The purpose of my blog is to lift-up people.
About two months ago, a 1987 student of mine said,
“Man! You need to get a platform where people will come to you to be uplifted! It’s like a Pastor. People go to church to expect to hear some uplifting message or a message that will challenge them to improve. That same Pastor – with the same message – can stand at a street corner. Screaming his message and people will flip him off. Scream at him! ‘Get out of here you crazy Christian.’ People just want to drive home.
Dude. Your students are different today. You are different today. Students don’t want to hear your uplifting messages like we did. Yea. The students need your uplifting messages, like the folks going to church, but they are not in your classroom to be uplifted.
Hate to say that to you. It’s reality! Times have changed!”
Whew! What a sobering message. Unfortunately … MY 1987 STUDENT IS CORRECT.
Now, to focus on folks who want to be uplifted and / or challenged to be better, I am using my blog / podcast / YouTube channel.
Do not misunderstand me. I do occasionally bring out the “OLD Mr. Everts,” but considering directives I have received in regards to “no story telling” / “stick to the subject,” I rarely give an “uplifting message.” And … it is painful for me. I can feel my time in public education is fading. I do know there are folks who want a teacher who walks-the-walk / inspires / expects students to be better today than tomorrow.
For many years, I have had three words that have helped me through some incredibly tough times (lies about me from students / parents; administrative leave only to have found myself back in the classroom, of course, following a devastating blow to my reputation; deaths; ends of relationships… you know… HUMAN EVENTS!). The three words: RESPECT. RESPONSIBLE. DISCIPLINE (or a form of those three words, for example: Respectful or Responsibility).
I have added two words: INTEGRITY and FAITH.
For the next several weeks / months, I am going to do what I can to write “short” / “brief” essays centered on one or more of those five words: RESPECT. RESPONSIBLE. DISCIPLINE. INTEGRITY. FAITH.
I love leadership. I love the topic. I love to study leadership / leaders.
One of the most important parts of being a leader is RELATIONSHIP. What a better topic to incorporate my five words than, RELATIONSHIP.
Nothing political. Seriously. I only wish the best for every president we have. Since my walk with Jesus Christ, I pray for every President: CLINTON / BUSH / OBAMA / TRUMP and now … BIDEN.
Yet, here is where I am going to go … Executive Orders.
I see the “power” of the Executive Order being a short time solution that can really lead to long time weakening of relationships.
As of February 3, 2021… 12:20pm (PST), President Biden has signed forty-five executive orders. This is a significant amount of orders in the first three weeks of a presidency.
What I would have done … put a self-imposed “freeze” on the Executive Orders. At least, for the first hundred days of my presidency. I guess the “FIRST ONE HUNDRED DAYS” is something special. Shucks. I hope I can live the first one hundred days.
What I would have done is set up meetings with each congressional representative and senator. I would like to know what they thought the previous president did that was worthy of continuing and needed to be “Executive Ordered.”
There are 435 congressional representatives and 100 senators. Therefore, with my Vice-President by my side (through the entire process), I would have met with seven members of congress: two senators and five congressional representatives a day. The remaining days of the “First 100 Hundred Days,” I would have met with my cabinet. Then, I would have met with the House and Senate leaders and give them the plan.
I would have had my communication team send out to the public the reasons for the Executive Orders. If need be, I would have also been more than happy to have met with the press and taken questions about the decisions.
I do not think the number of Executive Orders would mean that much, as long as, there was a process to give folks a chance to speak up.
That is what relationships are. There are parts to a relationship.
I cannot see a longtime healthy relationship being one that is currently happening. I definitely can see how folks are concern this “top down decision making” is “Un-American.” Not part of our culture.
My hope is, the future generations read material such as this “simple” piece of writing and study how relationships work, our nation will survive (yes… “survive”) its current “hour.”
Some John C. Maxwell thoughts from WINNING WITH PEOPLE in regards to relationship:
- People can usually trace their successes and failures to relationships in their lives.
- Trust: Can we build mutual trust? The BEDROCK Principle: Trust is the Foundation of Any Relationship. “It is a greater compliment to be trusted than be loved.” – Georg MacDonald
- The question I must ask myself: Am I a Trustworthy person?
When we do not include others in the process of change or decision-making again the example of “executive orders” as our first action in our new job, how do we build trust?
As one of the first signs of respect, please consider including others in your developing of a community / relationships.
If you want to know more about John C. Maxwell material on leadership or really – becoming a better person – or just meet and talk about leadership, you can reach me at band2gether@comcast.net
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