The Friday Messages: Food for Thought: Perspectives on Leadership from a Leading Educator

By Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr.

Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr. became the first black chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District in June 2006. His leadership skills have served him well in the past and present.

As the third volume of the Essential Voice series, this guidebook provides lessons and insights that Lassiter has gleaned during decades of public service. Divided into six parts and more than one hundred key topics, he focuses on topics such as

habits you can use to seize the day;
the top ten distinctions between winners and losers;
the power of place in a learning community;
ten lessons learned in over thirty years of higher education.

These teachings apply to everyone, especially the thousands of employees of the Dallas County Community College District and anyone involved in higher education. Lassiters lessons will help you develop leadership skills that connect to core values and beliefs and that achieve results.

Regardless of your position, youll improve yourself and those around you with the insights and advice in The Friday Messages: Food for Thought.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jun 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781426967948

Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr.

Dr. Wright L. Lassiter, Jr. has over five decades of experience as an educator and administrator in higher education. He serves as college business officer at Tuskegee University; vice president for finance and management at Morgan State University; president of Schenectady County Community College, Bishop College and El Centro College. He serves as chancellor of the seven-college Dallas County Community College District from 2006 to 2014. Upon retirement in 2014 he was named chancellor emeritus. He is a distinguished adjunct professor of leadership studies and ethics at Dallas Baptist University and was named a Master Educator by the University of Texas at Austin. He is widely acclaim guest speaker and leader of professional development seminars and programs. He is the author of eleven books and over a dozen monographs.

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© Copyright 2011 Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

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ISBN: 978-1-4269-6745-0 (sc)

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011907879

Trafford rev. 05/18/2011

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Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

DALLAS COUNTY COMMUNIY COLLEGE TRUSTEES NAMES FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CHANCELLOR

INTRODUCTION

Part One Setting The Stage

PLAN YOUR LEGACY EARLY

THE LARGEST ROOM CONTEXT

Part Two Leadership Messages

THE ROLE OF THE CHANCELLOR

WHAT IS THE WORK OF A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER?

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

WHAT MAKES A GREAT LEADER?

THE GREATEST LEADERS HAVE OFTEN DWELLED IN OBSCURITY

VISION

LEADING MEANS SHARING

LEADERSHIP IN SIX WORDS

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM CONFUCIUS

A CLOSER LOOK INTO LEADERSHIP

THE CEO’S SECRET HANDBOOK PART II

PRACTICE CELEBRATING SUCCESSES

WHAT IS EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP TODAY?

LEADERS CAN CAUSE PEOPLE TO THRIVE OR GROAN

10 LESSONS LEARNED IN OVER 30 YEARS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

WE MUST PAY ATTENTION TO AVOID BLIND SPOTS

HOW TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE READY

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE GARDEN

10 THINGS THAT DEFINE A TRUE PROFESSIONAL

THE POWER OF PLACE IN A LEARNING COMMUNITY

CHARACTER COUNTS

ARE YOU AWARE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP BLIND SPOTS?

CAN YOU DO THE MATH?

HOW TO LEAD WHEN YOU’RE NOT THE HEAD PERSON

HOW TO MAKE YOUR GOOD TEAM GREAT

LEADERSHIP IN A PERMANENT CRISIS

LEADERSHIP IS MUCH MORE THAN POSITION

LIFE AND DEATH LEADERSHIP LESSONS

UNCONVENTIONAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES

EVALUATE YOUR LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE EVERY DAY

STRATEGIC LEADER STRENGTHS

LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS MUST HAVE SKILLFUL TONGUES

A LOOK AT THE POWER AND PLACE OF CHARISMA

Part Three The Dynamics Of Change

PLAN FOR CHANGE

WHAT TO COUNT ON IN A WORLD OF CHANGE

EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING CHANGE

THINKING FOR A CHANGE By John C. Maxwell

THE STRESS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE: THE NEW NORMAL

DURING TIMES OF CRISIS AVOID THE SILENCE PATTERN

REBUILDING TRUST: LESSONS LEARNED FROM TOYOTA

LEADING THROUGH TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY

WORKPLACE BLAME IS CONTAGIOUS AND DETRIMENTAL

LEARN THE FIVE SECRETS OF INNOVATION

ORCHESTRATE THE CONFLICT

BEWARE OF THE DANGERS OF INERTIA

CUSTOMER SERVICE POINTERS

SHAPING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR A MORE HEALTHY CULTURE

SYSTEMS THINKING

THANKSGIVING EXPRESSIONS

HOSTMANSHIP

LEADERS AS HOSTS

THOUGHTS ON EXCELLENCE AND CHANGE

BE THE BOSS, NOT A FRIEND

THE CASUALTIES OF CHANGE

CHANGE AND THE CRISIS OF VALUES

DO YOU WANT TO ENHANCE MEDIOCRITY?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT IN TIMES OF CHANGE

READ OUT LOUD DAILY

Part Four Relationships

THE CLOCK OF LIFE AND LIFE’S TEXTBOOK

YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW

CONNECTING WITH THE GEN-X GENERATION

THE STORY OF BURNT BISCUITS

POEMS FOR REFLECTION

CATCH-UP READING TIME

I’M DRINKING FROM THE SAUCER BECAUSE MY CUP HAS OVERFLOWED

MY FOREVER FRIEND

THE TOMATO MAN

COULD YOU HAVE PASSED THE 8TH GRADE IN 1895?

KEEP YOUR FORK!

PREPARING OUR SONS FOR THE GAME OF LIFE

TEACHING A SOLDIER

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE

45 LESSONS LIFE HAS TAUGHT ME

IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES

I DO BELIEVE

A CUP OF COFFEE

A MOTHER TO HER CHILD

AN OLD FARMER’S ADVICE

DUCKS QUACK – EAGLES SOAR

EMERGENCY FRIEND SYSTEM

THE ART OF LOSING WELL

THE SEED

RELATIONSHIP REFLECTIONS

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING

THE MESSAGE OF GEORGE CARLIN

HABITS YOU CAN USE TO SEIZE YOUR DAY

RECIPE FOR LIVING

THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND TWO CUPS OF COFFEE

THE TOP 10 DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN WINNERS AND WHINERS

NOTABLE QUOTATIONS

Part Five Workplace Insights

THE CALL TO SERVICE

IT’S A MISTAKE TO DEFER THOUGHTFUL ACTIONS

BUILDING HEALTHY ALLIANCES

THE ANNUAL COMMUNICATION AUDIT

THE WE-CENTRIC LEADER

THE CHALLENGE OF THE PROBLEM BOSS

ORGANIZATIONAL PAIN

OPPORTUNITIES DURING TOUGH TIMES

19 OFTEN OVERLOOKED QUESTIONS TO PROPEL EMPLOYEE CONVERSATIONS

ANALYZE THIS: THE POWER OF REFLECTION

CAN-DO WINNING ATTITUDES

THE HIVE AT WORK

DISAGREEMENTS NEED NOT BE HOSTILE

WORDS OF WISDOM AND GUIDANCE

HOW TO CREATE OR ENHANCE A CULTURE OF CANDOR

A LOOK AT THE WORKPLACE BULLY

A COLLECTION OF EXPRESSIONS

NOTABLE QUOTATIONS – SERIES #2

WHO CHANGED YOUR LIFE?

TEACHABLE MOMENTS FROM A CRISIS

RELIEVING THE STRESS OF OTHERS

15 WAYS GOOD MANAGERS & LEADERS SUPPORT AND KEEP STAND OUTS

REFLECTIONS DURING TIMES OF CHANGE AND UNCERTAINTY

THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING INTEGRITY IN THE WORKPLACE

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR VALUE IN THE ORGANIZATION

THE SECRET TO MOTIVATING YOUR TEAM

PRACTICE CELEBRATING SUCCESSES

CAREER ADVANCEMENT POINTERS

THANKSGIVING EXPRESSIONS

VETERAN’S DAY MESSAGE

HABITS OF THE HEART

HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE THINK

Part Six End Notes – Summation

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FOR TODAY A SUMMARY

LEADERSHIP – QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There is a small corps of dedicated assistants who played a role in the crafting of this book. They represent a remarkable team. I thank each of them for their assistance, support and encouragement.

Nancy LeCroy, who wrote the Introduction, made a regular practice of sitting with me and sharing nuggets that she thought connected with my vision and outlook for the District community.

Susan Hall, who in her role as the Chief Learning Officer for the district, regularly sent me materials that also connected.

Toni Barajas, my executive assistant, who has this remarkable attention to detail. Each week she would proof my drafts and make suggestions and comments as to how the commentary would be received from a rank and file perspective. She and I toiled over each page in the manuscript trying to make it just right.

Eddie Walker, who displays his artistic talents in designing the covers for all of my books, is deeply appreciated,

In addition to my team members, I also want to express my thanks to those colleagues who took the time to send me items for my reflection based on the content of a commentary. Thanks also for the e-mails that encouraged me to continue sending messages in the form of a commentary, which reflected hope and optimism.

