Images of Appreciation!

Remembering the past exploits of our war heroes is unpleasant because it’s attached to a past or present war, but we belittle those who served and sacrifices so much when we don’t remember, especially those who are serving us so unselfishly now. America’s attention span is sometimes short and often takes for granted the very things we should cherish most; Our Freedom!

My friend Alan posted a picture of his grandfather who served in World War II and I was quickly reminded of the impact war had on my family. Pictures always have a way of telling a story, even when those in them are not present to share their own story.

In the mist of the Cuban revolution and the disparity of living in a totalitarian system, my dad’s sister married a World War II veteran and because of that union my family was granted asylum years later. America became a refuge for my family. No one who has ever lived under a totalitarian system could understand the value of freedom or comprehend the cost many heroes have paid and are paying to afford us the many rights we often take for granted. Living in freedom is a gift; not an entitlement!

When the time came for my family to leave Cuba, the new regime of government inspectors came to our home and inventoried every item in it. The few items my parents held sacred became the property of the new Communist government and everything they owned, from pictures and mementoes would never be passed on to other generations. Despite the persecution they experienced daily by those who had embraced the new mindset, their courage and determination allowed them to endure and stay focused while they waited for permission to leave. As my mother and father ventured out into the unknown to provide their five children an opportunity to live the America dream; my mother hid a picture of her wedding day and it serves as the only reminder of a past my siblings and I have only heard through stories.

They were willing to face the uncertainties of life in a country where they knew nothing of the language and little of the culture. Their focus was providing a new life for their children in a place where they could live in freedom and allow their children to grow up loving a country that had become their own. Once they left Cuba, they never thought, the impact of the revolution would stop them from seeing many family members again. My siblings and I know of these family members because of stories, but they are stories without imagines.

I was a year old when my family arrived from Cuba; my history and knowing where I came from has always been a passion. As I grew up, I was mesmerized reading history books and actually reading stories where images were included. Reading about Americans who gave their lives in World War I & II and other wars, in defense of the Nation's integrity, honor and tranquility was always humbling to me. I remember the first time; I visited the Tomb of America's Unknown Soldiers and the emotional symbolism it represented. There were no images or stories attached, “they were American Soldiers, known only to God.” No one knows who they were; no one knows their story; all that is known is that they sacrifice so much for the benefit of others.

The Espinosa family will always be grateful to the United States for providing us an opportunity to start a new life living in freedom. Although I was only one when my family arrived from Cuba; I am and always will be an American. I’m not a hyphenated American. This doesn’t negate my love for my roots, culture and all my family who still lives under an oppressed government. There are families and friends from diverse backgrounds and different parts of the country who have been affected by a war of some kind. As you reflect on these impacts make sure you cherish the pictures and stories attached to them.

I want to thank my Uncle Benjamin Palacios and Alan’s grandfather Robert Ellison Wheeler, both World War II veterans for their willingness to serve. I would also be remise if I didn’t thank my aunt Obdulia for marrying uncle Ben and to my Mom and Dad for unselfishly allowing me to live the journey of a lifetime!

OE

Memorial Day!

A national moment of remembrance for those willing to sacrifice so much, for so many! In observance of Memorial Day: let’s not forget the freedom we enjoy was provided by the men and women in uniform! Not every country is afforded this opportunity.

OE

Seven Kinds of Smart.....

Dr. Armstrong's "Seven Kinds of Smart" wrote, researched and developed these approaches to teaching and learning. He believes a person is unique and has uniquely different ways of learning. Different senses use different learning tools for each, or a combination of each. This is a well written summary of the latest information about multiple intelligences.

The basic seven intelligences are:

1) Linguistic Intelligence (words)

2) Logical-mathematical (numbers and logic)

3) Spacial (pictures and images)

4) Musical

5) Bodily-kinesthetic (physical self)

6) Interpersonal (ability to understand and work with others)

7) Intrapersonal (intelligence of the inner self)

This book also introduces two new kinds of smarts:

1) The Naturalist: a person who shows expertise in the recognition and classification of the numerous species-the flora and fauna- of his or her environment.

2) The Existential: intelligence of concern with ultimate life issues (What is life and what's it all about? Does God exist? Why is there evil and where is humanity headed?).

Everyone has their own style of accessing and absorbing information. This is great reading for people interested in learning more about multiple intelligences and identifying their own kind of “Smarts!”

OE

It's All In The Laughter!

If you have a positive attitude and a great sense of humor, you will be able to laugh at something or someone every day. It may be a joke someone shares. A simple e-mail or phone call. Maybe even talking to someone and reflecting on past experiences. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself or at others. If you pay close attention there will be something to laugh about.  Make sure you take the time to laugh and laugh often. It's great taking to family and friends, but realize if you complain too much, it gets old fast. Stop for a minute, look at yourself and laugh. Chances are there is someone laughing at you or with you this very moment. Find the fun in life and just enjoy it! My friend Sonja always makes me laugh!!!!!


