions and/or motives.

Even if I don’t agree with a person’s worldview I try not to rush to judgment. Using religious text and traditions to justify actions is a cop out and does not make the person explain the real reasons for their actions. Although our upbringing accounts for a large part of how we process situations, I also believe it is the responsibility of the individual to continue to grow, allowing for the formation of their moral center. I like for the individual to explain in some detail as to why they feel a certain way and how those opinions came to be. I usually like to hear about their upbringing (how they were raised and what their family unit looked like), what role religion play in their life and whether they blame or use it to justify negative actions, and finally listening to their personal story (how they fell about themselves and their sense of accomplishment or lack thereof). These pieces of information help me process the “why” because I feel that their actions are filtered through these individual pieces.

Feeling Defeated

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:10:00 +0000

It seems that many others have encountered this same problem. Stephen Covey writes in the forward of Insights on Leadership, "The more I study and try to apply the principle of servant leadership, the more I am inspired by the power of the individual as the programmer" (pg. xvii). I feel that you are paramount to the transformation of the status quo. I agree that this change has to happen from the inside out. Your mere presence is forcing transformations; you are responsible for the enlightenment of those with whom you connect. On page 61, Insight on Leadership tells us that, "The good news, however, is that the barriers you encounter will provide you with both an opportunity to test your skills and a focal point toward which to direct your energies".

We have read in our lectures in this program that servant-leadership is not for the weak. It takes hard work, a strong heart, and perseverance. Your will and strength will be tested and you we feel like the barriers are just too big to be changed by so few. Be inspired by knowing, "Thus naming, claiming, and reframing the barriers you encounter are necessary and important steps on your journey."

I hope these words help to strengthen you. That said, I do not think that you should stay in a company that is unhealthy for you. I have also learned that a servant leader will find such discomfort in their present situation that they cannot stay. Leaving an unhealthy situation is not defeat - it's growth!

Spears, L. (Ed.). (1998). Insights on leadership: Service, stewardship, spirit, and servant-
leadership. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Baz Luhrmann Lyrics - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:30:00 +0000

This morning while putting the finishing touches on a paper that is due in about four hours I watched the movie "The Big Kahuna" with Danny Divito and Kevin Spacey. It was a pretty good movie from the parts I saw, I was mainly using it as background noise. Well as the movie credits were rolling and I started hearing this guy giving advice. It was great, I closed my eyes and enjoyed his words with the background music. So I looked up the lyrics and would like to share them with you in this post. I hope you like them as much as I did:

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

Getting Leo Wrong...

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:26:00 +0000

I am not finding many fellow students who view Leo in the same light I. As I read the book I thought Leo was an actual person on the journey with the Legion, but by the end of the book that had changed. There were several passages that lead me to believe that the presents of Leo was a spiritual/subconscious presence representing the faithfulness of the followers and how they must grow in their spritiutality.

I thought it telling when in the book Leo disappeared: "Each participant in this unforgettable jouney had his own ideas as to what made our faithful Leo suddenly decide to leave us in the middle of the dangerous gorge of Morbio Inferiore" (pg. 37). Leo left during a dangerous time in the journey. It is easy for us to hold on to our faith in the good times, but we are tested when times are hard and the road to righteousness in dangerous. The author follows up this by stating, "It also seemed that this apparently incidental but in reality extremely important event, the disappearance of Leo, was in no way an accident, but a link in the chains of events through which the eternal enemy sought to bring disaster to our undertaking." (pg. 38) that he recognizes that this Leo left during a time when the enemy was busy and aiming for a disastrous outcome and what would be worse than to get the faithful of their righteous paths.
The followers did not know what happened to Leo, but it was clear that it was a spiritual loss by the following passage, "The longer we looked for him and the more our hopes of finding him again dwindled during the course of the day, the more were we oppressed by the thought that it was not only the question of a popular, pleasant man amongst out servants who had either met with an accident or run away or had been captured by an enemy, but that this was the beginning of trouble, the first indication of a storm which would break over us." (pg. 38) In this passage I felt that the travelers knew that the loss of their faith was the first step of many off of the path of righteousness.