Finally to Bessie. If there’s a law limiting a husband’s love for his wife you will have to visit me in prison. After fifty-two years, I’m still connected, confident and committed. Thank you for your unbridled support and encouragement in every thing that I seek to accomplish. It was her constant pressure that resulted in me moving down the authorship path.

DALLAS COUNTY COMMUNIY COLLEGE TRUSTEES NAMES FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CHANCELLOR

During a special meeting of the Dallas County Community College District’s board of trustees on June 12, 2006, members unanimously appointed Dr. Wright L. Lassiter, Jr. as its sixth and first African American chancellor. Lassiter recently assumed the duties of interim chancellor following the resignation of Dr. Jesus Jess Carreon in May.

It is not uncommon for a board of trustees to take up to twelve months to go through a search process and select a new president or chancellor. It only took the Dallas District trustees thirty days to determine that the long-time president of El Centro College was the person already on board to lead the seven colleges of the Dallas County Community College District with a current enrollment that exceeds 64,000 credit students.

We are pleased to appoint Dr. Wright Lassiter as chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District. We congratulate Dr. Lassiter, and we are very proud of him, said Jerry Prater, chair of the district’s board of trustees. He has wrapped his arms around the task of leading the Dallas District in such a remarkable way that we concluded that a lengthy search process was not necessary. We had our own man already here.

I will live up to your confidence in me, said Lassiter to the DCCCD trustees. Serving as chancellor will be challenging and I welcome he task as I am confident that I will have the collaboration and support of my colleagues at each of the district’s seven colleges – Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland – as we move forward with the business of educating our students, said Lassiter.

Lassiter joined the Dallas District as president of El Centro College in 1986, Prior to that time, he served as president of Bishop College (Dallas); president of Schenectady County Community College (New York); vice president for finance and administration at Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD,); and director of auxiliary enterprises/business manager at Tuskegee University – then Tuskegee Institute (Tuskegee, Alabama). He served as a faculty member at Tuskegee and Morgan State in addition to his administrative duties.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Alcorn State University (Mississippi); a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana University; and his doctorate in educational administration and finance from Auburn University (Alabama).

He is a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, is married and has two adult children and two grand daughters.

Ann Hatch

District Office of Marketing & Communications

INTRODUCTION

A leader’s voice can be quiet, dignified, bold, inspirational, demanding, angry, impatient, or a combination of several expressions. But underneath its variety, a deeper, more personal voice informs all the others. It is an essential voice that grows from the leader’s unique identity and connects followers to his/her core values and beliefs. It is not easy to know since its essence is typically hidden beneath the varied expressions of the day-to-day and since sharing from this quieter, deeper place is often a risk. There is also the possibility that once revealed, it may not be an appealing voice. But when a leader’s voice is worthy and marches to a group’s needs, it can offer confidence, hope, and trust.

Unfortunately, in a large organization such as the Dallas County Community College District, it is not easy to know the essential voice of the top leader. Most of us are not able to hear or observe often enough, over sufficient enough time, through the various seasons of organizational life to know the leader’s style, tenor, and character. Yet I believe it is precisely this voice that Chancellor Wright Lassiter has carefully crafted for the past five-plus years of his tenure as the district CEO. He produced volumes I and II of The Essential Voice, and has continued that pattern in this volume. It has been demonstrated that his weekly Friday Commentary makes it possible for the district community to hear and feel their leader.

The Chancellor loves to write. The words and ideas that appear in this third volume grow from his own personal generative effort. They are typically written in the quiet of his home library/study and are the result of disciplined, contemplative thought. In writing to the DCCCD community, his tone is respectfully personal – as if Dr. Lassiter is writing a letter to a colleague he admires. Rather than remaining detached, he intentionally shows us what he cares about through his words.

He generously shares his words. We come to expect the Friday message, that is not just informative, but personal and reflective. In my experience, his willingness to share in this way is unprecedented. He also reinforces the written word with frequent road shows, where he speaks to District locations and gatherings, providing a remarkably consistent point of view as he shifts from writing to speaking. Many of his invitations to appear and speak come from student organizations at the colleges. Those invitations are generally always accepted unless there is a major schedule conflict.

He is a life-long learner with a scholarly bent who has never tired of mining new resources. His pattern is to connect this constant study to his own experiences and to the organization he serves. The varied, sometimes surprising resources he shares not only indicate his personal interests, but his leadership character and his perspective on leadership.