OE

Passion is a Choice!

Passion and a personal connection with an audience are the two main things that make a leader great. Sometimes passion can be seen as intimidating, but it’s also passion that makes people listen to what you have to say. Anyone who is passionate about their work always contributes their best in performing their job. They understand perfection is unattainable in most things, but they continue to strive to try and perfect everything they are involved in. Passionate people put extra care in everything they do and they are never satisfied with anything less than the best they have to offer. Passionate leadership may not be fully appreciated because it may cause others to question your authenticity. But passion can’t be faked. Passion can also help establish the sincerity of the individual. Passion can shape your existence and shape the existence of others as well. Make sure your passion causes those around you to revel in it and inspire them to tap into their own passion. Passion is a choice! In order to connect with an audience you must allow them to identify with you and in turn you inspire them to discover their own passion.

OE

What I've Learned in Life?

I've learned that even though I may be exhausted, I always find the strength when family or friends need me.

I’ve learned that laughing always puts me in a great mood. So does chocolate.

I've learned that people who make me laugh. make me happy.

I’ve learned that people who laugh at other people with me, make me happy too.

I've learned that sarcasm is my weapon of choice.

I've learned that writing always provides me an outlet to share.

I’ve learned that even though I may talk too much, I’d rather be silent, but most people don’t know that.

I've learned that I enjoy desserts more than I do food.

I've learned that common sense isn't really common.

I've learned that thoughts of hitting people is common in others too

I've learned that people need love. Even if they don’t admit it.

I've learned that it's not “What” you have in your life, but “Who” you have in your life that counts.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others, but learn from them.

I've learned that friendship isn’t always about talking, but listening.

I’ve learned that sometimes it’s better to just walk away and not look back.

I’ve learned that at the end of the day. It’s all about family and the friends who become family.

I've learned that freedom does come with a price. It’s called seperation.

I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible to take action for who we become.

I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I've learned that I should always tell people I love them. (Not for them, but for me.) It may be the last time I see them.

I've learned that the people I’ve cared for the most in my life have been the ones who’ve died too soon.

I've learned that even after death, I still yearn to hear my brother-in-law's voice.

I've learned that regardless of how old I get; I’m always going to need my parents even after they’re gone.

http://educationthroughleadership.blogspot.com/

The Situation is Never the Problem

Everyone copes and deals with situations differently. Regardless of what we face, our overall reaction is what people will remember. Whether the outcome is positive or negative our actions and reactions speaks for themselves. The situation is never the problem, sometimes the problem is our attitude. Having a positive attitude will enable you to see the brighter side of any situation and will provide you with a new level of hope and understanding. It can also produce a level of new found confidence allowing you to expect something bigger or better. The situation may even provide you with an opportunity to develop and strengthen your mindset or your outlook. If we maintain a level of focus and move forward with it, we gather a level of understanding, not only of the situation but of ourselves.

Key To Communicating Effectively

Growing Into Leadership

People aren’t born into leadership positions. We usually start in the trenches, as the doers. We earn the right to lead the projects and the vision by doing the work itself, and doing it well. Because the hardest part of learning to lead well is letting go of the execution, the very thing that earned us our spot at the head of the team, and entrusting others with the building and construction.

The old saying of “if you want something done right, do it yourself” just doesn’t play at scale. That’s not how great ideas come to fruition, and it’s not how great businesses are built.

As I’ve learned to lead rather than do (and that’s a constant process), a few key concepts have helped me a great deal to stay on track, and perhaps they’ll help you too, or someone you know emerging into a leadership role.

Navigation:
 Build consensus around shared goals and direction.
 Present the what – the shared vision or goals – but not necessarily the how.
 Communicate expectations clearly and often.
 Avoid dictating the plans yourself, but rather help refine the roadmaps that others have built and presented.

Advocacy:
 Champion and enable others’ ideas instead of always handing others ideas to execute.
 Allow your teams sometimes to fail in their search for the approach that works, and to help them find the lessons in those failures.
 Protect nascent ideas and allow them time to incubate without immediate interference from bureaucracy and naysayers.
 Encourage respectful discourse and sharing of opinions and viewpoints, including opposing ones.
 Recognize success openly, sincerely, and often.

Perspective:
 Provide context, history, and organizational intelligence to empower your teams with information upon which to build their plans.
 Look past today’s projects to envision what tomorrow might look like and how you can guide toward it.
 Present alternative views or looks at stubborn problems.
 Consistently evaluate team dynamics and capabilities, and make the tough people decisions to ensure you’ve got the right people in the right roles.

Trust:
 Provide direct lines of communication with each team member, and be available.
 Keep confidences, period.
 Hire capable, smart people, and be willing to get out of their way.
 Be responsible and accountable for your decisions and their results, and avoid scapegoating and blame.
 Share the credit, and the spotlight.

