On July 4 of this year, we published our first teaser on The Leaducator Experience™ … our Volume 1. Then, came our second edition in September… following on that our third edition for October. We are humbly excited about continuing this journey, in service to world embracing educators, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders (we affectionately call you Leaducators™).

As we have noted before, in that very first offering…

The Experience is not simply a newsletter. Well, it is less of a newsletter; and more of one. It’s sole intent is to serve educators, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders who hold a world embracing vision. It is about offering resources to advance peace, passion and prosperity, locally and globally… at school, work, business and community. It is about offering thoughts and resources that might just make life simpler, better and cooler as educators and leaders. We invite you to have a read of our first two editions.

We invite you to sign up to receive The Leaducator Experience™ directly and monthly. Go to the right and see the side bar… and you can SIGN UP TODAY…

And stay tuned for more news on an extension of The Leaducator Experience™.

We think you will like. 🙂

FOR NOVEMBER…

FROM TRENT

Where have you gone Joe?

Joltin’ Joe Brings It Every Day

Joe Dimaggio, the epitome of ‘coolness’ in the 30’s and 40’s; not only a professional baseball player and Yankee slugger (no less), but married to Marilyn Monroe! Holy moly, can you have a higher profile career and relationship built into one package? It was an era that saw movie stars and sports figures become ‘larger-than-life’ and evolve into heroes of the ‘super’ kind. There were fewer of them (as compared to this day in age) and their names were synonymous with greatness during a time when people needed escape and a reason to dream.

One can easily imagine that this immense social stature could (and would) result in an inherent disregard for the ‘common folk’ and a loss of perspective. The bright lights, swarms of fans, and relentless media coverage could have forced him into self-preservation mode and built an egocentricity that was as impenetrable as his heart. However, Joe seemed to remain cool under pressure, rarely missing an opportunity to impress, and taking the time to connect with his followers (not in the Facebook sense).

One of Joe’s famous (and most mortal) quotes often sticks with me and can be a mantra for any leader who seeks excellence while maintaining a deep sense of humility – “I played my best everyday; You never know when someone may be seeing you for the first time.” This is a message that, as educators, we can entrench within our students as they approach the challenges of each day, build the skill set necessary for post-secondary options, and enter the unforgiving workforce. It can also become the foundation and standard for our own professional practice.

In a world where a sense of entitlement has seemingly emerged as a widespread character trait of many students, this motivational mindset has great power and potential. As much as I strongly believe that one should live according to their own individual purpose, holding true to themselves, we cannot underestimate the importance of interpersonal influence. And as educational leaders, working with students and their families requires that we come to the field ‘ready to play’.

Joe saw the power of strong and positive ‘first impressions’. This was one of his ‘non-negotiables’ as it related to his character and his work ethic. The first impression he made on all his fans became lasting impressions (time after time) that continue to endure the test of time.

Do you ‘bring it’ everyday?

FROM BARRY

Engage the Age

Trent brings up a great point on the ethic and approach of Joltin’ Joe, The Yankee Clipper. Indeed, there is something to that work ethic and that generation. It was core. And with that in mind and heart… and for this month… I thought to share what I have been bringing together as a body of work around what I call The Generational Mosaic™; 5 generations soon to be @ work, and already in life.

You can find an exploration of those 5 in…

Generations @ Work.

In my humble opinion, it is definitely worth not only a read but real reflection… as it is our world now…. at home, school, work, business and community. Within, and in reference to same, I also suggested…

While we can identify the cultures of age, there are 7.45 billion personalities (AND COUNTING) on the planet and not everyone sees the world according to their “profile”. Clearly… and we will next be looking at 5 temperaments that cross the generations. Stay tuned.
But, this is true of all generations; they have variations. There are indeed gradients and outright anomalies. No two people are exactly alike. This is the bad news for leadership. There are no monolithic groups. In classrooms and workplaces, we have to recognize that everyone is unique. In fact, in all classrooms and workplaces and communities… everyone is different, everyone is the same, and everyone has something in common with another person. This ensures that there are no pat answers… no magic bullets; there are 5 Strategies one can employ in engaging the generational mosaic and other forms of diversity.