As time went past the loss of faith continued to take its toll on the travelers supported by the passage, "The stronger these feelings became, the clearer it seemed to me that it was not only that I had lost faith in finding Leo again, but everything was threatened: our comradeship, our faith, our vow, our Journey to the East, our whole life." The author states that "these feelings" were getting stronger - what feelings is he referring to? I feel his is referring to the loss of faith and Leo is that faith his feelings on a conscious level.

After a time in this dark place, the author feels the need to recapture this lost faith and fulfillment, he states, "I either had to write the book or be reduced to despair; it was the only means of saving me from nothingness, chaos, and suicide." (pg. 57) as the author wrote his book or as I see it reflecting on his life, which he states was necessary he keeps coming back to Leo who according to the (therapist ?) "seems to be an obstacle in your way" (pg. 58), and advises his go and find Leo. The author struggles inwardly and is looking forward to gaining what was lost so many years ago, he states, "I went to Seilergrabrn frequently, twenty time or more, at what I thought were favorable times..." (pg. 64). The author is opening and preparing his heart to accept all that was lost and is feeling cheery and optimistic about the encounter he is sure will happen.

I am going to skip to the part of the book after he meets with Leo and is discouraged because Leo doesn't recognize him to where I feel he goes through the process of statement, enlightenment, and forgiveness.
After the authors meeting with Leo he states, " I remained alone, foolish, with my head bent. I had lost the game. he did not know me; he did not want to know me he made fun of me." (pg. 77). He describe how he has felt without Leo in the past and during the times off of the righteous path, "During such periods of despair it seemed to me as it I. a lost pilgrim, had reached the extreme edge of the world, and there was nothing left for me to do but to satisfy my last desire, to let myself fall from the edge of the worlds into the void- to death" (pg. 77).

On the way to meet with the high council the author admires Leo demeanor while failing to experience even that journey himself. He is focused on the outward appearance, he states, "As I did many years ago when I watched him and the way he walked, I had to admire him as a good and perfect servant." Even though he admired Leo and wanted to be like him he did not choose to follow his lead, but instead he was impatient and ignored the lead Leo provided, "And so the route that Leo took seemed, in my impatience, intolerably long, for I had to follow my guide formore than two hours by way of the strangest and seemingly most capricious detours. Leo kept me waiting twice in front of a church in which he went to pray. For a long time that seemed endless to me, he remained meditating and absorbed in front of an old town hall, and told me about its foundation in the fifteenth century by a famous member of the League" (pg. 84).
There are many who separate themselves from their church and go through times when they deny that they Lord even exist. Those that are hurt often question why would God let bad or hurtful things happen to them. The author relates his fall this way, "That the most serious of my sins, even my illusion that the League no longer existed ..." (Pg. 100). Remember throughout this section of the book the author is called the SELF-ACCUSER, which leads me to believe this is an inward reflection. Fortunately, the author was not only given forgiveness but is also given insight, Leo informs him, "later you will have insight to your errors and you will also be shown how to avoid them in the future" (pg. 102).

Enlightenment comes at the end of the book when the author finds what's under his name. This explains where he has been, where he has been all of these years and how he should grown in the future.

"It contained nothing but a figure, a old worn-looking model made from wood or wax, in pale colors. It appeared to be a kind of deity or barbaric idol. (I feel this is Leo prior to knowing the Lord) At first it seemed entirely incomprehensible to me." Once the author lit the candle and was more enlightened he saw that it was him with more light, and in the end. "It (the figure) represented a figure which was myself, and this likeness of myself was unpleasantly weak and half-real; it had blurred features, and in its whole expression there was something unstable, weak, dying or wishing to die, and looked rather like a piece of sculpture.....I began to realize who it resembled, namely, the servant and President Leo, ... I now saw the double figure representing Leo and myself, nor only becoming clearer and each image more alike, but I also saw that the surface of the figure was transparent and that one could look inside as one can look through the glass or a bottle or vase. Inside the figures ...smooth but continuous flowing or melting; indeed, something melted or poured across from my image was in the process of adding to and flowing into Leo's, nourishing and strengthening it." (pgs 114-117)

The most important part and what I have been leading to: "It seemed that, in time, all the substance from one image would flow into the other and only one would remain: Leo. He must grow and I must disappear."