He speaks directly to us, not to some generalized audience. Ask him, and Dr. Lassiter will tell you that there is an organic link between what he chooses to write about and the experiences of his week. He not only responds to what we say or do, but to his intuitive sense of our needs. His commentaries underscore his willingness to relate to us, to make a personal connection. One of his oft-used phrases is – food for thought.

When he speaks, Dr. Lassiter eagerly shares his hopes and dreams for the organization. It is difficult not to know key elements of his vision for the DCCCD in his references to collaboration, communication, leadership and values. At heart, he believes the strength of our community will determine our capacity to move from good to great. While some might be skeptical of such idealism, he is not, nor shy in its expression.

From time to time, he shares through the lens of his personal faith. In a world of political correctness where most of us are more guarded, his comments include references to the spiritual life that is fundamental to his make-up. It is a compliment that he trusts us in this way and that his manner honors rather than threatens our own beliefs.

For all these reasons, and because Wright Lassiter speaks with wisdom at a critical point in the Dallas County Community College District’s history, I commend this third series to a potentially larger array of readers. Through them, there is an expanded opportunity to continue to hear his essential voice. It is for the reader to determine how the future we hold together will be strengthened by your perceptions of his words.

Nancy LeCroy

April – 2011

Part One Setting The Stage

PLAN YOUR LEGACY EARLY

Upon graduation from Alcorn State University I was invited to join the faculty for the summer session of 1955. Not only did I serve as the primary instructor in the Business Department of the college, but I also served as the acting department head for the summer. What an unexpected beginning to my career in higher education.

Following that short-term teaching experience I participated in the 12-month Internship Training Program for College Business Officers at Tuskegee Institute. This was a newly formed development program for individuals who had the potential to become college business officers. I had a brief appointment as the investments accountant at Hampton Institute and was drafted for service in the U.S. Army. At the conclusion of my active duty military service I returned to Tuskegee Institute to begin my journey toward becoming the chief financial officer of a college or university.

In 1976 I was privileged to move to the senior ranks in higher education administration when I was appointed the vice president for finance and management at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. With that decision I began planning for my departure from Tuskegee University where my career was developed and shaped.

Prior to my departure, I had a final face-to-face period of reflection with a long-time friend and neighbor, Dr. Eugene W. Adams, a Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the university. I recall that I shared with him that for just over seventeen years my bride had been Tuskegee University. To such an extent that I had turned down numerous offers to leave the university for advancement positions at other institutions.

I had enjoyed a beautiful marriage, however I stated to my friend that from that point forward in my career, I would take on a new bride. That new bride would be my career. As we exchanged thoughts, I even projected that prior to my retirement, I would make up to five more professional moves. I further mused that from that point forward I would also focus on the legacy that I wanted to leave as a leader in higher education administration. I had enjoyed an unbelievable developmental period at Tuskegee and had been shaped and molded by excellent mentors, now I would need to take everything to a higher level.

Thirty-five years since leaving Tuskegee University to realize what was then my goal of rising to the level of chief financial officer of a medium-sized university, I have served as president of three colleges and now serve as the chief executive officer of the largest community college in Texas. The projection of making five professional moves has become a reality.

When I reflect on my journey, I feel compelled to share some reflections with my colleagues about the legacy that I have endeavored to shape. It is not a normal pattern that one can serve as the president of not one college, but three colleges. It is also not a normal pattern that the last college presidency spanned two decades, before I was asked to serve as the chancellor of the seven-college Dallas County Community College District.

Recently I thumbed through an issue of the Harvard Business Review and saw an article that mirrored my thinking. Here are some pointers from that article that I commend to my colleagues in the DCCCD.

• Your legacy is revealed in how your colleagues, employees and others think and behave as a result of the time that they spent working with you.

• Don’t make the mistake of thinking about your legacy as you near the end of your tenure.

• Develop legacy thinking early in your career and make legacy thinking a catalyst for action in your life.

• Legacy thinking does a great thing for you as a leader.

• Legacy thinking reveals where your influence is having a lasting effect and where it is not.

• Thinking about leadership in the context of your legacy helps you establish priorities.

• Legacy thinking locates you in the history of your organization.

• Legacy thinking helps you recognize when you are wasting your time in a senior management position, and when it is time to make a move.

• Legacy thinking tempers your necessary focus on the tasks at hand with a sense of greater purpose.

