Old School Leadership Practices
An organization will periodically engage in a campaign that focuses on fundamentals. The bedrock principles and skills necessary to achieve objectives, are put at the forefront of their practices, as they kickstart a pursuit toward excellence. I was involved, during my sales career, with numerous initiatives labeled, “back to basics.” They were a clarion song to get everyone on the same page, as one team of talented individuals, forging ahead to accelerate achievement.
My generation speaks about the old school, which contains more than a reference to nostalgia. There were values and commitments we made that were universal and should be regarded as timeless in our pursuit of living up to personal and professional expectations.
We are role models and must be aware of the fact that we are setting examples for our peers and the next generation of leaders. These old-school leadership principles should be brought into the limelight and used to improve our relationships, achieve our dreams, and improve the human condition, by acting positively and optimistically.
Old School Old school is a working philosophy; Authentic, real without hypocrisy; A strategy for life and survival; A legacy to teach new arrivals. Old School, we are from the day we were born. With methods, that are time tested and worn. We fought and struggled, as we learned to spar, To work the system, so they raised the bar. Old School is determined by how we felt; Skillfully playing the hands we were dealt. We are classics that laid a foundation, They shaped a culture and built a nation. Our dances have a different groove, We are originals patented and smooth. You sample examples of our moves, Our repertoire is new and improves. We branded our system as Old School, For you to build on and follow the rules. The rules are structure to internalize; To help you learn and then improvise. The Old School has powers of deduction. We can explain the journey, as we go. The roads are always under construction. We are the guides to teach you what we know. We are ancestors who can be trusted. We played the roles of outlaws and outcast. The living legacies that adjusted Through practices that have worked in the past. We are Old School and we have explored And experienced, we’ve plunged and we’ve soared. We are Old School and should not be ignored; We have wisdom you may wish to record. Copyright © 2017 Orlando Ceaser
Pandemic Inspirations – I Need to Step Away
I Need to Step Away I need to step away from the anger, The bitterness and a state of outrage; For it is placing my soul in danger, And causing my spirit to disengage. Constant news coverage and the debates, On cause and effect and bending the curve; Isolate, but if we can’t congregate; We are afraid we will lose our nerve. We’re adjusting and changing each routine, As shelter in place begins to try us. Keeping a safe distance to intervene; To mitigate the threat of the virus. I want to escape into a fortress; Though solace is only tentative. I must decompress and reduce the stress, And act in a manner that more will live. I need to step away and leave behind The carnage and the fear in my head; Embrace my faith for it gives peace of mind, From the images and my sense of dread. Lifesaving procedures like washing hands, As we are focused and adept today. I must keep my distance and understand, As I pray and obey shelter and stay, Is this a reset or a correction, To show what we can or cannot control; Will we establish a new direction, Committing each life to a greater goal? When this pandemic is overturned, Remember the good that we are seeing. We will emerge with many lessons learned; On how to be better human beings. I know I must step away from the ledge, For it seems that I’m walking a tightrope; To renew my strength for I made a pledge, To lead with optimism, grace, and hope. Copyright © 2020 Orlando Ceaser Watchwellinc.com More motivational, inspirational and leadership resources at watchwellinc.com and OrlandoCeaser.com.
Pandemic Inspirations: Bless Somebody
Bless Somebody Address somebody with a smile and nod They may not know that you were sent by God, To give them sunshine on a cloudy day, To be the joy promised to come their way. To bless somebody is why you are here, To add the fragrance to their atmosphere; Unless somebody has a heart of stone, They will be grateful for the kindness shown. Bless somebody and you bless your maker. You are a giver and not a taker, Confess to somebody and seize your role, To elevate others to warm your soul. Assess somebody, determine their need. Ask them lovingly how you should proceed. Distress can place a person in despair. You should be there to let them know you care. Say yes to somebody when they extend Their hand to you so they could be your friend. Impress somebody with an open heart, Bless somebody for to love is an art. Address somebody with a smile and nod. They may not know that you were sent by God, To give them sunshine on a cloudy day, To be the joy that is coming their way. Copyright © 2020 Orlando Ceaser Web-site: OrlandoCeaser.com Email:orlando.ceaser@watchwellinc.co
Pandemic Inspirations – My God Will Not Fold
During times of uncertainty, when we are uncomfortable and cannot accurately predict our circumstances, we strengthen our resolve through faith. We find comfort in the shelter of our faith and the Holy Father in which we live and move and have our being. A key element of God as our fortress is the belief that He will not fold, fall apart, or crumble in the face of present and impending danger.