I can't tell you how this last statement resonated with me, because in my life Leo is Christ and I must disappear, shed my worldly wants and needs to grow in Christ until my life is one of righteousness.

Do you agree with my accessment of who Leo is in all of our lives?

On Something the Lord Made

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:12:00 +0000

I thought that the characters were very complex and carried a lot of negative social baggage into what turned out to forge very personal and complex relationships. Alfred Blalock the surgeon in the movie was very interesting to me, because of the thin line he walked between his social responsibility to not promote blacks regardless of their competency and his drive and commitment to his life's work. Although Vivien Thomas the lab technician turned surgeon was obviously the main focus of the movie, and I did get the over arching goal of the movie and I was touched and proud of the history they were able to forge in spite of the social prejudices of the time. I tended to pay more attention to Blalock to see how he would act when confronted with various situations.

Blalock promoted Thomas many times during a time when his actions could have ruined his career and may have even brought himself and his wife bodily harm. The prejudice that was entrenched in American society at this time was not only egregious, but it was dangerous. I feel that is important to judge the actions of leaders framed within the constraints of social norms. White’s at this time in America’s history were not expected to go against the establishment that stated that minorities regardless of their talents were to occupy certain positions, Black were at this time expected to know their limitations and stay within them. Blalock was brave enough to do what was needed to further the field of medicine he loved and poured his life’s work into. I do not believe that he was at anytime oblivious of the doors he was tearing down, I believe that he was very aware and worked very carefully to elevate a man he respected while not overtly disrespecting the White establishment.

At times a leader must work bravely but carefully for change to occur. If a leader races forward with the change he or she feels needs to be enacted they run the chance of hurting those they intended to help. I am very surprised that I came to the conclusions that I did. I watched this film when it was first released, prior to my work in this degree program and I as I watched it today, I was able to see past the big story and for that I am grateful.

How will I know?

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:43:00 +0000

I have found a wonderful set of questions to ponder during your process of becoming a "servant-leader". According to Laub the servant-leader:

1. Values people by (a) believing in people, (b) serving other's needs before his or her own, and by (c) receptive, non-judgmental listening.

2. Develops people by (a) providing opportunities for learning and growth, (b) modeling appropriate behavior, and by (c) building up others through encouragement and affirmation.

3. Builds community by (a) building strong personal relationships, (b) working collaboratively with others, and by (c) valuing the differences of others.

4. Displays authenticity by (a) being open and accountable to others, (b) a willingness to learn from others, and by (c) maintaining integrity and trust.

5. Provides leadership by (a) envisioning the future, (b) taking initiative, and by (c) clarifying goals.

6. Shares leadership by (a) facilitating a shared vision, (b) sharing power and releasing control, and by (c) sharing status and promoting others.

“Servant-leadership is a state of mind, a philosophy of life, a way of being.”

“Servant-leadership is an understanding and practice of leadership that places the good of those led over the self-interest of the leader. Servant-leadership promotes the valuing and development of people, the building of community, the practice of authenticity, the providing of leadership for the good of those led and the sharing of power and status for the common good of each individual, the total organization and those served by the organization. (Laub, 1999, p. 83)”

Some Basic Assumptions of Servant-leadership

Servant-leadership is a way of being in the world; a world view out of which responsible actions are done;
Servant-leadership is a relational philosophy

Servant-leadership involves caring and nurturing human fulfillment

As an extension of humanity servant-leaders care for and nurture organizational fulfillment, and community fulfillment

Servant-leadership assumes human and organizational development and transformation
Servant-leaders nurture transcendence

Servant-leadership is a moral form of leadership

Servant-leaders promote developing leaders and shared leadership

Servant-leaders work from dependence to independence towards interdependence
Servant-leadership engages the whole person drawing on intellectual intelligence,

Emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence

Servant-leadership is universally applicable

Servant-leaders work towards congruity of thought, word, relationship and deed in all aspects of our lives

This information was found in:

JOURNEYING ON THE PATH OF LEADERSHIP
School of Professional Studies, Gonzaga University
The Philosophy of Servant-leadership
-Dr. John H. Horsman

If you would like a copy of this article please email the title to me and I will be glad to forward it to you.

Looking Back on Diversity and Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:57:00 +0000

Well another class down. ORGL506 was one hard nut to crack. I still don't know my grade, but I expect it to be passing but mediocre. I could say I could have done a better job, but that wouldn't be the truth. This was a case where the instructor decided to make the course difficult rather than interesting.

MODULE ONE
In module one, we were introduced to social construction by reading several texts such as Living within Whiteness and Why Do So Many People Get Treated So Poorly? Communicating social identity was the focus of the readings giving the reader real-life examples to examine in our quest for understanding. In answering the question why do so many people get treated so poorly I learned that social constructs and our individual prejudices allow these the manifest themselves in our culture. In Module One we were asked to look into our past encounters and find three instances of communication dissonance in an intercultural encounter. This was a very difficult assignment for me considering I live in a very culturally limited community, I work in a historically black institution, and my family has very few instance of interracial/intercultural marriage. In the end I found a few and realized that they were closer than I ever imagined. I was looking at the big picture for my answers and I found them very close. I had seen crash a couple of years earlier and agreed with the critics that it was a compelling film that we all should see at least once. The racial under and overtones were masterfully placed, we all should see an example of ourselves in the characters. I cried when I viewed And We Stayed, I felt the pain of the students and why they stayed even though their most basic emotional needs were not being met by the institution. I also decided to attend predominantly white institutions and have unfortunately shared some of those same feelings. That was one of the main reasons I decided to earn my Masters online. I did not make the connections and lifelong friendships I heard about beforehand. The Big Idea paper was one that I had great struggles with. I am not ready for such a broad topic. I hit a wall on that assignment and could not recover. I chose diversity, a topic that I am very interested in, but the enormity of the topic engulfed me and was lost.

MODULE TWO
I thoroughly enjoyed Allen’s book Difference Matters, because they do. I have learned to notice and value the difference that we all bring to the table instead of pretending that we are all the same. As an African American woman working her way through school an attempting to climb the very steep ladder of success I found the construction of gender in the US and in the global context portion of the second module particularly interesting, because again gender does matter and the glass ceiling is real. After viewing Tough Guise I realized how much pressure is put on men to conform to a certain ideal of manhood. I found myself very sad and reflective of the men in my life. Reviewing their actions for what was taught and expected compared to genuine feelings not masked by cultural garbage. The Toys R Us field trip continued my education as to why grown-up act the way we do. We are somehow trapped in the ideals created in the aisle of the toy stores. Still Killing Us Softly forced me to look at myself and why I made the choices I made in wardrobe, make-up etc. I realized that I too am a victim of popular culture’s opinion of beauty and success. The sad part about it is that if I plan to stay in the game I must play the game.

MODULE THREE

I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed the words of Bell Hooks in Where We Stand: Class Matters. Hearing the story from the inside was very insightful and eye-opening. I thought class was the new dividing line in American society, Hooks made me realize that it was always the diving line, it was just previously masked by the noise of the privileged. Peddling Poverty for Profit: Elements of Oppression in Ruby Payne's Framework by Paul C. Gorski was interesting and disappointing to me. As a critical analysis of I felt he let his audience down when he revealed is encounters with the author and her constituents that lead to his opinions. Reading Social Class Privilege by Will Barratt as an ah-ha moment for me. The questions that are not posed to the upper-class were an eye opener. I wondered “yea, why don’t we ask those questions?” Then I realized those that do are ostracized by society as radicals. The Pursuit of Happiness directed by Gabriele Muccino was a movie that I moved me and was relevant for the subject matter of the course. Analyzing power within relationships was not something that I thought about when I initially viewed the movie. Once you realize the power you possess and the power you relinquish in everyday activities you begin to evaluate each encounter differently using this information to your advantage for the best possible personal outcome.

MODULE FOUR
Outsourced was used to evaluate management styles and reaching goals when cultures are at odds. I learned through that movie to not fight the present culture to learn ways to work within it. This was followed up by the reading of Bordas’ book Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultual Age, which was a beautiful tribute to people of color. Bordas reminds us to take time to understand, appreciate, and value the differences within our communities.

With the knowledge I acquired in this class I am more conscious of class issues and the words of Allen. I will view other cultures looking for the richness it brings to the situation. I will be more cognoscente of the terms I use when describing others, remembering that we all have something to contribute if we take time to understand what those things are.

As I move through the classes in this program I ALWAYS make my book lists public to my family, friends on FaceBook, and in my blog. I never keep my new found wisdom a secret. I was fortunate enough to be in these classes, many people I know will not, so I share what I have.

Servant Leader is available online through Google Books

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:19:00 +0000

I have exciting news. While doing research on servant leadership I found that "Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness" by Robert Greenleaf, Foreward by Stephen Covey, and Afterward by Peter M. Senge is available to read on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=gOexpCA5JqIC&dq=servant-leadership&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=sz3SSt6_DJuqtgel_tyCBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false

I would encourage you to of course buy this book for you own bookshelf, to that you can reflect on the words over and over again and use it a reference that it at your fingertips, but this is a great way to get your feet wet. Enjoy.

Becoming a Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:54:00 +0000

When exploring the attributes that make up the "powerful leader", I am taken to the wonderful words of Dr. Rammond Reyes in the Mentor Gallery. His thoughts on leadership are so fully formed by nature and time. There are a few statements that he made in his interview that made an impression on me and caused me believe that every leader needs to evaluate themselves and their own story and experience before the can choose a leadership style that will bear productive fruit.

In "On Forgiveness" Richard Holloway explained that we are the products of our enviornments: "The reason we want to be able to forgive individuals, while retaining the important ability to judge their actions is that we know that personal action is the fruit of character and that character is largely predetermined by factors that are not in our control". When in conflict with others Dr. Reyes so eloquently reminds us to: "Take the time to get beneath of the behavior of the ideology. Positive interpretation on the behavior and feelings of others."

Leaders are responsible for the growth of those they have chosen to lead, Our leadership style is a reflection of our values, Dr. Reyes tell us that "How we lead is who we are, the sacred interaction of our biology and our biography." Understanding that we all bring our own personal story into relationships both inside the organization as well as in our personal life, Dr. Reyes advises that, "All human difference, first know your own cultural identity. Diversity personhood 101, see things how we are, not how it is. We are unconsciously who our ancestors are."

All leaders come to their position seeing the world through their own lens, seeing success and conflict through their past experiences. Dr. Rayes emphases the importance of the leader knowing their "Alpha Point" – Know your sacred story – who are you as a multi-cultural being, how does that influence your behavior value system, thought process in terms of decision making."

Learning to be great leaders come over a life-time, as we live through various experiences we are, according to Dr. Reyes, that we all are a living, breathing curriculum".

Forgiveness for the Person not the Act

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:49:00 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this module’s text, “On Forgiveness” by Richard Holloway. It seemed to have touch on many key points that I can use in my struggles with forgiveness. I have isolated a few key quotes and I will explain why they held particular interest for me:

“‘Trespasses’, those everyday breaks in the harmony of life of tears in the web of human relationships, than with monstrous evil” pg. 36

I often thought of trespasses as the big stuff, not those small things that give relationships discomfort and stresst. I am glad that this term was clearly defined before used in the text.

“The way she advises us to do this (forgiveness )is to focus not on the act or the trespass, but on the person who committed it, because forgiveness is always of individual never of actions” pg. 36
I thought this was a profound statement in thatin the past, I have often focus pity or anger on or about what was done to me or those I love. Whether reflecting on my pain or the senseless of it, I very rarely focus on the person and the space they were in when the trespass occurred.

The last one, I will refer to in this post is: what is the process of repair that one must undergo on the way to feeling whole.

In my last paper I subscribde to the thought that forgiveness is a process and there are certain steps that must be climbed to attain forgives beyond the empty verbal agreement:

“Reparation repairs the damage done by the crime, wither by some act of material restoration, such as payment or service, or by some kind of symbolic gesture such as willingness to cooperate in special programmes of training or therapy." pg. 47

My question for this week is: Do you think that forgiveness is a process that must be undergone by both the trespasser and the victim. The trespasser must not only ask for forgiveness, but show through some process that they are worthy of it?

