What else would I mention this week but Harry Potter? The seventh, and final, book in the series was delivered to my door Saturday afternoon.  If it weren't for a paper I had to write over the weekend, I would've sat down and read it cover to cover right then. But instead, I tried to act like the big girl I am and wait.  And that lasted about an hour.   I did treat myself to reading breaks and finished the book on Sunday.  All I can say is - if you haven't read the books yet, what are you waiting for?  They are entertaining, fun, exciting, and can knock you sideways.  I will not share any plot points or spoilers - read the book!! Rowling did a magnificent job wrapping up the fun and honestly thought the ending was perfect. I will miss the anticipation of another book and can only hope she considers starting a new adventure with new characters. In the meantime, I will have to read this last one again and really savor it. But isn't that the joy of any good book?

What did you think of it?  Let me know! Anissa

I am not a big fan of reality TV.  I am probably the only person in America who has never seen one entire American Idol show. Other than watching the final episode of the very first Survivor series (man, that whole rat and snake diatribe was snarky) so I could understand what everyone kept talking about week after week, I have not seen many shows since.  But I must admit I am intrigued by a show on Tuesday nights, Shaq's Big Challenge.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, Shaq is on a quest to fight childhood obesity. He recruited 6 middle school students to help them lose weight, but more importantly to get fit.  This isn't a show about infighting (except among the school's administration), or plots and alliance to destroy the other competitors (unless you count junk food).  Shaq's goal is to show the Governor of Florida that his pilot of 20 minute of daily activity in the school, healthier choices in the cafeteria, and meeting the President's Fitness Challenge are all worthy goals of our educational system for the health of our nation.  It's a daunting goal.  I don't know about you, but the best parts of the day in elementary school was being on the playground.  In high school, it was having the experience of learning or playing different sports that kept me hooked until I graduated.  Now, along with music and arts programs, schools are cutting gym class too.   I don't understand how we can educate kids on the basis of AP classes and standardized testing alone.  School should be the one place we can learn (not be educated) about music, dance, drama, art, woodworking, and of course, different courses of study.

I commend Shaq and his team for taking on this great challenge in Florida.  His leadership, his belief in his purpose, and his caring of the kids is inspiring to watch. As I said in my last blog, caring is at the heart of leadership and Shaq is a fantastic representation of this in action. His approach to working with the kids as well as his determination to change the system should encourage all of us to consider what impact we are making in our own lives and in the world. Ultimately, this is where we derive our joy instead of from our purchases of things.  

Have you seen the show? What do you think? Let me know, Anissa

This a  really profound statement made by Kouzes and Posner in their book The Leadership Challenge - 'caring is at the heart of leadership'.  It is a truly remarkable book and has a great gift of synthesizing various leadership topics for ease of understanding and application.   I love this statement and find it to have great meaning for me.  When I think of the leaders I admire or leaders I have respected throughout my career, this is the one factor that differentiates each from those that I didn't see as valuable to me.  Leaders who are caring strive to consider the person, which creates an enhanced relationship toward growth and achievement.  I have truly grown, more than I may have believed I could, under the caring hands of a great leader.

And yes, I truly believe that a leader must cultivate and develop relationships with their team.  All the talk of not fraternizing with your co-workers seems so counter-productive to me.  We spend no less than forty hours a week with co-workers; how could one not develop friendships or different forms of relationships? When we meet someone and spend time together, we learn personal details about each other and become more invested in the person.  We learn what motivates them, what their interests are, what captures their heart, what makes them tick, what their frustrations are, their moods, their quirks, their uniquely identifying personality traits. 

I am sure you can see this in your own life and how you will really strive to help your friend who is moving across town, but would not think to do that with the neighbor you barely know or have rarely spoken to.    Let me know what you think! Anissa

When I read some of the media articles about the 2008 Presidential race, or about the CEO's of some of our largest organizations, it occurred to me that some of these very people who claim to know what is best for us (as employees or citizens) have lost their way a bit. They have forgotten that even leaders are followers.  And as such, followers have choices.  In each of us at any time, we can be a leader and a follower. We may be a leader in our job and a follower in our community. We may be a leader in our school and a follower at church.  In every instance, a leader and a follower has a choice and voice.  As a leader, you must ensure that your voice inspires, motivates, conveys clear objectives, a set path, and is proactive toward the future.  In turn as a follower, you have the ability to choose where your heart and soul belongs based on which leader 'speaks' to, inspires you, impassions you. 

I think some of our leaders have forgotten that we have choices.  I get the impression they want us to believe they know this, but based on the billions that will be spent on campaigning when all of that money could be put toward our poverty issues, our own healthcare challenges, educational needs, the looming global crisis of the environment. Well, it tells me that their words are hollow.  Between media attention (articles, newspapers), TV news programs, 24-hour news channels, and the internet, wouldn't that be enough of an opportunity for all Americas to seek out information on the candidates - to know where they stand on issues, their beliefs, their opinions?  Why do we need commercials? Why do we need to meet a politician who only has time to pump our hand? Or travel to 18 Iowa cities to share the same speech?  They are acting, not being, leaders and have forgotten that they too can be followers.  If they could remember that, maybe more of the authentic person would show through instead of the dog and pony shows we have been seeing by many of our politicians, our CEO's, our most esteemed heads of state.  

I am only ONE opinion - neither right nor wrong. Let me know what you all think!! Anissa