Learning to be a leader can be challenging when you’ve built a career on doing the work. Old habits die hard. It’s sometimes hard to believe that anyone can do what you do and do it as well, or better. But if you’ve got designs on building something bigger than you, you’re going to need to build and empower a team around you. It’s just not possible to do it alone.
So what would you add to my list? How would you help new and emerging leaders get comfortable with their roles?

http://altitudebranding.com/

Amber Naslund

Essential Leadership through Diversity

True leadership means having the ability to go outside of what is comfortable to you and building a strong relationship with those you lead. As a leader you must engage in meaningful conversations and encourage everyone to create and put into practice their talents. Everyone has something to offer, but it’s rarely offered because they may lack courage, drive or an opportunity. A big mistake leaders often make is not allowing those they lead to enhance their own leadership skills. Leadership is not about controlling followers. Leadership is about providing followers the necessary tools to learn how to lead others. Before you can lead, you must learn how to follow. Sometimes leaders fail to realize they too can learn from their audience. It doesn’t matter the size, age, nationality or background.

When you lead a population of students who mirror the United Nations, you have to go outside of your comfort zone and brace yourself for a lesson in Diversity. As a leader I’ve never been one to limit anyone with a label or a tag because that’s not part of the big picture. The big picture represents delivering a message to a wider audience and not defining that audience because they don’t share the same language or skin color. It’s important to lead by conversation and example when working with a diverse group of students who represent different beliefs, ideas, countries and backgrounds. An effective leader is one who is committed to embracing the differences each student brings, while making sure they embrace and respect each other. A leader doesn’t exclude anyone, but is cognizant that everyone can be impacted by the delivery of the message, even if the message is delivered in another language. Looking back at my leadership role and that of my students; the clear message delivered was a message of unison. Sometimes a leader needs to take a step back and allow others an opportunity to take charge and put into practice the leadership they’re learning. Going outside of what people think is normal, essentially provided me an opportunity to lead and inspire a group of students who represented the faces of America and other countries. In return they inspired me and continue to do so. As I watch them embrace their talents from the sidelines, it’s rewarding knowing my life has always been enriched by diversity.

OE

The Limits of Leadership

"Imagine the organization that has been given a Herculean task with insufficient resources to accomplish it," says Col. Reed. "We'll run good leaders into the ground if we try to train and lead our way out of that situation." Again, leadership is not a universal panacea. In fact, leaders are really not responsible for all of the doing; they set the direction for others to carry through.

Leadership demands delegation, asking others to share in the load. At the same time, leaders must ensure that their employees have the authority and responsibility to get the job done. For example, if a manager asks an engineer to be a project manager but neglects to assign people to her team, then the project is doomed to failure. The engineer may be held responsible for missing the deadline, but in reality it is her manager who is at fault.

Successful organizations are those that value learning and expect their people to learn from their mistakes as well as their successes so that they grow their own skills. With such knowledge comes empowerment and accountability. That is leadership on a personal level, one that can propel the entire organization forward.

John Baldoni is a leadership communications consultant who works with Fortune 500 companies as well as non-profits including the University of Michigan. He is a frequent keynote and workshop speaker as well as the author of six books on leadership; the latest is How Great Leaders Get Great Results (McGraw-Hill).

A Series of Experiences!

“Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grief which we endure help us in our marching onward.”

Henry Ford

The Passionate Teacher

The Passionate Teacher is an inspirational and practical guide for teachers to reclaim their classroom as they engage their students through passionate teaching. The excerpts from this book are filled with useful information, in supporting any teacher to be the best teacher they can be. Every teacher has something different to bring to his or her classroom and each teacher has a different teaching style. The information in this book is beneficial to any new teacher who is looking for their voice in their classroom.

The excitement Fried shows in his writing is evident. He really knows what he is talking about. Students need to be challenged and if they are challenged they will perform at their best. What is amazing about this book is that it is a book filled with stories from a variety of classrooms, where the voices of teachers can be heard and can be experienced through their own personal experiences. These are everyday classrooms where these teachers have made a difference because they choose to teach with passion. Fried provides the reader practical suggestions and offers strategies, where they can incorporate passion into their teaching. He identifies with the frustration teachers experience, but he writes with enthusiasm that can lead any teacher who feels as though they are in a slump into a new direction.

OE

Concept of Leadership

Leadership is the capacity to rally around a group of people to encourage them to reach their personal or professional goals. The purpose of this blog is to make available fundamental opportunities to help you develop; improve or put into practice your own leadership skills. The intention is to provide a place to reflect on your own leadership performance and to share your concept of such. Hopefully in sharing our words, our resources and both background and experience in leadership; it will enable others to understand and embrace their own leadership skills!

OE

To Laugh Often.....

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson