Mountain State University LeaderTalk

Guest Post | Memorial Day Reflections

Many thoughts of the impact military leaders have had on my leadership style came to mind as I prepared this Memorial Day edition of LeaderTalk. Memories of my dad calling the marching cadence Yellow Ribbon as we worked around the farm were rekindled. I reflected on the first time he paid tribute to his fallen comrades of the 1st Air Cavalry Division (Airmobile) at The Wall of The Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  A flood of lessons imparted by Army and Navy veterans of the World Wars came to mind.  Collectively, they quickly established that today’s leadership excellence is possible because of the ultimate sacrifice of men and women who gave everything in service to our country.

These patriot leaders synchronized their beliefs with the demands of self-sacrifice to find the courage to face unthinkable circumstances. Greenleaf ascertained life is enriched by the meaning of work and our experiences build our being. He reminded us of the collective importance of “the interpretation which our forefathers put upon the life of men and women as individuals” (2002, p. 293). His seminal work is a conglomeration of the concepts LIVED by the very heroes Memorial Day was meant to honor.

Today is our day to commemorate those who advanced our nation’s vision and gave their lives to improve the future for those they left behind. These leaders accepted our nation’s call to defend the values and principles that permit American freedoms and create our national legacy. My mentors sustain the examples of their fallen comrades by embracing the call for leadership in their own lives. Let us also accept the personal challenge to develop integrity and purpose that we are willing to sacrifice our lives to uphold. Let us contemplate the immortal words of Macleish from The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak, “[our deaths] are yours, they will mean what you make them” (1941).

Beecher asked, “Are they dead that yet move upon society and inspire the people with nobler motives and more heroic patriotism?” (as cited in Edwards, 1867, p. 55). The sweetheart in Yellow Ribbon demonstrated her loyalty and devotion beyond the death of her lover as she laid pretty flowers around his grave. Citizens expand their gratitude with each monument, ceremony, and moment of silence honoring the courage and commitment of those who went before us. Our decision to sacrifice our own mediocrity is the greatest evidence of the leadership excellence resulting from the ultimate sacrifices of our nation’s heroes.

More information on Memorial Day may be found on the United States Department of Veterans Affairs website.

References:

Edwards, R. (1867). Analytical fifth reader:  Containing an introductory article on the general principles of elocution [Google Book version]. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=GjEYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA55&lpg=PA55&dq=Beecher+heroic+patriotism&source=bl&ots=cZ9IUD6KZ1&sig=GebeZ2ISGfje8wQhaeGV0CM627E&hl=en&ei=hl0CTM2ZMY-ANsKE0Ts&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Beecher%20heroic%20patriotism&f=false

Delaware Consulting Group. (2010). Selective Service System – US Military Draft. Retrieved from http://www.selectiveservice.us/military-draft/8-induction.shtml

Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant Leadership:  A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York: Paulist Press.

MacLeish, A. (1941). The young dead soldiers do not speak. Retrieved from http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbpe&fileName=rbpe24/rbpe242/24204400/rbpe24204400.db&recNum=0

Today's guest post comes from Nora Ellis, who I was thrilled to meet at Mountain State University's Leadership Link conference earlier this month.

She became passionate about leadership and business operations while working on the family farm in Alfred, Ohio. Nora applied her experience to many volunteer positions within the Marine Corps family community before and after her own Active Duty Service as a calibrator in the United States Marine Corps. Her academic quest has resulted in Associate’s of Arts in General Studies from the University of Rio Grande, a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration in Information Technology (Summa Cum Laude) from Colorado Technical University, and several professional certificates. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science Strategic Leadership at Mountain State University under the direction of Dr. Tony Marchesi.

Guest Post | Geared Up To Win

Our family loved the Indianapolis 500, which is odd because we had no connection with or vested interest in race cars – or Indiana, for that matter.  But I remember admiring the drivers, the pit crews, and the technology that allows humans to go so fast.  And spending Memorial Weekend in the infield of the 500 is on my “bucket list.”  Hopefully it will happen after I have already lost most of my hearing!

The drivers are the organizational “front” folks, getting the notice, taking the risks, seeming to be responsible for winning or losing the race.  And yet, without the whole team being focused on the goal, the best driver in the world has only a slim chance of making the checkered flag in one piece.

Myriad resources contribute to the potential for winning:  financial backers, owners, mechanics, design engineers, back up drivers, and race day pit crews.  I have encouraged many a manufacturing client to develop and operate their processes to work like those hearty souls who change tires, clean windshields, adjust drive shafts, and top off fuel tanks in less than a minute. Get it, work it, move it! Communication and coordination are keys to success on Pit Road!

