Author: EmilyMaxwellMcLemore

Mom. Wife. Teacher. Artist. Marathoner.

Contentment in serving

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My thoughts on servant leadership.

Originally posted on Linkedin. But I can’t embed it. Grr. So here it is copied and pasted!

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7229837381804118016

🌟 Servant Leadership: Leading with Heart and Purpose 🌟

In today’s fast-paced world, leadership is often associated with authority and control. But true leadership isn’t about being in charge; it’s about taking care of those in your charge. Servant leadership—a philosophy that prioritizes the growth, well-being, and empowerment of others—teaches us that a true leader is willing to be last.

Being last means putting the needs of others before our own, listening before speaking, and empowering those around us to succeed. It’s not about personal gain but about nurturing an environment where everyone can thrive, contribute, and feel valued. This hit home to me this morning while reading the book of Mark as part of my daily devotional. The sentence emphasized that true leaders are content to be last and a servant to all. Not just willing to be last, but content.

Something about the concept of being content to be last struck me in a new way today. We’ve all heard about servant leadership, and if you grew up in the South, whether in a church or not, you’ve probably heard that you must be willing to be last if you want to be first. But being willing and being content are very, very different.

As we start a new semester at Tarleton State University, we have the incredible opportunity to serve our students and each other. Maybe as we search for a parking place, wait for the light to change, or navigate construction zones, we can embrace this contentment, knowing that these small moments are signs of our community and university growing.

At Tarleton, this philosophy guides my approach every day. I strive to create a space where every voice is heard, every idea is valued, and every person feels excited to be part of something bigger. It’s not always easy, but the rewards are immense—because when we lift others up, we all rise together.

Leadership isn’t about titles; it’s about the impact we have on others. Let’s lead with heart, purpose, and a commitment to serving. Together, we can build a brighter future for all. 💜
hashtag#ServantLeadership hashtag#Leadership hashtag#Empowerment hashtag#Growth hashtag#TarletonStateUniversity hashtag#bleedpurple

August 1st

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It’s been a while.

I have goals for myself for the 2024-2025 school year. One of those is to get back to blogging. I like writing out my thoughts and processing life through the written word.

But I’ve been busy. Yep, it’s an excuse. This year has been full of new challenges and adventures, but I’m ready to start making time for creativity.

I’m not forcing myself into a certain number of posts, paintings, or pages.. but I’m hopefully not going to be MIA anymore.

Resting, Reflecting, and Restoring

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I’m in a new season, one I have never been in before. It’s strange, and fun, and weird, and freeing. I didn’t make 2023 goals. I don’t have a list of things I have to complete. I don’t have a burning passion to accomplish anything. I am in such a different and new place that I’d be concerned that I’m depressed. But I’m not. I’m reflecting and learning. I’m leaning into a season of peace.

Why? Well, the easy answer is that I have my Ph.D. Why not? My body, soul, and spirit needed rest. But I have accomplished a lot of other big things in my life and I have never felt like this before. I really think, this is the first time I have ever allowed myself to stop and consider what is coming in the next season. I’m not rushing head long into it. I’m not looking for an escape from this one. I’m just acknowledging that fact that this is a time to enjoy where I am.

But this doesn’t come naturally to me. I have an amazing coach/counselor who helps me process life, work, and goals. We came up with a list of activities for me to focus on over the next few months while I embrace this season of reflection. Well, really, in my head, it is a season of restoration of my creativity while also storing up my energy for the next season, whatever that season will be.

So what are the activities?

  • Painting
  • Spending time with family and friends
  • Watching Kylie play sports
  • Enjoying the last few months of Lexi’s senior year
  • Doing fun things
  • Running without a pace goal
  • Going on walks with my friends
  • Eating yummy food without feeling guilty
  • Scrapbooking
  • Quilting
  • Putting together puzzles
  • And maybe even writing something nontechnical

And how am I doing so far? Well, I hand painted around 30 Christmas cards. I painted quite a few new little paintings for friends for gifts. I run with my friends three or four days a week and my mileage is way behind theirs. (And it only bothers me every other day when I think about it. But it doesn’t bother me enough to start training with a goal in mind, so there is that.) And I got to cheer on Kylie while her volleyball team won a championship at a tournament this week.

So I think pretty good! Here are a few of my recent paintings. Clearly I like painting flowers.

Pink flower with black background
2 identical paintings one with orange tulips and one with pink tulips
orange blossom flowers with blue background

Milestone Achieved.

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A week ago today I became a Ph.D.

I’m still wrapping my head around this accomplishment.

Me wearing a PHinisheD shirt.

Most people only know and see the confident me. This is the curated me.

The reality is that confidence is hard-won and a learned behavior. Deep down, I’m still the insecure kid who struggled to read, made a C in art in 2nd grade, spent time in tutorials and “special” classes in 3rd-5th grade, and was basically told I was pretty, but dumb in 9th grade Algebra.

And today, I’m Dr. McLemore with a 4.0 in graduate school.

My dissertation examines the leadership style of Texas high school theatre directors and the impact their leadership style has on production success. It’s the first study of its kind.

The study proved what I already knew from lived experience… the leadership style of directors impacts productions. I have been privileged to work with some amazing directors over the years. Some of the directors were autocratic leaders, some were laissez-faire, and some were love first, and lead second. But my experience in theatre has shaped me.

In the next chapter of my life, I want to help directors understand how their leadership style impacts their productions. I’m still mulling over how this will translate into a job. The reality may be that it is just a side passion. But now that I know, how can I ignore it?

Making Progress and Making New Goals

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Me sitting by my pool smiling at the camera

I’m the kind of person that
could drive you nuts.

I get that. I try to tame my crazy as much as possible for the outside world. 🙂 But I can’t help it. There are just so many things I need TO DO!

I have BIG Dreams and Big Plans. I am all kinds of EXTRA, and at 48, I’ve learned that if you don’t like my brand of extra, that is okay, move along.

But I’m not going to hide it anymore. And more than that, I will not apologize for it anymore.

What a relief. I’m permitting myself just to be me.

So anyway. With the work on my Ph.D. winding down and my brain working on what is next, I’ve been reflecting and considering the next steps. The next achievement. (This is when my amazing husband, Doug, starts sweating a little.)


But let me take a minute and explain something about creative achievers like myself. It isn’t necessarily about beating you; it’s about doing something challenging and proving that we can do it. It’s about paving the way, finding something new, mastering it, and then finding another thing and starting the process over. It can overwhelm people created to be more stable in their interests and pursuits.


So here I am, ready for the next challenge. I’m not sure what exactly that means for my career. Right now, I’m finishing the last chapter of my dissertation while the rest of it sits at Quality Control. Then my dissertation committee members 2 and 3 will require edits and additions. I’ll do those and then defend! Such exciting times.

I’m also working full time and teaching 6 hours this fall. That puts me at a 150% load (which Doug said was about right for me…).

All that to say, it’s time to start planning the next challenge. I think I’m ready to shift back into running goals. After the last few years of research and writing, I need a physical challenge to shake the dust off.

I downloaded a training plan for running a faster 1/2 marathon.

I start tomorrow.

me as a young child with an electric train
me at 10 with my requested Christmas gift. A typewriter.

And for you parents out there with Creative Achievers..

Give your kids something to accomplish. Make it hard, but make it attainable.

Here are some things that I have loved:

  • Legos and building sets.
  • Puzzles. Progressively harder with more pieces.
  • Rubik’s Cube. Teach them that it isn’t a mystery, but an algorithm to learn and use.
  • Physics challenges. Like building paper bridges and egg drops.
  • Physical challenges. Running, plank hold, burpees, swimming. Anything that is timed and an individual time/number to beat.

Why am I saying this now? Because if you don’t give us something to focus on, to fix, to figure out.. we will DRIVE you crazy. I get up at 4:30am to run, so that I can be worn out before I go to work. I know myself. But it has taken a lot of years to get to this point.

In the in-betweens and finding myself in the wildflowers

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The In-Betweens

I’m sitting in the in-betweens. It’s not an easy place for me. I like strategy and goals and things to accomplish. The in-betweens is really hard. It’s an important place to sit and ponder, but by no means is it a comfortable place for me.