The Invitations and Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:36:00 +0000

The Invitation

Restoring Balance

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:25:00 +0000

In the past few weeks I have been dealing with a very troubling situtation in my small business. I am a Web Master by day for the college, and in the evenings and on the weekends I am the Web Designer for my small business owned by me and my husband. I am in a very dark place emotionally with a client that refuses to pay his bill after hours of work building his Web site; I am trying to let my education and growth as a servant leader guide me. Prior to pursuance of this degree my rationing and actions to the dispute I find myself in would have been swift and harsh. I find myself these days second guessing most of my initial reactions, I am becoming a softer gentler Shere. The problem is the world and the people in it hearts are as hard as ever.

Tonight I am particularly struggling on what my next steps should be, not just next steps, but right steps. I have been terribly preoccupied and it is showing in my demeanor and in some ways my health. Is this transformation of transcendence supposed to be so painful?

I am reading Dr.Ferch's SERVANT-LEADERSHIP AND THE INTERIOR OF THE LEADER: Facing violence with courage and forgiveness PART 2 and gaining such comfort and clarity. I want to lash out at being treated unfairly, beating myself up for seemly not acting with guts, and second guessing this rising above those who trespass against me. The words that are comforting most are about achieving a balance. I guess because I feel so unbalanced right now. Ferch states, "This balance of personal autonomy and connection to others is a vital aspect of their social leadership" (pg. 11).

Personal autonomy is what I am missing. I am focusing on how I am perceived, how I am being cheated, the pain I am in and have lost me in the process. How do I center myself? How do I move pass the personal pain to allow for the growth I know is needed? How can I balance my individual self worth while being mistreated by others, how can I continue to honor others while I am in such pain? I know that this is not an advice column, but I am trying so hard to grow in a positive direction, I am trying to have what Ferch calls "a personal, active understanding of love and power".

I want to arrive on the other side of this controversy with a servant-leadership testimony while not acting harshly to this client who is obviously taking advantage of me. I have horrible thoughts of blog bashing and other retributive things, but I read further and Ferch says, "To frame the person we disagree with in a dark light was to King a poison, something he intentionally fought against. I really feel stuck in a spiritual rut and I don't know if I currently possess the tools to pull my self through.

The most beautiful sentence in this paper to me is "...We have before us the glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of love into the veins of our civilization" (pg.13) I take that to heart, and I believe goodness starts with me, but I am at a lost as to how to move through love to a resolution to my problem. Any Advice?

ThePaper I am refferring to in this post is:
SERVANT-LEADERSHIP AND THE INTERIOR OF THE LEADER:Facing violence with courage and forgiveness, PART 2, Shann R. Ferch, Gonzaga Univeristy

The Process

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:28:00 +0000

I, in an earlier post, questioned whether revenge is learned. Is not being able to forgive and wanting others to suffer for the hurt imposed upon another a learned behavior? Has society taught us that that is an acceptable response to being wronged? I thought it was very enlightening when Mr. Wiesel and the others who were freed from the camps did not immediately or later did not call for revenge for the travesties they had undergone.

I have wrestled with the topic of forgiveness for the last few weeks and I have drawn the following conclusions: Forgiveness is process, a process where one shows with their actions that they are remorseful for their trespasses.

(1)Acknowledging the wrong; (2) requesting forgiveness; (3) proving through your actions that you deserve the forgiveness your request.

I believe the above process above can be non-verbal, as in the case of Dr. French’s father. The relationship Dr. French had with his father after his reconciliation and remarriage was a testament to his request for forgiveness from his family. He could have just asked for it, but instead he earned it. As in the case of apartheid, the trespassers were asked to admit their wrongs in a verbal way, I feel it all depends on the situation. Some people spend their entire lives atoning for their past.

Forgiveness for the trespassed is a process of learning the lessons and moving past the hurt however that is possible. Doing whatever is possible not to let negativity consume the future.