Leadership and followership exist throughout the organizations that show up for Race Day at Indy.  Only through delegated responsibilities and coordinated efforts can team members respond to the ever-changing conditions of track, car, and driver.  Only through clear communication can all participants “see” situations unfolding and take evasive or preventative action.  Only through artful “drafting” can teammates enable the vision of a trip to Victory Lane.

How geared up is your organization for winning?

Dr. Penelope Gladwell is the lead leadership faculty member at Mountain State University's Martinsburg, WV campus. In her role, she teaches in our Master of Science Strategic Leadership program. In addition provides support to the adjunct leadership faculty and alumni of the leadership programs.Penny will also be assisting in the development of a comprehensive strategic plan for the University’s most recent acquisition at the Martinsburg Mall, ensuring that our organization is prepared to win.

Handling A Crisis

Great leaders are the people who respond swiftly, purposefully, and gracefully under the pressure of extraordinary stress.

We have lived in our home for three months.

Not long after we moved in, I noticed a bad smell in the kitchen. It wasn’t the garbage or the compost bucket.

Then I saw it: water, lots of it, filling the bottom of the cabinet under our sink. Slimy, fermenting water.

The U-trap under our sink had not been tightened properly and was leaking: a slow drip.

Enough water had leaked, though, that our cabinet has a noticeably water-bowed floor. And, the water seeped under our laminate floor, making it buckle at the seams.

Our solution was a simple one. We cleaned out the water, sprayed some disinfectant, and bought a new rug to cover the buckled floor.

Monday I shared briefly about our recent plumbing disaster.

This was no small leak — this was a flood. We came home to water pouring through the chandelier in our dining room, water cascading from our 2nd floor bathroom all the way to the basement.

Clean-up this time started with quick actions: turning off the water main, removing furniture from the reach of the water pouring from the ceiling. It grew to involve the kind folks at AAA Standard Services, who know how to deal with emergencies like ours. The representative who arrived at our home on Sunday answered our questions patiently and described the process his organization uses.

Clean-up this time will involve demolition and rebuilding and it will be weeks, maybe months even, before our home is back to normal.

Families, communities, and organizations of every size face unexpected conflicts and disasters.

Even organizations with proactive leaders encounter roadblocks, setbacks, and difficulties. And while it may be impossible to prepare for every eventuality, great leaders are the ones who respond swiftly, purposefully, and gracefully under the pressure of extraordinary stress.

Join the conversation!

Which type of issue (slow, persistent leak or mighty deluge) do you most often face in your organization?

Can you think of a leader who has made a difference in your organization, community, or the world by handling a disaster with uncommon poise and decisiveness?

Bright Spots

Yesterday, our family came home from church to a small scale disaster. A pipe in our upstairs bathroom pulled away from the wall and when we came home, we found water pouring through our ceilings like a waterfall. In the time we were away from home, the water also reached our newly finished basement.

We are working with our home owners insurance to begin to restore our home, but my day has been filled with taking care of a thousand details to keep our family afloat in the midst of this deluge.

I am extremely pleased, though, for a few bright moments in an otherwise stressful week.

• A guest post today on Tanveer Naseer's blog, where I share my basic leadership philosophy. I encourage you to click over to the post and join the conversation.
• An opportunity to co-host this week's Weekly Leader podcast with Peter Mello. Be sure to download and listen to the podcast later this week.
• An upcoming podcast with David Burkus of LeaderLab. David interviewed me earlier this month and I look forward to the chance to share the interview and podcast with you.
• A chance to lead a social media seminar this week.
• A new blog in the works for Mountain State University. I am helping in the creation of a blog to highlight some of MSU's other great programs. I can't wait to see how it develops.

As we near the end of the month, it is almost time for our Round-Up of posts on this month's topic: A Leader Allocates Decision Making and Senses Social Realities. If you have not already done so, please email your post on this topic to brobinson@mountainstate.edu. Due to a busy month covering our leadership conference and a variety of other interesting events, we have not even begun to touch on this month's topic. Instead, we will carry over the topic into June, starting with next week's Round-Up.

On another personal note, I look forward to celebrating my daughter Natalie's 6th birthday on Thursday. Like all my daughters, Natalie brings so much spark and joy to my life. It hardly seems possibly that she is already six. Her smile is one of the bright spots I enjoy every day.

What Every Leader Needs

I enjoyed people-watching at last week's Leadership Link Conference.

One common thread united all the people attending the conference: their interest in leadership.

People at the conference fit a few categories. Some were long-time leaders. They've been leading for years, in their business, industry, military, law enforcement, or academic setting. Some were developing leaders, people who are making a difference where they are, right now. Others were aspiring leaders, people with an interest and drive to lead others. They're on their way.