Keep in mind that legacy thinking is like a two-edged sword. For younger leaders, legacies often change over time as you mature and become more self-aware. For more senior leaders, legacy thinking can expose regrets over road not taken. At either extreme, legacy thinking can be unsettling or unfulfilling. But for all people in between, and even for those at either extreme, the potential upside from legacy thinking is greater.

Visioning and dreaming is a critical element in the planning pattern of a leader. On the wall of a church in England there is a sign that reads: A vision without a task is but a dream. A task without a vision is drudgery. A vision and a task are the hope of the world.

Your work as a leader should always show that due consideration has been directed toward vision, task, hope and the future.

In planning and living out your legacy, I commend an item written by Robert J. Hastings titled The Station. Reflect on these words of the writing of Hastings.

The Station

Tucked away in our subconscious minds is an idyllic vision in which we see ourselves on a long journey that spans an entire continent. We are traveling by train, and from the windows, we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at crossings, of cattle grazing in distant pastures, of smoke pouring from power plants, or row upon row of cotton and corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, or skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is our final destination – for at a certain hour and on a given day, our train will finally pull into the station with bells ringing, flags waving, and bands playing. And once that day comes, so many wonderful dreams will come true. So restlessly, we pace the aisles and count the miles, peering ahead, waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

However, sooner or later, we must realize there is no station in life; no one earthly place to arrive at once and for all. The journey is the joy. The station is an illusion – it constantly outdistances us. Yesterday is a memory and tomorrow is a dream. Yesterday belong to history, tomorrow belongs to God. Yesterday is a fading sunset and tomorrow is a faint sunrise. Only today is there light enough to love and live.

So gently close the door on yesterday and throw the key away. It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad, but rather the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow.

Relish the moment is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24 – This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, swim more rivers, climb more mountains, kiss more babies, count more stars. Laugh more and cry less. Go barefoot more often. Eat more ice cream. Ride more merry-go-rounds. Watch more sunsets. Life must be lived as we go along.

Current and future leaders – begin planning your legacy now.

THE LARGEST ROOM CONTEXT

The largest room in our house is the room for improvement.

In my previous life as a college president I would often pose this question to my colleagues: What is the largest room in any house? After concluding that is was a trick question, I would provide the answer: The largest room in any house is the room for improvement.

The ultimate objective of my weekly commentary is improvement. Therefore I will place the label of The Largest Room in this portion of the Weekend Memo.

Last week you will recall my reference to Studs Terkel and the lessons imparted to him from his mother regarding homework. I trust that we all will take to heart the principle that we will always have homework to do. For this week I want to share with you a passage from the opening remarks of the new president of Harvard University — Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust – on the subject of collaboration. I will then present suggestions on how to capitalize on the experiences of each member of the community, and I will conclude with some thoughts on attitudes.

Dr. Faust was an unlikely choice as the president of Harvard University. As I read her remarks regarding her appointment, I saw parallels for us in the DCCCD. I ask you to ponder them in the bullets that follow.

• Our shared enterprise is to make Harvard’s future even more remarkable than its past.

• This will mean recognizing and building on what we already do well. It will also mean recognizing what we don’t do as well as we should – and not being content until we find ways to do better."

• We face extraordinary opportunities. But if we at Harvard are to accomplish all we intend, we need to find new ways of working together, of engaging the creativity of one of the most talented communities in the world.

• We need to break down barriers that inhibit collaboration among schools or among disciplines, barriers that divide the sciences and the humanities into what C.P. Snow once famously called two cultures, barriers that separate the practice of the arts from the interpretation of the arts, barriers that lead us to identify ourselves as from one or the other ‘side of the river.’ Collaboration means more energy, more ideas, more wisdom; it also means investing beyond one’s own particular interest or bailiwick. It means learning to live and to think within the context of the whole university.

We could easily replace the words Harvard and university with the Dallas County Community College District and your location, and those phrases would resonate with the words that you have heard from me on the subject of collaboration and trust.

In their book, The Accidental Leader, Harvey Robbins and Michael Finley outlined several things that we need to learn (and practice) in order to take advantage of the set of unique talents, gifts, and lessons resident in each of us. Consider their suggestions that follow as they relate to collaboration and teamwork.

• Learn how long each team member has been with the organization.

• Learn who’s had experience with teamwork. Find out who’s been a part of an effective collaborative team. It may tell you how to organize future tasks and assignments.

• Learn the most fulfilling work experience each team member has ever had. Their answers will tell you what you need to do to create a more positive and collaborative work environment.

They move beyond experiences to inform the reader that individuals on teams and in organizations come with a set of expectations. Do you know what they are? Or are