My Four Life Streams

Bruce Avolio has developed a unique metaphor relating to leadership development that involves the development of the life stream. The life stream represents events that you accumulate to from birth to the present that shape how you choose to influence others and yourself. According to his proposed theory, leaders change over time based upon the events that have happened in their lives. The theory is abstract in nature, but easy for most people not versed in leadership theory to grasp as long as they understand how a river flows.

Who says that our life has to be defined by one stream? To build on Avolio's metaphor, my leadership journey could be defined by four separate river valleys; the Yadkin, the Dan, the Neuse and the New. All four of these rivers flow through North Carolina and I have lived in each of the valleys at one time in my life. All of these river valleys have distinctly affected my life stream.

The Yadkin River represents my heritage and my roots. The Edwards family settled on the Little Yadkin River in the 18th century. They began a long heritage of farming passed down for 200 years. I became a part of the first generation to not live on a farm; funny because I later became an agriculture teacher. The Dan River represents my coming of age. Many nights I camped on the banks of this river not realizing how much the skills that I learned in scouting still apply today. The Neuse River represents my first loves; I was married not to far from the banks of the Neuse River and my son was born there several years later. The creek that ran behind my high school agriculture department and that ran through NC State's campus both fed the same river. The New River represents the future. The river is world famous for its rapids, fast-paced and sometimes full of waterfalls like graduate school. The New River eventually flows into the Mississippi River Delta, so it represents not only change but the opportunity for great growth.

Think about your own life. Not everyone is affected by living around four different bodies of water, but each of us has a life stream. Remember the water flow that has made us who we are and how we are will change us into who we want to be.

Oak Table Team Leadership

Sitting around an oak table, Walter Newman stated the following need for a new organization for young farm boys:

"In my opinion the farm boys of Virginia who are enrolled in vocational agriculture are equal to any other group of boys in the State. But somehow the boys themselves seem to have a feeling of inferiority. Especially is this true when the farm boy goes to the city and has to compete with his city cousin. This condition should not exist. I believe that a strong organization of our boys in agriculture would help them to overcome this handicap. Let's form an organization that will give them a greater opportunity for self-expression and for the development of leadership. In this way they will develop confidence in their own ability and pride in the fact that they are farm boys."

Newman met with Edmund Magill, Henry Groseclose and Harry Sanders around that oak table and created the parameters of the Future Farmers of Virginia (FFV); the organization that turned into today's National FFA Organization. The men used team-based leadership to create the new organization. Henry Groseclose, considered the "Father of the FFA," created the constitution, ceremonies, rituals, and degrees of membership. Walter Newman advocated for the new organization and helped create new statewide organizations throughout the nation. Edmund Magill trained a generation of agriculture teachers as a professor at Virginia Tech. Harry Sanders served as a district agriculture teacher supervisor and established an agricultural education department in Puerto Rico before returning to Virginia Tech. The FFV served as the framework for the foundation of the Future Farmers of America in 1928.

Each member of the team recognized the need to create an organization for farm boys. The team members pursued different paths while expanding the FFA. The foundation of the FFA was a solution to a problem developed through a team approach. When faced with a challenge, teams need to analyze problems then pursue solutions based upon the strengths of the individual members. True team leadership can create solutions that can positively affect millions of people.

When the White Smoke Blows the Right Way

The Cardinals of the Catholic Church were given a tough decision. Just a month prior, they had chosen a youthful pope (65 is young for a pope) who had unexpectedly passed away. This left the cardinals to once again choose a leader for the church. Two lead candidates emerged, but neither would receive the number of votes needed because their flaws prevented them from serving as the new pope. Because of the situation, an unlikely third candidate emerged, the Polish Cardinal, Karol Wojtyła.

Wojtyła, originally a compromise, proved to be the right pope selected for the right time. Pope John Paul II, as he is known to the world, was fluent in 11 languages and frequently traveled, visiting 129 countries through his ministry. In his youth, Karol Wojtyła knew the full effects of oppression in his native Poland, first conquered by Nazi Germany, then "liberated" by the Communist Soviet Union. Wojtyła experienced many years of oppression and vowed to use his position to spread peace throughout the globe. During Pope John Paul II's reign, communism fell throughout Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, a change that freed hundreds of millions of people from oppressive governments. John Paul II also made peace with the other denominations of Christianity along with Judaism, Islam and Buddhism.

A key lesson that can be taken from the selection of Pope John Paul II is that when the Cardinals chose a pope, they first failed to see the significance of their selection on the non-Catholic people of the world. Too often groups choose leaders without understanding the situation in which the leaders serve. The choice of our leaders effects not only the interior operation of a group, but also the group's perceptions to outsiders. Because of the quick opportunity to select another pontiff and the inability to choose between the two front-runners, the Cardinals were able to reevaluate the situation and then choose the best possible candidate for the position.

The Curious Case of Charles "Black Bart" Boles

“Crime doesn't pay unless you're very good at it.”With apologies to Leo Rosten, the American Humorist who is credited with that quote, sometimes the unlikeliest of people pursue a life of crime. Take for instance the curious case of Charles Boles, better known as "Black Bart," an infamous stagecoach robber in California.

Like many stories in the old west, the life story of "Black Bart'' Boles has many inconsistencies, but a common theme in many stories reference his career as a school teacher. In one occurrence of the legend, Boles was working as a teacher until he pulled a practical joke on a friend who worked for Wells Fargo. With an unloaded weapon and a cheap disguise, he was surprised that the driver gave him the cash box on the stagecoach. Thus began a 8-year crime spree by "Black Bart, Po8"a bandit who robbed numerous stage coaches with an unloaded weapon and crime-related attempts at poetry left as clues. Black Bart was eventually caught after being traced to a handkerchief left on the scene of one of his heists.

How is that for a reason for leaving the classroom? Granted I have encountered in my research several reasons why people leave teaching, but "Black Bart" might be the only one who left for a life of crime and bad poetry.

What Makes a Great Quarterback, Physical Traits or Leadership Traits?

3:10 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, your team is pinned on your own 8-yard line. As quarterback, you step onto the field, losing Super Bowl XXIII16-13 with 2/3 of the nation tuned in to the game. In this scenario, the greatest clutch quarterback in NFL History, Joe Montana, led his team on an 11 play-92 yard drive ending with a Montana to John Taylor pass in the end zone, winning the game 20-16. Was Joe Montana lucky or was it his leadership traits that guided his team to greatness?

Joe Montana grew up in Western Pennsylvania, developing into a two-sport star in high school basketball and football. Montana almost went to North Carolina State University to play both but he accepted a football scholarship to Notre Dame. Montana was not heavily recruited, he was the 7th string quarterback his freshman season. Montana studied game film, practiced hard and eventually led the Fighting Irish in back-to-back comebacks his sophomore season. The rest of Montana's college career was filled of leading teams to victory in high-pressure situations, including the 1977 National Championship. Although he was very successful in college, many NFL scouts doubted Montana's potential ability as an NFL quarterback.

What did NFL scouts miss while evaluating Montana's leadership potential? (He was passed over 81 times before he was selected in the third round by the 49ers.) First, they overestimated his perceived weaknesses: Montana was only 6'2" with average arm strength. Second, they underestimated his leadership skills as a quarterback. The following traits were attributed to Montana through his career: coolness under pressure, tremendous work ethic, great communication with teammates, willingness to share glory and the ability to develop talent in others. With 31 NFL 4th quarter comeback victories, a college national championship and four Super Bowl victories, Montana is an example that successful leadership traits come from not just what we are born with but how we choose to develop them.

The Importance of the 3rd Amendment

Imagine that you are at home with your family and all of a sudden you receive a knock at your door. On your doorstep are 6 to 8 members of the United States Army and they are expecting room and board for the evening. You are required to provide this for the soldiers because it is legislated by Congress and it is enforced by the armed troops on your doorstep. When the soldiers leave in the morning, you receive no payment for your services and it is possible that you will have to provide quarters for another squad of soldiers the next night. If not for the American Revolution and the Bill of Rights, this could be a reality today.

It seems far-fetched for us to imagine the scenario that I highlighted in the previous paragraph, however 240 years ago; this was common practice here in what was known then as "The Colonies." After the end of the French and Indian War, British Parliament decided to keep a standing army on the North American continent. To pay for this army, Parliament passed the Quartering Act of 1765. This act required colonists to house and feed the troops without compensation. The act and its sequel were met with great resistance in the colonies, eventually becoming one of the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence:

"He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation.... For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us."

The newly formed nation was very suspect of the federal government created by the ratification of the United States Constitution. James Madison proposed to the first Congress a list of proposed amendments to the United States Constitution. Remembering the Quartering Acts that were imposed on the colonists, the Third Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified with the following language:

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

The authors of the constitution knew firsthand the powers of an unchecked federal government. Forced to give up their private property rights, the colonists revolted, creating a government that would be forced to honor the rights of its citizens. Although the act has been litigated before a federal court (2nd Court of Appeals) only once, the rights given to us by the Third Amendment are just as important now as they were in the 18th century. Be thankful we live in a nation where soldiers have their own quarters and the only people that we have to allow to sleep and to eat in our homes are our own invited guests.

A Mom Serves An Ace

Retired from professional tennis, Kim Clijsters, the former #1 player in the world, has spent the past couple of years doing things that she felt was more worthwhile in life, healing her numerous tennis injuries, getting married, giving birth to a daughter and dealing with the loss of her father to Lung Cancer. Knowing the effort that parenthood requires, it would almost seem impossible to devote the hours of training that is required of any athlete that is competing on a world class level.

It was amazing to watch her go toe-to-toe with Venus Williams in the US Open, arguably the best woman's tennis player of her generation. What is even more amazing is that Clijsters was playing only her 11th professional match since she came out of retirement. Clijsters was playing in the open thanks to a wild card (sort of like a free pass) given to her by the Tournament committee. It is amazing that she has been able to advance to the Quarterfinals of the US Open, the first person in the 41 year history of the Open to achieve that level of advancement with a wild card invitation.

What is most impressive about Clijsters is not the fact that she was once a great tennis player that has made a heroic comeback. What is most impressive is her attitude towards the game and how it compares to the greater challenges and joys of life. Listening to her post-match comments and how poignant that she was in defining the match in relationship to her life was refreshing to hear from a professional athlete. To paraphrase Clijsters, "Tennis is a great game, but it is not everthing." Clijsters truly served an ace with her interview and should be an inspiration to moms and athletes everywhere.

Herding Cattle and Herding Cats, True Analogies for Leadership

Perceived or real, Americans tend to believe that leadership is lacking in our nation. An Alma College 2007 Study is fairly typical of American reactions to leadership in our country; poor ratings in all questioned areas. The lack of perceived leadership only proves the need for leadership training, but to train new leaders, we must determine the true definition of leadership.

Many people have their own thoughts and beliefs about leadership. Peter Northouse, a professor at Western Michigan and author of Leadership, Theory and Practice gives a working definition when he states "Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal." Simple definitions help to clarify potential problems, but leadership is still an abstract concept. With concrete thinkers like myself, the definition can be more confusing than the concept that is being defined.

I recognized the benefit of using analogies to explain an abstract concept throughout my teaching career. Explaining a concept that involves moving a group brings to mind the romantic images of cowboys on cattle drives in the Old West. People many times have herd-like tendencies (watch what people wear to a sports contest.) Often people tend to have their own ideas that they want to pursue. For this reason, herding cats might be a better analogy.



Regardless of what group you are working with, the key is to get people to achieve a common goal. It is very telling that Americans have such little faith in our leadership that maybe we should teach new and existing leaders how to lead others to a common goal. If we are able to teach others how to "herd cattle" or "herd cats" or "herd the thoughts of people," we will be able to improve our perceived lack of leadership in America.

What is a Yurt?

Driving between North Carolina and Virginia over the past month I have had the opportunity to drive through Floyd on numerous trips. Off of VA Highway 8, there is a place called Blue Ridge Yurts. The question that I have had in mind over and over again is "What is a Yurt?" Floyd has been an epicenter for the counterculture movement since the 1960s, so I was not to sure if I wanted to find out what yurts happened to be, but my curiosity has finally gotten the best of me.

According to the proprietors of Blue Ridge Yurts, the yurt is a portable, circular structure that was originally used by nomads in Central Asia since the 12th Century. The yurt had low walls and could be moved easily by placing the yurt on a cart pulled by oxen. Apparently, the yurt is still used as primary housing by some people in Mongolia today.

Yurts are built to withstand high winds, heavy snow loads and apparently make excellent temporary housing. It is even possible to add rooms, plumbing, lofts and electricity to the yurt, although all of these options can raise the price. Yurts average anywhere between $6,000 - $30,000 and can be used for permanent housing.

Yurts are a viable option to temporary or permanent housing. It is amazing how that the simple but efficient construction techniques of nomads have influenced a thriving business here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lesson learned, when you have a question about something, just look it up!

Source
http://www.blueridgeyurts.com/

Welcome to Dr. Greenhouse's Blog!

Welcome to my new home of writing the musings of my everyday life. This blog reflects my interests, intellectual pursuits and home spun stories all in one location.

Speaking of home-spun stories, why is this called Dr. Greenhouse's blog?

As an undergraduate at North Carolina State University, I worked part-time in the local Wal-Mart garden center. While in the store one night at the beginning of my Wal-Mart "Career," one of my fellow associates asked me about what I was studying in college. When he found out that I was concentrating my major in Horticultural Science, he tagged on me, "Well I guess that makes you a plant doctor, so you are like a Dr. Greenhouse. The nickname stuck and it has become more valid that I am now pursuing my Ph. D. in Agricultural Education.

I hope to reflect the style of the successful columnist writer; sometimes funny, sometimes passionate, sometimes tear-jerking, and always entertaining. Thanks for visiting and I hope that you will come back.