I enjoyed watching the dynamic exchanges between the various groups, both the apt attention that developing and emerging leaders gave to the seasoned ones and the helpful encouragement all three groups freely shared.

From those observations, one lesson emerged. Every leader needs a champion.

At our leadership conference, I saw Dr. Charles Polk, MSU's president, encourage and support Dr. William White, the dean of our School of Leadership and Professional Development.

I saw lead faculty members fortifying other faculty members, giving them the opportunity to present on panels and publicly acknowledging their contributions with words of praise.

In a truly touching moment, I saw one lead faculty member commit to mentoring a doctoral student who, in turn, pledged to mentor another younger student.

I saw faculty members promoting their students, highlighting their hidden talents and applauding their research projects.

I saw students supporting other students, bolstering their confidence in their ability to persevere in their doctoral studies.

Every leader needs a champion.

We all need someone to believe in us, to tell us what we do well, to challenge our assumptions, to appreciate our contributions, and to fight for our cause.

When we have those strong supports in place, we gain the courage and energy we need to spend ourselves in being a champion for others.

Join the conversation!

Who is your champion?

How are you involved in being a champion for others?

What Leaders Believe

Dr. Charles H. Polk, President, Mountain State University
CLICK IMAGE TO OPEN VIDEO IN NEW WINDOW
CLICK HERE DOWNLOAD [ Large file: 289 Mb ]

One of the highlights of last week's Leadership Link conference, for me, was hearing from Mountain State University's president, Dr. Charles Polk. He talked about the new book that he is writing with Dr. William White, What Leaders Believe. He shared a list of all the things that leaders believe. As I listened, I tweeted. Although I type fast, I could not keep up with Dr. Polk's pace. For that reason, I am looking forward to watching the video included above. I want to spend more time thinking about his list and listen more closely to the ones I missed while tweeting.

As I listened, I thought about my own beliefs about leadership. Here are a few:

I believe that anyone can be a leader.

I believe that we become leaders when we decide to make a difference every day, wherever we are.

I believe that leadership is not about title or position.

I believe that caring and valuing others is an important part of leadership.

I believe that small choices can make a big difference.

Before you watch Dr. Polk's talk, I encourage you to take five minutes to write down a list of what you believe about leadership, your values and ideals as a leader. While you listen, you can compare and add to your list.

More important than knowing what you believe as a leader is living out your leadership values, every day. I encourage you to post your list — including any ideas you add after watching Dr. Polk's video — somewhere you can refer to it often. And live it, every day, where ever you are.

Join the conversation!

What do you believe about leadership?

Leading With Lyrics

It’s commencement season at Mountain State University. As students on each campus celebrate their success, a video created by MSU's creative services department is sending them off in a special way. The message of the song, penned by an MSU employee, Nick Durm is simple and unforgettable: make the most of your life.

Nick Durm, who has been making music and writing songs for about ten years, hopes to influence and lead others in a slightly non-traditional way: by creating songs that people can relate to, messages that connect meaningfully to people’s lives.

Nick started out as a teenager in a marching band. After his parents bought him his first drum set, he started learning a variety of instruments including guitar, bass guitar, piano, and harmonica.  He started playing with garage bands and now plays with the very successful Old School Abbey, and their newest offshoot, the Boatmen.

Nick has written dozens of songs and recorded about 40. Nick takes inspiration when it strikes and translates his thoughts into words and lyrics. He makes notes for songs while in his office. He scribbles thoughts on road trips while passing the miles until his next show.

As his words resonate in people’s hearts and minds, he is inspiring a new generation to live out their dreams.

From “Protect You” by Nick Durm

Make your move, call them out

Be the one to show them what the world is all about

Take your time, you’re in control,

Make sure that your notions are the emotions of your soul.

Put on your best, go out and get it

This is your life, go ahead and live it

Don’t be afraid to make a couple big mistakes

Light up your fire, the earth it won’t falter

Take in the air, breathe out water

If you should fall, it’s all going to be ok.

I’ll be there to protect you.

I hope you enjoy the video. If you do, please share it!

Join the conversation!

What songs or lyrics have influenced your life?

Wrapping up the Conference

Dr. Denis Onieal, Superintendent, U.S. National Fire Academy
CLICK IMAGE TO OPEN VIDEO IN NEW WINDOW
CLICK HERE DOWNLOAD [ Large file: 640 Mb ]

This is the first of several videos that we will be posting from this week's Leadership Link. Although you won't experience the totality of the conference by sampling the keynote presentations, it is our hope that these videos will be a valuable resource to you. Check back often because we will be posting more videos over the next week.

