When Craziness Makes No Sense

September 14, 2015 by Susan Wing in Leadership Lessons

I have noticed an upward trend recently and now feel compelled to write about it; there is an increasing lack of common sense in decision-making. I almost wrote about this several weeks ago, but two events in the past two days have convinced me that now is the time.

I firmly believe that the key for success whether a parent, an organization, a teacher, a restaurant, etc.is that there must be the ability to use common sense when making a decision. In an organization, that ability comes from a strong training program with the leader of the organization inspiring the confidence of the worker and the framework for those common sense decisions to be made.

So what were the events and the tipping point to inspire this particular subject? They involve two fast food restaurants, one national park and one teacher conversation. Here you go…names omitted:

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…

Appreciate Who You Are

August 25, 2015 by Susan Wing in Leadership Lessons

With all of the students returning to college, I began to reflect on that amazing time of my life. It was the fall of 1976 and I was seventeen years old when my parents dropped me off at Georgia Southern. I don’t know if they cried or not on the way back home, but I was elated to be off and on my own! As the daughter of a preacher, I had been raised in a fairly strict environment and I loved the new experience of walking out of my dorm and not having to respond to those questions I had become so accustomed to… “Where are you going? Who are you going with? What time will you be back?” Obviously, as I became a parent myself, I learned to appreciate those questions as they were really parental efforts to keep me safe from the dangers of the world, but at the time - not so much.

What I loved most about college was that I began to learn more about myself and began a journey of appreciating who I was without feeling the need to change in order to please someone else. Here are a few of the things that I learned about myself early on:

Find Your Happy Place

August 19, 2015 by Susan Wing in Words of Wisdom, Leadership Lessons

“Just look at that view…look at it closely, really take it all in…now close your eyes and take a breath…can you still see the water, feel the breeze and visualize how beautiful and peaceful this is?”

A little over eleven years ago, while my husband and I were on our honeymoon, this was our view. We had left the cares of the world behind, and were enjoying a time of rest and relaxation. I knew that in just a few short days I would be catapulted back into my work environment - a school of over 1500 students at the end of the school year where I would be facing a chaotic schedule operating at warp speed. It was at that moment that I decided to begin a new tradition, that of finding and remembering my happy place.

Circle Up & Connect

August 13, 2015 by Susan Wing in Interesting Icebreakers, Leadership Lessons, Words of Wisdom

I once attended a retreat where we sat in rows. At the start of the event, we were asked to find out a few things about the person seated next to us and then introduce them to the group. While the activity was a good way to break the ice, the “row” effect minimized the impact of our bonding together. Making one small change – that of changing the seating arrangement from rows to a circle made all the difference in the activity.

As we sat in a circle, we were able to see the person’s face and their expressions as they spoke. We were better able to get a feel for those in the group because we could make eye contact and smile at them as they shared. Taking the time to connect is critical both in the work environment and in life.

Great leaders connect with those that they lead.

You Can Make A Difference

August 07, 2015 by Susan Wing in Words of Wisdom, Leadership Lessons

We have the opportunity to make a difference each and every day. The words – “make a difference” are often overused and often ignored. Since it is such a broad statement, we skim right over it. We think of making a difference in big ways and perceive ourselves to be too inadequate, too busy and too unconnected to be able to make a difference.

For many years, I worked with middle school students. One of the things that I love most about this age group is that they will rally around a cause. When they learn about Africa and wells needed, they want to help. If someone they know is suffering from cancer or another disease, they want to help. I currently know a young man who decided that his homeless friend needed a home, so he has set out to raise the money to buy the man a home! (You can find information about how to help him on his Facebook page – Pickles With A Purpose). Sometimes I feel that we as adults could take a few lessons from the young. I heard Andy Stanley say recently that when someone has an idea, we should in response say, "Wow!" instead of "How?" I am greatly encouraged by Luke and am "Wowed" that he has taken this on and is working toward providing a home for his friend!

Learning From Mistakes

August 04, 2015 by Susan Wing in Leadership Lessons, Words of Wisdom

I was hurting for a local school and school principal yesterday as social media lit up with photographs and comments about the misspelled word on their outdoor announcement board. What should have read, “We are glad you are here” instead said, “We are glad you are hear”. What a travesty and nightmare for the beginning of a new school year! Comments are flying about the quality of public education and how our children are affected. Here is the reality…

We will all make mistakes. Some of them are extremely costly and others cause minimal damage. It is not the mistake itself that defines us, but rather how we handle the mistake that we have made. As a leader, our perception is that if we make a mistake, we will be considered weak and ineffective. Mistakes actually give us the opportunity to take responsibility and to change our direction and behavior as a result of that mistake.

Hidden Blessings

July 31, 2015 by Susan Wing in Words of Wisdom, Simple Stories

We all have them…the things that frustrate us, take our time and that we complain about, yet if the truth were known, we would be devastated if they were no longer required of us.

If you were to look at my personal social media accounts, the picture that the outside world sees is one of happiness – one of fun. I have photos of my husband, children, grandchildren, other family members and friends involved in all kinds of activities. You would see the places I have travelled and the things that I enjoy. Those things are a significant part of my life, but not the whole sum of my life.

After taking kids to the lake and multiple trips to the pool, I was suddenly washing my fifth load of beach towels in three days. Finding more dirty towels in the laundry room floor, suddenly I felt like all I was doing was laundry. For some reason I became annoyed…and yet…

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.

When Craziness Makes No Sense

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Everyone Has A Story

Appreciate Who You Are

Find Your Happy Place

Circle Up & Connect

You Can Make A Difference

Learning From Mistakes

Hidden Blessings

Thankful for “Do-Overs” (New Beginnings)

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