Last week I shared the concepts that are behind the L.E.A.P Leadership movement found in The Radical Leap by Steve Farber. This week, lets focus on Generate Energy.
Steve Farber writes: Energy is not abstract or metaphysical; it’s real, tangible, palpable. You know when you have it and you know when you don’t; you know when you have to drag yourself out of bed in the morning, and when you have to use the law of gravity to slide your slack, lifeless body off the mattress and smack on the floor.
I can tell within — and I’m being generous here — 30 seconds of walking into the reception area of a company whether the place is energetic, exciting and scintillating, or a morgue populated by zombied paycheck-collectors.
It’s not an accident, either way. Someone is creating that environment, and if it’s your place of employment, that someone may well be you.
Here’s a good question to ask yourself: “Do I generate more energy when I walk into a room, or when I walk out of it?”
Energy is what keeps us coming back to work day after day without waning in passion or enthusiasm. It comes, in part, from what John Chambers called the “higher purpose.” A CEO survey conducted in 2001 by Accenture and The Conference Board said, “Many CEOs observe that people want to feel a passion for the company’s work, to become part of a higher purpose than business results alone.” The Extreme Leader’s job is to help define and redefine, day after day, what that higher purpose is.
Michael Cunningham in his novel, The Hours, said, “If you shout loud enough, for long enough, a crowd will gather to see what all the noise is about. It’s the nature of crowds. They don’t stay long, unless you give them reason.”
I started this blog, a few years ago, because I wanted to share and remind my staff of our purpose in our community and in the lives of those we work with on a daily basis. The title Purpose Driven Educator comes from the idea that I do what I do everyday (including Saturdays and Sundays) because I was created to better students' lives by leading teachers to give their very best on a daily basis. I have a purpose and that drives me through the BAD days. Thank goodness that every now and then a former student I taught or a teacher I worked with tells me about the impact I had on them and what they are doing to positively impact their communities.
As I shared last Monday, no one can make you happy. Don't get me wrong...people can help create an environment that makes happiness easier to experience. But it is up to you to be happy. Working in a complex environment like a school in challenging but it should also be one that has a positive and energized environment. Some learning environment can have an "energy" about them but it is one that is negative and laced with drama. That one has an energy that can be seen in the televised reality shows that populate TV programming. That energy distracts from our purpose and leaves those who have ENERGY some times zapped of their positive energy.
I like the question Farber asks us to ask of ourselves: “Do I generate more energy when I walk into a room, or when I walk out of it?”
If you generate more walking out of it than walking in maybe it's time to reevaluate what your purpose is in doing that daily work you do.
Week of March 7-11, 2016
Monday, March 7
- Literacy PD
- K/1: 10-11; 4th, 5th and 6th: 11-12; 2nd/3rd: 12:15-1:15
- Committee Mtg at 3:30 in Cafe
Tuesday, March 8
- Pre-School Visit to K Classes: 9:45-10:45
- Arts PLC at 1:45
- Progress Monitoring Yellow Students
Wednesday, March 9
- End of 2nd Trimester
- Progress Monitoring Yellow Students
- PLC
- K/1: 10-11
- 4th, 5th and 6th: 11-12
- 2nd/3rd: 12:15-1:15
- IS Block 5: WCL/ Drama at 1:45
Thursday, March 10
- EC PLC at Noon
- IS Block 5: Music/ Visual Art at 1:45
- Parent Informational Mtg at 5PM
Friday, March 11
- K/1 Lucky for Data Meeting: 10-11
- 4th, 5th and 6th Lucky for Data Meeting: 11-12
- 2nd/3rd Lucky for Data Meeting 12:15-1:15
- Open Enrollment Closes
Reminders:
- Observations for all Career Teachers/ Arts Teachers Begin This Week
- Peer Observations Need to Be Completed
- All Grades Need to Be Updated and Posted Each Week
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