I go on to suggest that, first, we need to apply what I call the Marco Polo Virtue…. curiosity. As Dale Carnegie would have said… become genuinely interested in other people. Nothing will truly work until we adopt this virtue and make it our own.

In doing so, we need to apply the 5 Strategies of the Virtues Project™.

• Speak the Language

• Recognize Teachable Moments

• Set Clear Boundaries

• Honor the Individual

• Be Present

… as they relate to the virtues and character of those we engage. Think and speak in terms of the virtues strongest within the person, the group, the age. Speak their language. Appeal to their own nobler motives. In so doing, approach learning from the standpoint of identifying what virtues reach and connect. Find that bridge, and learn as you go. With that in mind, set very clear boundaries on what your and their lines in the sand are… what virtues are deal makers and breakers, to build common understanding and culture. As you do, be cognizant of the importance of seeing people for who they are and being ourselves at our best in doing so, and be present. In doing this, feel free to consider this list of 100 Virtues.

This is the starting point of understanding the generational mosaic. It is true that we have a growing body of work and knowledge that establishes commonalities amidst the different age groups. It is also true that the groups are not monolithic. It is also true that there are commonalities amongst and between the groups. So, in fact, it comes down to developing an approach that sees people for who they are and builds bridges identifying common language. The 5 Strategies can be likened to the foundation for that bridge building.

As an educator, consider this. As a leader in the classroom, at school and on campus, consider this. As an entrepreneur or emerging leader who sees themselves as an educator, consider this. What would bridging and understanding the Generational Mosaic™ look like and what value would it have for you, personally and professionally? Give it a try. Check out www.virtuesproject.com or our own site at www.epicengage.com…. and see where it takes you.

Well, that’s it for me… for this month. I personally and sincerely encourage you to sign up to receive The Leaducator Experience™ directly and monthly. You just go to the right and see the side bar… and you can SIGN UP TODAY. Then we can send it directly each month.

Peace, passion and prosperity.

CONTRIBUTORS and AUTHORS

Trent Langdon is all about finding identity & building ‘life legacy’ through character education, integrity-based living, and social-emotional development. He is a junior high school counselor for nearly 700 adolescents and is dedicated to serving his students, their families, and communities. In addition, Trent works on behalf of his colleagues to build identity, protect professional roles, and to give teachers ‘a voice’; he is serving as Vice-President of the Newfoundland & Labrador Teachers Association (NLTA) for the 2017-2019 term of office. Trent is also a Canadian Certified Counselor with the Canadian Counseling & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). And last but certainly not least, Trent is a proud contributor to the Epic Engage™ team and co-author of The Leaducator Experience™. Check out Trent’s blog.

Barry Lewis Green is all about heroic character leadership and its impact on building cultures of strength, unity, resourcefulness and what he calls joyful excellence. He is ultimately a vocalist, strength coach and educator. His work is about voicing, exploring, identifying, practicing and mastering our strengths and building upon them through practical and powerful unity and resourcefulness. Joe Calloway says, “I had the distinct pleasure of being in an audience in Montreal with Barry Lewis Green on the stage. Quite simply, Barry absolutely captivated us with his talent, his message, and his heart. The feeling of unity that Barry created in the room that day was extraordinary.” Barry’s book Human Being Being Being Human speaks to that. and that is why Barry is The Unity Guy™. EPIC Engage™ is an extension of The Unity Guy™. The Epic work is all about building strong, united and inspired cultures lead by character… at school, work and community; where everyone matters and contributes everyday. Barry is humbly proud to advance this work with Trent and The Leaducator Experience™. Find Barry @ epicengage.com.

INVITE

We do extend an invitation to sign up to receive The Leaducator Experience™ directly and monthly. Go to the right and see the side bar… and the SIGN UP TODAY… to sign up today. 🙂

POST SCRIPT RESOURCES

Leaders Share on Leadership
The Epic Engage You Tube Channel with resources around character and leadership

FINALLY

Here are some additional reads, possibly of interest and value. Engage and enjoy.

PPS (Other Resources)

Our work is all about character. We work hard and joyfully to help build character driven, united and resourceful organizations and communities around the globe. As part of that work, we offer you …
and our buffet of FREE services and resources here.