Sweetheart, Honey...and your Momma

Today, while I was driving to Urgent Care (I fell---hard...in a parking garage), I decided to stop by my parents to stay hi...and well, who doesn't want their momma to look at their injuries?

I wasn't there too long--but long enough to hear all of the terms of endearment my dad used on my mother.  "Honey..."; "Sweetheart..." .

The funny thing is, I answered to all of them--conversations meant for my mother.

My dad laughed and said "I was talking to your mom"....

My parents used these words with me (and my sister) growing up--how would I not know he wasn't talking to me? 

The point that I'm getting across--I'm 41 years old and I still like being called "honey". 

Weekly Reflection 9.0

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26–28)

I couldn't help but correlate this chapter to the Bible.  Jesus taught us in the New Testament that all leadership should be servant leadership.

I did not always grow up as a Christian.  I did not seek Jesus until I was 24.  I wasn't in a leadership role at all (work-wise).  My husband and I soon became in charge of a small youth group.  THAT is where I started serving.  I served not only my Savior but the kids I worked for.  This set the stage for how I would view leadership later in life.

For the past year or so, I have struggled with getting back to church and be a servant there.  This week, it has been nagging on my heart to go back to church.  They are looking for volunteers in the nursery and I believe I want to do that, because if I'm engaged at church, I may find my way back to the congregation.

I know this post is going waaaaay out of left field--but this is what I needed to write about this week.  Today, was the first day I called in sick to work in a very long time.  I started the week with a bad cough and today I ran a slight fever.  Was God making me "slow down" and take time for myself?  Absolutely.  There is a huge reason I was to dive into Servant Leadership this week.  Thank you!

In addition to writing in my blog this week, I asked my co-workers how they viewed my leadership.

I asked a Peer and a Follower (or someone that reports directly to me).
Here are the results of those two surveys and I am pleased that I will continue to be a Servant Leader.

With me struggling to get back to my church home, it's no wonder I scored lowest in: Creating value for the community and Putting Followers First.

This week was definitely God tapping me on the shoulder, knocking at my door, wanting to welcome me back home.

Weekly Reflection 8.0

Soooooooo......last week was challenging!  I traveled for the first time since 9/11 and was introduced to TSA real fast, I had to work and complete my assignment for 4 classes.

Part of my trip to DC, I made it my goal to visit Arlington National Cemetary.  I'm not one to do things by myself.  Taking a tour by myself was exactly what I needed that afternoon.  I was so moved by the graves.  Graves of people (even under aged kids) that fought for this country, because they did what was right.  They did what they did to keep this country free.

Arlington National Cemetary
October 9, 2019

Me at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (October 9, 2019)

I traveled back to Kansas City that evening.  When I got off the plane--I received a flood of text messages that my grandfather had passed.  The last of my grandparents.

It hit me hard, I already had anxiety of traveling by myself, working and accomplishing school work, now this, what in the world??

At his funeral, I found out a lot about my grandfather--that he fought in the Korean War (as a teenager); came home to marry my grandmother--they spent over 56 years together--doing the right thing.

They never had a lot of money--but they spoiled us grandkids--doing the right thing.

I never went to church as a kid, but I still had a moral compass--doing the right thing (or so I thought)

As an HR director, I am famous for always presenting the most "correct-thing" to my fellow executive team.  However, I'm torn, because they don't always see the way I see things.  Sometimes the most correct is not always right (weird how that works)!

Taking the questionnaire for this week was really revealing.  Because I scored high on Balanced Processing (Being of Fair Mind) and Relational Transparency (Be Genuine).

One weakness was Internalized Moral Perspective (Doing the Right Thing).  This hit me kind of hard---like am I doing the right thing?  I think I am--but apparently, maybe I'm not.

So now I sit here--on a Friday night, determined and planning to DO THE RIGHT THING.

Weekly Reflection 7.0

It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do.  We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do

-Steve Jobs

As I'm sitting in my hotel room in DC today, I'm really cognizant of leadership styles in this city.  I didn't realize that I need to be able to "walk the walk" meaning, I need to be able to speak to my position.  My boss made the statement - "that's why you are here---you know your job".

With that said, I need to make sure members of my team know that they are valued and they are not to do "what I tell them" to do.  I need to empower them to do the very best they can with the resources they have.  I need to be more trusting and trust my team's instincts.  I need them to feed the team, not to fix it.

I know it's not a long post this time, but really appreciate the growth I've encountered so far and can't wait to see how this is and will help me.

Click here to view this week's questionnaire!

Weekly Reflection 6.0

I struggled with a little with this week's chapter.  I get along great with all of my bosses---I tend to use "their" techniques with my relationship with my employees--open and honest.  On the outside, it may look like I "suck up" to get ahead.  My boss is extremely transparent with me, my department and my strategic goals--I pass that same transparency to my team.

I don't think I "suck up"---I network!  I surround myself with the people that I want to be like--see how they do it and work towards my goals with the same drive.  

I'm going to school--you have no idea how long I've thought about it...surrounding myself around people in academia or those that have degrees, made me WANT it.  It's a lot more than reading text-books, it's all about networking.

I am always brutally honest with my questionnaires---I included two copies of this weeks--one with the relationship with my leader and one for my follower.

I'm not where I am to "make friends".  I am here for the greater good of not only the company(ies) I manage, but to develop myself to become the best I personally can be (yup---Army Brat here) :-)