United We Stand - Divided We Fall

July 24, 2016 by Susan Wing

There have been so many incidents recently in our country that are heartbreaking and disturbing. It is so easy to go on with our lives and not get involved with what we perceive is not directly in our path. True leaders, however, cannot ignore the events transpiring around them. True leaders speak on behalf of what is right; they are never silent in times of crisis and work with those they lead to focus on a common purpose to address the crisis.

I was born as a white American female. I have never been a black American and I don’t know what it feels like to be treated as one. I have been blessed to have many African-American friends and co-workers from whom I have learned much. On a personal level,

Follow the Leader

March 02, 2016 by Susan Wing in Leadership Lessons

When I was a little girl, we often played a game called “Follow the Leader”. One of us was chosen to be the leader, becoming the first in the line, and everyone in line behind us had to mimic or do what the leader did. If the leader skipped, we skipped. If the leader raised their hands, the rest of us in the line raised our hands. As a child, everyone wanted to be chosen to be the leader. Pick, me…Pick me! We thought this game was fun! Even in this childhood game, the person being the leader influences the actions of those following them.

As adults, we often shy away from leadership and few of us believe being a leader is fun. We may doubt our ability to lead or prefer to be a follower. We may question our capabilities, temperament and creativity. Whether we believe ourselves to have leadership qualities or not, we are all leaders. Wherever you live and whatever you do, people are following you. They are observing your behavior and following your lead. Are you a parent? Your children are following you. Are you employed? Those you work with are following you. Do you ever leave your house? Those you encounter are following you. Do you post on social media? Someone is following you. Whether you want to be a leader or not, you are.

Remember and Believe the Best

December 08, 2015 by Susan Wing in Leadership Lessons, Points to Ponder

t’s Christmastime and one of my favorite times of the year. It is a time when we re-connect with friends and take the time to visit and share good times with one another. Since Christmas comes at the end of the calendar year, it is also a great time to look back at the year and remember the best. Although for many there will have been sadness and troubles during the year, I believe that while we remember it all, we should try and focus on the good.

As I was preparing our family Christmas cards, I went to my photo files on my computer and began with January searching for good photographs to include on our yearly card. This was a great reminder of the blessings and the best of this year! I looked for the best events, best photos of family members and best unique experiences of this year – those were the things that I wanted to draw from and share with others when they saw our Christmas card. During this busy season of the year, I think it is critical to take time to stop and remember the best…

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

September 09, 2015 by Susan Wing in Leadership, Simple Stories

On a recent trip, I was reminded of the importance of being willing to step out of your comfort zone. As a leader, a teacher, in your profession or in your personal life, growth will not occur unless you are willing to step out of your comfort zone.

I accompanied my husband on a business trip and since we were going to be close to Zion National Park, I planned a day trip there so he could see the magnificence of the park. It had been twenty-three years since I had been to Zion and I was excited to share the wonder of the park with him. I mentioned to my brother that we were going to be there and he said, “Are you going to do the Angel’s Landing hike? That’s supposed to be ‘the’ hike to take in Zion.” That’s when I began to do some research…and decided to step out of my comfort zone.

There were a couple of things that occurred to me as we made this hike. The first was that I must have been a fool to think that I could accomplish this hike! We were obviously twenty to thirty years older than most everyone else on the trail. The trail description was strenuous – that doesn’t match my ability. The young people who were coming down as we were going up all had red faces and looked worn out. We had previously decided that we would take the hike slow and easy, stop when we needed rest and see if we could conquer this “strenuous” hike. We were definitely stepping out of our comfort zone!

When stepping out of your comfort zone, the following thoughts come to mind:

Everyone Has A Story

August 31, 2015 by Susan Wing in Interesting Icebreakers, Leadership

A key to the success of any organization or group is relational connectedness. People will work harder for the success of an organization if they believe in the vision and cause that they are working for and if positive relationships exist between the members of the organization.

It really boils down to the fact that you need to know the people with whom you work or lead. As a middle school principal, it was important to me to ensure that each year as new teachers came to our school that they had an opportunity to bond and build relationships with the teachers who had been there over the years. That’s one of the reasons leaders take the time to do those “get to know you” icebreaker activities. To the task driven, it may appear to be a waste of time, but if you have solid activities, relationships will begin to form. As relationships develop, collaboration begins to occur. Someone once said that two heads are stronger than one and collaboration for the betterment of your organization is a positive thing! You may lead in an office setting, a school, a volunteer organization, a church small group or children’s group. Periodically, I will share some of these icebreakers on the blog so that if you are leading any type of group, you will be able to modify and adapt these to work in your situation. I like to call them Interesting Icebreakers…

Thankful for “Do-Overs” (New Beginnings)

July 25, 2015 by Susan Wing in Fun, Leadership Lessons, Words of Wisdom

It occurred to me this morning as my brain was busy just before I woke, that for the first time in thirty-five years, I will not be immersed in a school setting at the beginning of the school year. No more welcome back teacher celebrations announcing our theme for the year…no more meet the students and parents to celebrate all that will be in store for them…I will instead be blogging about this celebratory time and attempting to inspire from afar.

Most of my educator colleagues and friends will be beginning their new journey this week. For educators everywhere, the start of a new school year is approaching and it is exciting! There is anticipation as they wonder, “What will the year hold? What type of students will I have?” “Will I have what it takes to meet the expectations of my school, the students and parents that I serve and to meet the highest expectations – those of my own to be great and make a difference. The thoughts of their leader are slightly different, wondering how in the world to inspire them to welcome the challenges that will surely come.

United We Stand - Divided We Fall

Follow the Leader

Remember and Believe the Best

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Everyone Has A Story

Thankful for “Do-Overs” (New Beginnings)

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