Spotlight on Jonathan McCoy: Committed to Eliminating the 'N' Word'

C3 Greensboro

Sunday, August 16, 2009 from C3 Greensboro on Vimeo.

A Message From : Frank Mc Court

THANK YOU

By all account, my High School years could have been run of the mill at best, if not for the Music and Drama Department. I was an “under the radar” student was not a honors and was not a slacker. I went to class most days and did as much as I needed to do to earn a 2.7 grade point average. I was on the school newspaper and tennis team all four years, but that was mainly just something to do. I got my chance and I found my passion in the choir and school musical. This was significant because through the performance arts, I was able to come out of the shadows. So how significant was this. Three words, Jim, Sam and Pete. These three amigos, took the time to get me to try new things, work hard and tried to get me to lighten up. Two out of three is not bad. Thanks

Until later

Nothing Personal

“The art of being in human is to tell them what you feel.” By Bill Brown fall 1988. Not much has changed in 21 years for me; i still believe that true effective communications comes when people have the courage to tell others what they really feel and risk being perceived inhuman. Nothing personal, just a battle of ideas. And believe me when i say battle. You don’t have to look to hard to find it. Ask a teenager i remember once being told not to discuss these topics in mixed couple, religion, race and politics. Tonight the context of the battle i will discuss them all. To give you a quick look into how i think so you can understand what i think. -F. Scott Fitzgerald once said "the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." when i say inhuman i mean not caring or being insensitive to others ideas. I will admit, sometimes i can careless about what some people think, but i always try to acknowledge their right to have an idea. And why did i say tell them what you feel instead of what you think, i believe that “out of your heart you speak.” And there is the battle.

So where do i begin? Religion, race or politics, lets go with the most obvious race. I don’t know if you are aware of this but i am black. How do i feel about being black or better yet how do i feel about other races. In the united states being black has meant so many things. We have gone from niggers to coloreds to african-americans. Me what do i feel about race….. I don’t know. I know some people use the color of peoples’ skin to justify hatred ,violence and even murder. I acknowledge the conception and the need for the civil rights movement and affirmative action, but i don’t feel they’re the best answer for our country. Follow me. Slave trade wrong, 1/5 of a person wrong, terrorizing people because you fear they would seek revenge for past victimizations wrong, and making laws that make others affirm acceptation or give special treatment to a group of people. Is not all right maybe half right but not all right. I believe human right trump civil rights, you can’t have civil rights if you don’t recognize someone’s human rights. Yet in the political world everything is ass backwards.

TO BE CONTINUED

TRUE HOSPITALITY

EVERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO OR MORE PEOPLE, WHETHER IT IS FRIENDSHIP, MARRIAGE, OR COMMUNITY, CREATES SPACE WHERE STRANGERS CAN ENTER AND BECOME FRIENDS. GOOD RELATIONSHIPS ARE HOSPITABLE. WHEN WE ENTER INTO A HOME AND FEEL WARMLY WELCOMED, WE WILL SOON REALISE THAT THE LOVE AMONG THOSE WHO LIVE IN THAT HOME IS WHAT MAKES THAT WELCOME POSSIBLE.

WHEN THERE IS CONFLICT IN THE HOME, THE GUEST IS SOON FORCED TO CHOOSE SIDES. "ARE YOU FOR HIM OR FOR HER?" "DO YOU AGREE WITH THEM OR WITH US?" "DO YOU LIKE HIM MORE THAN YOU DO ME?" THESE QUESTIONS PREVENT TRUE HOSPITALITY - THAT IS, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STRANGER TO FEEL SAFE AND DISCOVER HIS OR HER OWN GIFTS. HOSPITALITY IS MORE THAN AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE FOR THE GUEST. IT IS ALSO AND FOREMOST AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE BETWEEN THE HOSTS.

OUR DEEPEST FEAR

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” by Marianne Williamson

Message From GI JOE

“Not on My Watch”

Leadership Development is a big part of me. I find this interesting because of a belief I have.

Billism on Leadership Training – “Leadership Training is an oxymoron, You are a leader or You are not” You can be trained to manage people or stuff. But Leaders are not made they are developed.
There are a number of Leadership styles they teach you, but the one that is practiced by many managers and leaders (and formally yours truly) Is the “Not on My Watch” Styles. I believe, this is the trap of the leader who “cares” or takes their role seriously. If you take over a good or bad situation, the leader can be driven by “Not on My Watch , will this place fail.” What happens when a leader takes on this mentality. They will not listen to people and the end result justifies the means. Natural allies will become enemies, and the leader has extremes throughout their organization. Some people love him/her and some hate him/her and the people on the fence are forced to take sides.
I believe any big changes have to happen in the beginning and that will change the culture of the organization, after that any changes are small and they come from others on the staff not the leader. I learned this the hard way (twice, hindsight is 20/20) I will share one of them with you now
I was elected (or selected) as President of a local Toastmasters Club, the second oldest in the state of NC and I was the First African American to hold that post (no pressure) The club was failing, big time. Low membership, was not attracting new members and very few members where coming to the weekly meetings. I was honored to lead them and needed everyone’s help , but I quickly felt the pressure to turn things around. I would make suggestions, that would be shot down, and I would ask for suggestions and would not get any. Not one, a member said to me, “If we had the answers we would not be failing.” Really. I had to do something, “I am the President”. So the “Not on My Watch , will this place fail.” Kicked in with that was “If you want something done, you do it yourself.” (Not good in any situation, but in a volunteer situation, people we let you do it all) I stated making edicts, “We are doing this, Your new role is that.” To be kind, let’s just say It did not go well. Members in name only started showing up voicing their concerns. There were emergency meetings, about me. And the weekly meeting was the place to be. From 4 members to 13. (to myself I would say Great attendance was up) Most of the times they were mad at me, but they were engaged, which was good. Now everyone had suggestions (Great) I got to see that the members had become indifferent, and I forced them to take sides.
I believe the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. (I learned this at St Vincent/Seton Hill College,. I will tell you later) I am proud to say the Club is now thriving, but it had taken around four years to mend relationships there. Goal accomplished. “Not on My Watch.” But at what cost.
This is what I have finally learned, that I will now share with you

Here are 10 sign of “Not on My Watch.” leadership style.

1. This leader come takes power in a difficult time, almost do or die situation
2. This leader is first seen as a breath of fresh air. Expectations are high.
3. This leader has to make big changes fast. Too fast for people to understand.
4. This leader has a communication vacuum, where rumors are the norm.
5. This leader tries to control the communication and creates enemies. An Us vs Them environment.
6. This leader is perceived as a poor listener or a “my way or the highway” leader. They truth is they are listening too everything, but driven not to make any mistakes.
7. This leader will bring people in that they trust, without input from others.
8. This leader will spend most of their time defending themselves and not leading.
9. This leader will have a love hate relationship with most of their staff.
10. This leader is a loner or seen as aloof.

Now the Solutions are not that easy, they are worked out one leader and one organization at a time.

Until later