Institute News

I recently re-watched all three seasons of Ted Lasso. While the series is centered around sports, it’s about much more than that. It’s really a show about learning to become a leader. Much has already been written about the many lessons the show imparts along with countless lists of leadership themes and quotes, and I won’t attempt to re-invent these here. But one repeated theme from the show that resonates with me is “Be a Goldfish”. The main character, Ted, at one point says to his team, "You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. Do you know why?

Election cycles result in leaders serving in new roles. Sometimes there are clear directives, but even then, there is a period of figuring it out on the fly.

While most any time should be a good time, it doesn’t hurt to remind new leaders of what is important.

An interesting book popped up on my radar recently, and, as if I didn’t have enough books waiting to be read, I ordered it.

“The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self” is written by former Men’s Health writer Michael Easter. Easter also has a weekly newsletter on improving health through “modern science and evolutionary wisdom.” I’m a health and wellness geek, so the book’s premise appealed to me.

Christmas holidays have come and gone. The time for giving good gifts hasn’t. 

All of us who lead and serve are in a place to give: 

Leadership is the role or position of guiding and directing others. The capacity to lead, and the act or instance of leading. The title leader is often given, but are all people labeled as leaders, leaders? A true leader knows how to bring out the best in those that they lead. I have known great leaders, and I have known leaders who thought they were great. A great leader understands that we are all different. We bring different values and experiences to the table because we have lived different experiences and may have different values.

Today we are having an office holiday potluck luncheon. I spent yesterday afternoon today making a hummingbird cake. It’s going to be great! 

I know it’s going to be great because I followed my grandfather’s tried and true recipe. It has been tested and refined. I’m confident in the outcome because I have followed the recipe in the past myself and it has produced great results. That’s important because Granddad was known to occasionally leave out a secret ingredient or two! 

The Tennessee Agriculture and Forestry Leadership (TAFL) Program selected participants to be a part of the inaugural cohort that starts in 2025.

Participants making up the first class are:

Last month I participated in the IPS Leadership Team retreat held at Montgomery Bell State Park. One of the first items in our agenda was a team activity titled “The Big Picture.” For two hours the group worked on painting a canvas that represented what IPS does: Making lives better for Tennesseans. The picture we had to paint was a depiction of IPS’s presence and impact throughout the state, highlighting all of our agencies’ services through different landmark buildings, objects and symbols. The purpose of the activity was team bonding. 

I’m writing this on the day that, in Tennessee, we all fell back. Daylight savings time ended at 2:00 a.m. this morning. 

I was sure grateful for the extra hour of sleep. The Tennessee/Kentucky football game and an untimely (is there ever a good time?) water heater leak kept me up way past my bedtime. 

Eric Amos, who has served as the Tennessee Language Center’s interim executive director, will assume the role permanently effective immediately.

“I’m grateful for the outstanding job Eric has done as the interim director of TLC,” said IPS Vice President Herb Byrd III. “I’m fully confident that he will continue with outstanding leadership as the new TLC executive director.”