Night

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:26:00 +0000

As I read "Night" by Elie Wiesel I was so moved by the accounts of his experience. I was enlightened by the lack of negative emotion in the retelling of his life in the camps. He told the story with such a pure and straightforward tone. He described the evil that his people encountered always with hope in his voice. I wondered how his voice could stay so stable when my heart was breaking for them with every word.
Often when reading I try to put myself in the role of the narrarator, but in this case I could not. I felt as if I was helplessly viewing his torment from a helpless distance. I found myself upset with the towns-people for not listening to Moishe the Beadle, for not being more horrified when the foreign Jews were expelled from Sighet. As an African American I thought about the slave ships as he described the scene of the train rides and I wondered how so many could be treated so badly, with such disregard could not, like Mrs. Schachter, go mad.

But I was most moved by a statement made at the end of the book. After all that those in the camps had suffered. That when they were free:

"Our first act as free men was to throw ourselves onto the provisions. That's all we thought about. No thought of revenge or of parents. Only of bread. And even when we were no longer hungry, not one of us thought of revenge. The next day, a few of the young me ran into Weimar to bring back some potatoes and clothes -and to sleep with girls. But still no trace of revenge."

I saw this same reaction in "No Future Without Forgiveness" by Desmond Tutu when apartheid was finally defeated. How calm and forgiving the crowds were during and after the elections.

Servant-Leadership, Restorative Justice, and Forgiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:08:00 +0000

The terms of servant-leadership, restorative justice, and forgiveness depend on one another, they are all interdependent but not interchangeable. To be a Servant Leader one must believe that justice must be restorative, and must have the capacity to forgive those who trespass against others. Being a servant to those you serve is paramount to evolving into a servant leader. Restorative justice requires the capacity for forgiveness on levels only those who choose to serve their fellow man can embrace.

The ability to forgive others is a gift that must be cultivated deep in one’s heart. It is a choice that takes time and practice to implement wholly. Restorative justice cannot be truly implemented without understanding a forgiveness of the trespass, its participants, and its roots.

I certainly believe that one needs to be humble in order to be a servant-leader, but I think that is but a single element in a plethora of attributes that is required. In “Insights on Leadership”, Robert K. Greenleaf states, “… the care taken by the servant first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.” Being a leader that empowers, encourages, and develops others is at the heart of servant-leadership. Moving from a system where the participants are required to climb upon and defeat one another to improve their status has proven over time not to fulfill the participants on the job or off.

During a true servant-leadership journey we are bound to make good friends. Some that will remain with us for years to come and others who only require our presence for a season.

A few of the defining elements of being a servant leader are morality, truthfulness, and choosing to be a healer of the people you serve. One who chooses to become a servant leader takes on the responsibility of those they serve. A person must be a protector of others spirits, leading a life that displays to others that morality is ever-present. Leading a life that makes whole those who have been hurt as well as the trespassers, understanding that they to have been hurt. This is an understanding that the need is to heal all parties including the community.

My annotative question is:
How can one implement a leadership style in their department based on servant-leadership principals in a system that is hierarchical in nature? How can you get others to stop basing their careers on “climbing over others” and focus on “connecting with others?”

Planning a Dinner Party

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:28:00 +0000

Christine Holder's Birthday Dinner

The Venue: Sleep Inn & Suites- is in a great location: 270 North Equity Drive, Smithfield, North Carolina, The room is super large and will hold 70 people easy.

The Lobby

The Buffet Area

The Party Room

Carpet is beautiful (see above), the chairs match the carpet (see above) which is themed in Blue, Gold and Ecru. Which is great because the Birthday Girl is a Zeta and of course loves blue.

The Cake

I will take this time to shout out the Bakery:

Editable Art Bakery

3801 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC 27607
35.7941 -78.688
(919) 856-0604

We orderd a two tier white cake with navy filigree on the bottom, ribbons around the bases of each cake, and a beautiful blue bow on the side. The cost, well let's just say, you pay for what you get!