My God Will Not Fold
When things are too hot;
When things are too cold;
I feel like a dot,
Too small to behold.
It’s during these times
My heart is cajoled
With psalms for my doubt;
My God will not fold.
At times I’m frightened,
But I must insist,
To be enlightened
And next on His list.
When God made me whole,
My spirit enrolled.
It’s well with my soul.
My God will not fold.
Personal problems,
May yet beset me;
If I’m struggling,
My God might let me
Learn from the hardship,
And then set me free;
When I was drifting,
My God came for me.
God through the ages
Has always been true;
Faithful through stages
Of what we go through.
He was there for me
And I felt consoled,
My God was with me;
My God will not fold.
No, God will not fold,
When things are too hot
Or when they run cold.
I know he will not
Break down, and His love
To the young and the old,
Gives strength and I’m told;
My God will not fold.
When my composure’s
Disintegrating,
Relationships are
Not generating
Kind words from my lips.
I am unstable
And losing my grip,
But God is able.
When things are too hot
Or when they run cold,
I’m sensing the plot,
As long as I hold
His hand in my hand,
I’m anchored and bold,
For He helps me stand;
My God will not fold.
Copyright © 2019 Orlando Ceaser
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Pandemic Inspirations – I want You to Know This
I Want You to Know This
I want you to know this.
As dire as it may appear,
Your Higher Power casts out fear.
I want you to know you are just
God’s Spirit breathed into Stardust.
I want you to know this.
A plague may be single or in a swarm.
You may emerge battered out of this storm;
And go from transfixed to being transformed,
From a new natural to a new norm.
I want you to know this.
You are a component of something grand,
That’s too miraculous to understand,
You are a part of the universe and
Metaphorically stationed in God’s hand.
I want you to notice,
The wonder in the evening skies,
The innocence in children’s eyes,
The evidence that God has created
A universe where we are related.
I want you to notice
The pruning and fine tuning undergone;
That thing in you that God is working on.
Let us underscore and not undersell
God’s grace that makes us infinitely well.
I want you to know this
Is an incantation and not a curse;
A blessing of love from the universe.
You must know that God’s creation,
Was scripted from His imagination.
I want you to notice
The sunsets and the sunrises;
Internal beauty and surprises;
The good among a range of bad;
The happy standing next to sad.
I want you to know this to be true;
A purpose is planted inside of you,
I want you to notice, as you pursue
The promise, that God will provide for you.
The image of God is your GPS.
He knows and notices,
And He will bless.
Copyright © 2020 Orlando Ceaser
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I Am Not Enough
We work together as a team. No person is an island and no person should work in isolation. Most goals are designed to be reached i coordination with others. Additionally, no one should think that they should go through the ordeal on their own, that the objectives should be reached on their own merits.
You are sufficient, as an individual. You are enough within your own right, but when the storms of life are raging and objectives and performance targets must be achieved., you are not enough, nor should you be all that is needed. Involve the team. Involve mentors and coaches and peers. Your growth will accelerate and escalate when you realize and say to yourself, “I am not enough.”
I Am Not Enough
In search of wisdom I think vanity
Will hide the weakness of humanity,
As ego converts the truth into lies.
