Leadership Skills

 Mago Bill: You have more than one leadership skill, practice them.                              

 

            In this video you are reminded of six leadership skills that can take you far and help us all to a better life, a better world.

Do the following:

1. Be there, show up.

2. Speak up, do something, share.

3. Be aware of your visions and your values, share them.

4. Team up, practice  partnership, co-operate.

5. Don't give up. making  changes is OK, giving up not so much, keeping on keeping on is life.

6. Give back support and credit. Lift others up.

                                                                        rcs

 

 

 

Little "d" Democrats

Mago Bill: One might say philosophical democrats.

 

            In the distant past there were democrats. There were democrats in the recent past. There are still some democrats. A democrat might be thought of as a person who believes in people and in their ability to learn and do. I know little about what democrats are doing at the moment. I do have a sharp memory of that which some democrats did in my lifetime.  

            Democrats have tended to promote certain doings. Some of  those doings tended to be definitive of their beliefs.

Democrats have promoted:

~ enhancement and protection of democracy among us.

 ~ the study of legislation affecting democracy.

~ vigorous ongoing education about the use and doing of democracy.

~ improved communication among political parties and within them.

~ development of widespread leadership rather than super leaders.

~ enhanced education for participation in governance.

~ cooperative self-governance.

~ willingness to thoughtfully and promptly change a bad law for the better.

~ strong respect for our laws.

~ inclusivity  and diversity in public life.

~ cooperation within and among groups.

~ knowledge of the history of democracy including it's  limitations and advantages.

~ respect for the varieties of democracy around the world.

~ our Constitution and it's Bill of Rights.

~ our national Bill of Rights.

~ loving care of each and every child.

~ respect and honor for the individual, the family, and the neighborhood.

~ more nearly equal opportunity for access to healthcare for each person.

~ strong support for public health.

~ respect for and support of the position of minorities.

~ wide, ongoing educational opportunities for all.

            The above could suggestive of planks for the platform of a present party or candidate.

            What would you add?

            Thank you for reading.

                                                                               

                                                                                                    by Richard

                                                            for you

Self and Group:Toward More Effective Citizenship

Group and self: effective citizenship and self knowledge.

 

                You can learn a lot about yourself  by participating in a group. You can practice observing yourself as you participate. You can learn much by observing other members. In a group you can begin the valuable potentials of a group.

                One of the prime injunctions of wisdom teachings has been "Know thyself." 

                Surely an important part of being includes learning. Learning about the world around us seems an important move toward self knowledge. I believe that learning about groups is an important part of learning about the world around us. 

                Participation in a group is a learning experience. That learning and that experience will be of varying quality. Much of such learning can lead to knowledge of self. Some groups are more interesting  and useful than others. Some groups may be better for you than those which seems to suit your present personality.

                A high level of regular participation by members has been important for a group's effectiveness and longevity.  We may call an effective and long lived group an organization. In such an organization it may b vital that each member know that she(or he)has an important job or place in it. A group being a practicing participatory democracy tends to increase the level of group participation.

                Get a group or organization.   Enjoy it's power and your growth.

To analyze your organization, to know it better, and to participate more effectively in it, you and a friend may take some of the actions suggested below:

~ Find out who has the authority to implement your organizational plans.
~ Know the action plan for for the long range funding of your organization.
~ Find out who is involved in developing your strategic plan.
~ Know your membership trends.
~ Consider the nature of your organization's benefits.
~ Know who is doing the bulk of the work to accomplish the goals of the organization.
~ Know what people do the work. Where are they? Identify them.
~ Make sure you know the engines of your organization.

You might also look for answers to the following questions about your organization and about your self:

~ What questions do you have about your organization and your membership in it?
~ How will you get answers to those questions?
~ What will you do about your questions and answers?
~ What makes it or you operate
~ What motivates you and other members?

                Enjoy your growing power and that of your organization and learn more about you!

                Thank you for reading.


         

 

 

                                                                                            by Richard Sheehan



 

Practice

Writing: a way to better writing is practice

 A way to practice is to start writing and to keep writing.

     

                For now try this: Write without stopping to worry, correct, or edit. Write for more than ten minutes without stopping. You will write some phrases you will really love. You will find it hard to throw them away.

                Be ready to to throw them away because  they probably won't fit the writing you end up with. If you don't come up with a whole new focus or angle, you will probably come up with a whole new subject.

                Before you do throw away what have written do this: Read it and pick out your best three or four best sentences. Then reread them. As you do so consider improvements you might make in them. Rewrite them and save them for a while.




                                                                                                Richard Sheehan

 

Mago Bill: Yes; this is related to my Irish great grandfather, Mago William Sheehan, it is more about the Balearic Islands, Hannibal, and a book.

Another early Mago was Mago Barca of the late third century BCE. He was Hannibal's brother and a Carthaginian general. He was also the youngest son of Hamilcar Barca of the Barcids. 

The Balearic Islands seem to have an Irish connection of some sort. On Menorca Mago Barca lent his name to the city still called Port Mahon. Does not Mahon seem to have a bit of an Irish ring? The typical Mahon egg sauce that has conquered the word is known as mayonnaise! Isn't there a mayo something  something or other on "the old sod?"

I believe that there is a book about this Mago that you may enjoy reading it's by David Anthony Durham,   Pride of Carthage


by Richard Sheehan
for Mago Bill