The third day of the conference was great! We began by discussing leadership as a discipline with Dr. William White. I also enjoyed the opportunity to spend several minutes introducing the conference attendees to this blog and to other social media efforts at Mountain State. 

I contributed to a panel discussion on the topic of Team Building and Communication and enjoyed the opportunity to talk about how leaders can use social media to build connections.

Mr. Isaac Manning presented the final keynote address.

Dr. Ruth Wylie encouraged conference participants to share highlights from the week.

By far, my favorite part of the week was the opportunity to meet and talk with students, alumni, and faculty members, learning from their experiences and sharing their enthusiasm for making a difference by leading others.

This weekend is a very special time at Mountain State University. After the conference ended, I attended this year's graduate hooding ceremony. As our Master of Science Strategic crossed the stage to receive their hoods, I was impressed by several things:

• the sheer number of graduates. Each year, hundreds of students enroll in our Masters Level program.
• the diversity of the group. Dr. William White, the School of Leadership's Dean, listed the various states — and countries — that our graduates represent. We are helping to shape the lives of l
  leaders who will reach around the globe.
• the excitement of our students' achievement. Many MSU Masters' level graduates are the first in their families to complete advanced degrees. Their enthusiasm and success is amazing.

This morning, I will join other faculty members, students, and alumni for a brunch before I make my way home. We are already planning for next year's conference, which will be held (again) to allow graduates traveling for commencement to participate in the learning.

Next year, I would love to meet you here!

Day Two of Leader Link 2010

My day started with an early morning run on the grounds of the Glade Springs Resort. The ratio of deer to people was about 10 to 1 and the WV hills tested my stamina.

After that, my day was non-stop.

I started the morning by interviewing an MSU graduate, Graylin Stargell. Graylin has completed both the Bachelor of Science Organizational Leadership and the Master of Science Strategic Leadership, while working as a shift commander at the Shaker Heights, OH Fire Department. Graylin’s influence extends to fire fighters across the US as he mentors and encourages leaders in the fire service to maximize their strengths and work in their areas of giftedness.

Our busy day of conference sessions began with a challenging talk from fire superintendent Dr. Denis Onieal. In the most powerful moment of his presentation, Dr. Onieal shared a story from his own life to illustrate the important lesson that leaders can make a major impact on people’s lives, even through small actions that may seem insignificant at the time. Be sure to watch the video (to be posted later) from Dr. Onieal’s keynote to hear his poignant story.

Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to participate in several breakout sessions including one which included a lively discussion about the importance of caring in leadership and how to create an organizational culture that encourages people to value and engage others.

In between sessions, I met as many people as I could: faculty members, current students, and alumni. One faculty member I met today, Tony Marchesi, writes a blog about organizations. Be sure to check it out!

During lunch, we enjoyed a presentation by Brigadier General Timothy Kadavy, a Deputy Chief from the National Guard. He impressed me immediately by discussing the way the National Guard stays relevant by connecting with people through social media sites including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Our afternoon schedule contained so many interesting opportunities  that I wished that I could attend them all. Instead, a colleague and I split up and reported back to each other about what we experienced.

She loved her session on diversity with Dr. Wayne Wormley, who encouraged participants to consider similarities with people as a means to appreciating differences.

I watched presentations from two Master of Science Strategic Leadership graduates. These women work at Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, NC. They each completed Action Research projects at their hospital, researching topics and implementing changes that are resulting in major benefits to patients and employees.  One of the students presenting also recently accepted a promotion to a position at the executive level. She attributes her promotion to her accomplishments in our program.

More breakout sessions rounded out the afternoon. My colleague attended a session on the DISC (a personality profile) while I enjoyed a session about decision making.

Today’s sessions ended with dinner and an address from MSU’s president, Dr. Charles H. Polk, who spoke about what leaders believe.  I encourage you contemplate his list by watching the video from his talk  (to be posted later) or by checking out my tweets from the session by searching for #MSULeaderLink on Twitter.

Day Three will be busy for me. I’m presenting as part of a panel on the topic of “A Leader Builds Teams and Connections.” Be sure to check back here later as we will be posting video and more updates from MSU’s Leadership Link 2010.

New Resource Available

We are happy to offer a new resource at the LeaderTalk blog beginning today. Dr. William White, the Dean of Mountain State University's School of Leadership and Professional Development, and Dr. Frank Hitt, retired Director of MSU's Organizational Leadership programs, contributed to a textbook for doctorate students, higher education, and adminstration in leadership entitled Academic Administration: A Quest for Better Management. We invite you to download their chapter, entitled "Expanding Leadership As a Discipline." Look for a permanent link on the left sidebar of the blog.