Misguided in the darkness I confuse
Reality with an elegant ruse;
What I surmise as wisdom is not wise.
Sometimes rejected, the world will mock me
And life will rock me, and friends will shock me,
Reminding me that I am not that tough.
Though I consider myself fully grown;
The evidence is present and has shown;
When I am in need, I am not enough.
I am proud of being spontaneous,
With wit that’s sharp and instantaneous
And eloquent when speaking off the cuff.
I state opinions with precision
Use intellect to discuss religion;
An empty vessel who’s seeking more stuff.
The myth of the person who is self-made.
The courageous one who’s never afraid.
Gregarious in the face of trials.
Despite a vivid personality,
I’m stuck with the truth and the reality
That something is missing behind the smiles.
A goal in life is to be prominent;
To play a role, forceful and dominant;
Confident life, will never call my bluff;
A revelation is inside of me;
Doubt points to an innate deficiency.
I was created for community,
When I am alone, I am not enough.
And when friends have aching hearts filled with grief;
I search for the right words to bring relief,
But silence is all that I can bestow.
The pain seems permanent as I confess,
To being anemic and powerless,
Aware that my incompetence might show.
I often question what I see in me;
An arrogant idol, a deity;
I cannot survive independently;
I finally came to the conclusion,
That life without God is an illusion;
When I was lost and bound; He set me free.
When I deliver all I can provide,
I still fall short of being satisfied;
Love has made me a diamond in the rough.
I bask in the splendor of His brilliance;
I ask the Lord to give me resilience;
Until I’m with Him, I am not enough.
Copyright © 2013 Orlando Ceaser
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Leadership Greatness through High Performance Poetry
Innovation demands that we seek different and distinctive ways of stimulating our imaginations. This may be achieved by making an association through poetry, which is not often seen as a companion of business thinking. It is the other soft skill. Hopefully you are open to this additional insight.
High performance poetry is an invaluable vehicle for expressing leadership greatness. This art form emphasizes key elements of achievement and helps to cultivate development for personal and professional gain. “Leadership above the Rim turns out to be a shockingly original collection of poems by Orlando Ceaser, a manager-cum-poet who shares them at team meetings and when his direct reports are promoted.”1 This comment from the Financial Times magazine was an early confirmation of the radical insight found in poetry.
People go to work and school and keep their gifts or their light hidden from their peers. Those with a gift of poetic expression will shy away from putting it on full display due to a perceived negative stigma. However, poets can be important to business. Poets have keenly developed powers of observation, outlook and curiosity that lead to investigation and interpretation. These powers can lead to leadership greatness and high performance if we harness the inherent strength of the language and imagery.
Poets use their senses to gain a better understanding and appreciation of their world. They are introspective, intuitive and deep thinkers who are able to view a situation from many perspectives. They are used to experimenting with different approaches. This can be very helpful in leading people and running a business.
Webster’s Dictionary defines a poet as:
- Gifted in the perception and expression of the beautiful or lyrical
- A creative artist of great imaginative and expressive gifts and special sensitivity to his medium.
The poet has inspirational words for winning, has a vocabulary for victory and can speak effectively against the language of losing. The poet is a panoramic thinker. The poet can use
high performance poetry to link the vision and mission of the organization to desired outcomes. Further, through conversations with their peers, poets can help you sell the vision and the goals of the organization. They can approach a subject, such as business, with the radical insight that could lead to inspiring innovation in ideas, products and services. Their observations and perspectives will add to brainstorming and problem-solving sessions.
High performance poetry focuses on using achievement-oriented language to encourage and celebrate excellence. Dana Gioia, a poet with extensive business experience, is a graduate of Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and the former Vice president of General Foods. In addition, and quite notably, he is the past Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts. As he rose up the managerial ranks, he felt he had “an enormous advantage over his colleagues because he had a background in the imagination, in language and in literature.”2
In a business setting, high performance poetry allows people the use of language, through stories and metaphors. Through these stories and metaphors, the poet is able to paint a positive and attainable picture of the company’s vision. On a deeper level, the poetic communications will touch the hearts of people to build trust and engagement.
The poet may be the introvert in the room, deriving their energy from absorbing everything around them and processing it later in the day. They may be the creative ones, who are insightful, observing and analyzing problems from many different perspectives. They may see things that others don’t see, mainly because they are looking. In my book, The Isle of Knowledge, I tell a story about my friend Buttons from my childhood. During our walks around the West side of Chicago, Buttons was always finding money and other things of value. I tried to match his skill, but with little success. His secret was that he was always looking down and therefore, had a greater opportunity to find things. He was looking where the treasure was located. The poet is always looking for treasure in the places where they reside.
They are always observing, always using their senses, always connected and involved in the world around them. Identify the poets in your midst. Whenever possible, be sure to include them on cross-functional teams and you will be rewarded with a higher performing team that will exceed your expectations.
Another quality that poets bring to the table is a love for experimentation. Their use of metaphors, similes, allegories and hyperbole are some of the ways in which they explore different portrayals of the current reality. At work, they use the same talent to experiment with different solutions, searching for more than one right answer, to improve the quality of decision-making.
It is beneficial to know the poets in your organization and to encourage their expressions of creativity. When these individuals and others focus on high performance poetry, they will leverage their talent to help you utilize and maximize the innate abilities within the team.
You may have heard that poetry and business do not go together. However, this perception may hinder people from exploring and experimenting with a valuable perspective. The high-performance poetry featured in this book will help employees examine its use for achieving their goals. This perspective, if harnessed, will improve the culture within your business in a myriad of ways.
Max DePree, former CEO of the Herman Miller furniture company, tells a story in his book Leadership is an Art, which is a part of the Herman Miller company history. It is a story about a millwright. “In the furniture industry of the 1920’s the machines of most factories were not run by electric motors, but by pulleys from a central drive shaft. The central drive shaft was run by the steam engine. The steam engine got its steam from the boiler. The boiler, in our case, got its fuel from the sawdust and other waste coming out of the machine room – a beautiful cycle. The millwright was the person who oversaw that cycle and on whom the entire activity of the operation depended. He was a key person. One day the millwright died.”
One day the founder of Herman Miller went to the house of the recently deceased millwright. While visiting his home, the widow asked if the young manager would mind if she read some poetry aloud. After listening to her read beautiful poetry, he asked the author of the work. She replied that it was her husband, the millwright. For years the young manager and others at Herman Miller who were apprised of the story wondered,” was he a poet who did millwright’s work, or was he a millwright who wrote poetry?”3
High performance poetry will start you on the path of discovering more about the people in your group or organization. It will help you to explore various aspects of the work experience. It will illuminate and elucidate human motivation and the desire to innovation on an even grander scale. This greater understanding of people will be instrumental to the team’s commitment to exceeding expectations.
Max Dupree goes on to say, “understanding and accepting diversity enables us to see that each of us is needed. It also enables us to begin to think about being abandoned to the strengths of others, of admitting that we cannot know nor do everything. This simple act of recognizing diversity in corporate life helps us to connect the great variety of gifts that people bring to the work and service of the organization.”4 Leadership greatness can be achieved through many avenues. Achieving leadership greatness through high performance poetry is another way to experience the variety and versatility present within your team. I trust that this book will assist you in extracting and multiplying the greatness around you and within you.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Adapting
An Ancestor’s Apprentice
Ask (Acquire Selling Knowledge)*
Athletes Leading As Role Models – (ALARM™)
Be humble as you hustle
Be strong to the finish
Championship Thinking
Circle of Excellence*
Coming Through in The Clutch
Confessions of a Corporate Climber
Do You Ever Want to Spin with Me?
Follow through
Front-line Leadership*
He Makes Leaders for a Living*
Habits and Hustle
Hustle
I Am Not the One
I am in sales
I Am the Good
Faith Effort
Imagine a Company Anarchy On Demand
Inertia
Intellect Fulfilled is an Awesome Thing
It Is Time
Keep the Ones We Love Alive (Drive
Defensively)
Last Will and Testament
Leadership in a turbulent Season
Leadership is Allowed
Let them Lead
Make your own good news
My time and my touch
Obstacles
Passion makes you cry
Paying your dues
Peace
Quest for meaning*
Quotas and forecasts*
She is not too old
Someone you may never know
Stronger together
Structure
The Box
The Hunger
The Lady and her Legacy
The Leader Within
The Mark*
The Old Guard and the New Way
The Third Quarter of Life
The Temple of Wasted Time*
The Unabridged Life*
The Un-led
The Year in Review
Uncertainty
Universal Coach
We are committed
What will you be known for?*
When I say diversity, What do you hear?*
When we announced the merger*
Where is the diversity?
Whether Report
You have been chosen to lead*
About the Author— Orlando Ceaser
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The Saga of the Least of These
This third installment of the Trilogy of Mercy is The Saga of the Least of These. It was inspired by an encounter with a former classmate. It teaches us to be mindful of the personality of Jesus and His intent for His followers to model love and compassion for everyone.
The Saga of the Least of These
He came in contact with the least of these;
Strategically positioned beneath his gaze.
They walked the streets and loitered under trees;
Fought for survival on difficult days.
Rather than seeking to understand,
He figuratively gave the back of his hand.
Invisible to some, but to his glance;
The poor decisions they made in their lives,
Were not deserving of a second chance.
But they were not angry for life deprives
On one hand and gives with the other;
At times a way forward is discovered.
He came in contact with the least of these;
He did not know their stories or their plight;
To those down trodden and knocked to their knees,
He gave an uppercut, a left and right
And offered platitudes instead of food
And chastised a non-existent attitude.
His words were a punch to their mid section;
His accusations were born of neglect;
His demeanor inflamed their rejection
Their current state was not their fate and yet
He blamed them for their present condition
And gave them negative recognition.
One day he came upon the least of these,
Not the image on the evening news,
But a panhandler who wanted to please
By offering to shine his shoes.
After a few pleasantries were exchanged
He noted that the man was not deranged.
He was spell bound by the look in his eyes.
There standing before him was a classmate;
A football team member to his surprise;
A high school friend he had not seen of late.
They had a reunion for old time’s sake,
But pondered the difference time could make.
He was outrageous, loud and authentic,
While they reminisced within the concourse.
He found out his friend was schizophrenic
And lost his job while on the police force.
He was homeless and as a last resort,
Tried to survive working at the airport.
The image of suffering changed for him;
Became personal and it changed his heart.
He no longer felt the need to condemn,
But to contribute and play a part;
For if not by the grace of God he sees
He could have been among the least of these.
Copyright © 2012 Orlando Ceaser
Reprinted from the book Daily Resurrections
By Orlando Ceaser
Jesus Did Not Say (conditions & qualifiers)
The ministry of Jesus is often quoted for his doctrine of love. In the second installment of the Trilogy of Mercy we wish to spotlight that Jesus did not place restrictions or conditions on his comments about love, grace and mercy. However, many of his followers’ place qualifications on his word, which were not intended.
The first installment highlighted what Jesus would do if he was just like us and we take the discussion a step further to challenge different interpretations.
Jesus Did Not Say
Jesus did not say,
To “Love your neighbor as yourself,” unless
Their difference makes it hard to comply
And bias makes it hard to acquiesce
And your discomfort makes it hard to try.
He did not say,
“Take care of widows and the fatherless;”
Unless, the budget is under a strain
Instead of searching for how you can bless,
You rationalize and ignore their pain.
Jesus did not say,
To comfort and care for the poor, unless
You can convince yourself that they’re to blame,
For financial uncertainty and stress
Flows from their actions and goes with the shame.
He did not say,
“Love your God with all your heart, mind and soul”
Unless, it’s inconvenient today.
Why put your future under His control,
When you can prospect for a better way?
Jesus did not say,
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,” unless
A major acquisition is in sight;
Or there is a prize you want to possess,
To feed your ego and selfish delight.
He did not say,
“My grace is sufficient for you,” unless,
You shop around and find a better deal;
Higher probability for success;
With self centered emotional appeal.
Jesus did not say,
“I am the way, the truth and the life,” unless,
You have your own path to the Creator;
And it is appropriate to obsess
On idols as God impersonators.
He did not say,
“Come to me all who are weary and burdened
And I will give you rest,” unless you find,
He is inept when He says that his word mends
The brokenhearted and gives peace to the mind.
Jesus did not say,
“If you ask anything in my name, I will
Do it,” unless He has a change of heart;
Unless, He reneges on promises until
He tears the foundation of the world apart.
Unless He,
Wakes up on the wrong side of the universe
And changes His mind to send another flood;
Develops an attitude to make things worse,
As He exempts us from the Savior’s blood.
Unless He,
Decides to qualify His love for us,
I would not question the work of His hands.
He did not mollify His love for us
Or place an escape clause in his commands.
Jesus was not conditional when he spoke
About His love for us as a healing balm;
His inspired words were not placed as a joke
In wisdom writings in proverbs and psalms.
Jesus did not say,
We should abide by his communications,
Unless, we take issue with his intent;
Be skeptical of interpretations
That are not consistent with His intent.
Copyright © 2013 Orlando Ceaser
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Personal Reflections
-
Reflect on each stanza as you read it. Wrestle with the content.
-
What do you think about the message?
-
Are there instances where you misinterpreted the words in Jesus, either through understanding or your actions?
The Trilogy of Mercy
The trilogy of mercy are three works inspired by Scripture that wrestles with the mandate of love your neighbor. They are,
-
What would Jesus say, if he was just like us?
-
Jesus did not say (which speaks to no qualifications or disclaimers on his love)
-
The saga of the least of these
These poems are present in the book Daily Resurrections. The book is not a devotional, but it can be used that way. The title refers to the signature poem covering points during the day and during our lives when we are submerged and immersed in situations from which will rise.
Intellectually, we submit to the basic tenets of love and forgiveness. We accept that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. However, we must be reminded about mercy and how it goes hand in hand with love and forgiveness.
The first installment of the trilogy is a poem entitled What would Jesus say, if he was just like us? The poem is good for personal reflection and a group discussion. There is an irony in us expecting good things from God when we are reluctant to have His goodness trickle down from us to our neighbors.
If Jesus was just like us,
What would he do?
There is a matter I would like to discuss
What would Jesus do if he was like us?
Would he forgive unconditionally,
Or from a list he formed on Calvary?
He said, “Come to me all who are heavy laden
And I will give you rest.”
But would he make us fill out forms
And pass a series of tests?
And based on our affiliations,
Affinities, addresses and how we live,
Would he base reconciliation
On if he thought us worthy, to forgive?
If Jesus was just like us I wonder
About self serving parties to mark his reign,
Commanding the lightning and thunder
As miracles for personal gain.
Would he choose disciples by their net worth,
Socialize with an exclusive crowd,
Suggest we store treasures here on earth
As pompous, privileged ones and the proud?
To those who took the more traveled road,
For beating the system would he reward
Those who took short cuts to lighten their load
By throwing their good neighbors overboard?
What would Jesus do if he was like us?
Would grace be earned and favor granted?
Do you think he would be inclined,
To answer prayers with the favors slanted
To those with nice bodies, pure souls and minds?
Touch the hem of his garment for a price
Or sell tickets to let the spirit in;
Would he pose as the perfect sacrifice?
Would he do anything to save his skin?