The Caterer

The Caterer has been chosen... and the winner is..... Mae's Baking & Catering. Let me go ahead and giver her her shout out:

Mae's Baking & Catering
Sylvia D. Smith
2337 West Wards Bridge Road
Warsaw, North Carolina

The Menu (Tentative)
Roast Beef
1/2 Chicken Grilled or Fried
Rice and Gravy
Macaroni & Cheese
Yams
String Beans
Hushpuppies/Rolls
Assorted Desserts (Cake/Pudding/Pies/Cobblers)
Tea & Lemonade

Baloons
What kind of party is it without ballons. We have ordered the helium tank and the balloon and string are awaiting the big day!
What color are the balloons you say - BLUE AND WHITE of course! All 120 of them - needless to say we will be beggin for people to take them when the festivities are over.

The Flowers
Of course I'm gonna shout out the Florist!
HWY 42West, Suite B-44,
Garner NC.
Cleveland Florist is located at the convenient I-40 and 42West intersection in the Cleveland School area. Our florist has been in business since 1998 in Peddler's Village Mall. 5533 http://www.clevelandflorist.com
Roses are timeless. With our color scheme of navy blue and white, we thought burnt orange would be a wonderful choice. What do you think?

Leadership Choices

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:45:00 +0000

Character and Leadership

Note: This came in through the e-mail so we are not sure if it is true or not, but it makes for an interesting argument.

Q1: If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis; would you recommend that she have an abortion?

Read the next question before scrolling down to the answer of this one.

Q2: It is time to elect the world leader, and your vote counts. Here are the facts about the three leading candidates:

Candidate A: Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists. He's had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks quite a few martinis a day.

Candidate B: He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a great deal of whisky every evening.

Candidate C: He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and hasn't had any extramarital affairs.

Which of these candidates would be your choice? Decide first.No peeking!!!Then, scroll down for the answer.

Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt
Candidate B is Winston Churchill
Candidate C is Adolph Hitler

and by the way, the answer to the abortion question—if you said yes, you just killed Beethoven.

The Tranformational Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:39:00 +0000

The idea of inspiring those you lead to a shared vision is something that has come up several times in our reading. Crafting a vision that is reasonable and seen as achievable by the stakeholders is a reoccurring issue. In reading The Leadership Challenge and now Insights on Leadership my view on the role of the manager has changed dramatically.

It is clear that project software can keep a project on task and ensure that all milestones are reached, but it is the role of transformational leader to encourage, motivate, and empower their team members to achieve lofty but achievable goals. Crafting a “True Alignment” of leadership that is conducive to the ecosystem in which I work was a powerful lesson I received from the forward of Insights on Leadership and has become my current mission.

With all of this in mind, my question this week is:

As I work to become the best leader I can be, what is the best and least threatening way(s) to share good leadership skills with other leaders who are not privy to a “leadership education”?

Should I share powerful quotes, share leadership titles of books and give audio cd’s of leadership seminars as gifts? How can I be a positive influence to help those around me be inspiring too?

My Philosophy of Communication

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:21:00 +0000

To communicate clearly, honestly and fearlessly while giving respect and value to the messages of others. To strive to be proactive with the unavoidable communication I have with my environment. To trust that my core values and character will guide me to the answers I require and to trust the answers I receive. To live honestly in each moment understanding that I possess or have the capacity to acquire the knowledge and wisdom I need to move forward into a more charitable and tolerant existence.

Be a Healer NOT a Warrior

noreply@blogger.com (Shere) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:14:00 +0000

In reading Insights on Leadership, chapter 17 discusses the death of our spirits in surviving and excelling in the workplace. I looked at this chapter with particular interest because of my current state within my organization. In the last post I discussed the negativity of organizations where moral bankruptcy and low moral prevailed. I focused on the obvious negativity that was present not realizing that our everyday tasks were just as detremental to our spirirts. The text states that we are contributing to the killing our spirits, "In exchange for an allusion of power and control, safety and security, we have betrayed our souls because we are afraid". (Spears, pg. 209)

The stress that I feel from time to time have made me afraid. I wake up in fear of being late for work and it continues throughout the day as I complete my assigned tasks, until the time I leave in the afternoon. Throughout the day I summon the courage that is spoke of in the quote from The Book of Qualities by author J. Ruth Gendler. So my question for this week is:

How do I remeber to and stay focused on injecting my courage in to my daily activities so that I am not defeated by fear that organizations breed.

How do I remember to be a healer and not a warrioir as I am confronted by the "powertrippers" and the backstabbers?