What is the in-betweens for me? It’s that messy middle where things seem to plod along like a toddler who doesn’t want to go to bed but isn’t outright defying you. This child makes a 5-minute process take 2 hours and everyone is in misery for it. Well, that’s my mental state right now. Life is the toddler and I’m in misery and just want to go to bed.

Why? Well…

I’m writing my dissertation for my Ph.D. Chapters 1-3 are complete and turned in. But I can’t move on to Chapter 4 until I get my data collected. I can’t do anything but wait.

I’m waiting for responses to my survey. If any of the world out there reads this and is a current or former Texas high school UIL One-Act play director, I DESPERATELY need your feedback.

Here is the link to the form.

Image of Consent and link
Image of Consent and link
Image of Consent and link
Image of Consent and link

Finding Myself in the Wildflowers

I have always loved wildflowers. I love the scrappy flowers that come up between cracks in the pavement. I love the flowers that bloom despite being forgotten. I love the thorny, prickly, rough around the-edges flowers that live in pastures and on the side of the road.

This is how I see myself. I’ve never been polished, nor do I expect to be so. I’ve always felt a little too this or too that or too something else. I realize that we all feel that way. I’m just willing to say it out loud.

Anyway, our team at work is doing a book study called “What I wish I knew before becoming an instructional designer” by Dr. Luke Hobson. As part of the study, we created our visual journey of how we arrived at the team. The artwork below is my representation. I wrote my story that went with it, but for the sake of this post, I’ll spare you. 🙂

Bottom line, I’m holding wildflowers that I have gathered along the way. Different flowers represent different points in my life. As do the clouds, water, and valley in the background.

So there you have it. I’m living and learning within the in-betweens.

I can’t wait to get those survey results in and move forward.

My focus for 2022

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I miss blogging. I miss journalling my thoughts and getting feedback on them. But at this point in my life, it’s just not a realistic expectation for myself.

Maybe in June 2023. Why then? Because I am on track to graduate with my PhD in May of 2023. But I have to write my dissertation first!

So while I may want to blog, I’m taking that expectation off of my list this year. And it’s a relief.

But for those of you out in the online world interested, here is my vision/focus board for the year.

I can’t wait to report back.. at some point.. on the adventures.

Emily

Don’t Give Up On Yourself

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Over the years, I’ve realized that one of my best traits is that I don’t give up. I don’t give up on others, and I don’t give up on myself. I don’t expect things to be easy or fast. Instead, I keep on at it. If slow and steady wins the race, then I will be right there in front of the pack when the finish line comes in sight.

Me in a bathing suit on the beach.

As the early days of June have already slipped by and my Facebook memories show me that I didn’t do my almost annual “this is where I am at” update, I figure it is time. Just so I can see next year where I was this year! So here it is.

I’m still a work in progress. I don’t expect to stop working on healthy eating choices, keeping active, and finding balance in life. I’m quite happy that I can say that I’m mentally and physically in a better place this June than last June.

From June 2020 to today, I logged just over 700 miles of activity. This is low for me, but I’m getting my sea legs back. I’ve learned over the last year and a half that I can’t run two days back to back anymore and that walking on non-running days still helps me mentally prepare for the day, so I need to just get out there and do it!

One of the things I am most proud of is that today, June 9, 2021 I ran 3.5 miles at a 10:48 pace. I have STRUGGLED to get back to under eleven minutes a mile. I like to beat myself up for not being able to run consistent ten minute miles anymore. I have to remind myself that I’m older, have had more than a handful of stress fractures in my left foot and have had left hip surgery. I am human. But giving myself grace has never been my strong suit.

Anyway.

My prayer for this next calendar year is to embrace where I am more freely.

I want to log 1000 miles of activity. I need to add cycling and rowing back into my workouts. I’m hopeful to be able to swim laps in the near future. I enjoy all types of activity. I just need to do them!

And as for food. It’s a constant battle. I gain and lose the same ten (or 20 pounds) over and over again. But I’m not giving up. I would rather fight the same pounds than give up and start a new fight. 🙂

The difference this June is that I don’t have a target weight. My goals have changed from a certain number on the scale to feeling comfortable in my skin. I want to eat well so that I feel well.

I also want to be able to wear the clothes that I own and like the way I look in them. That was a huge motivator for me back in January when I realized that I had allowed Dr. Pepper and fast food to once again begin the takeover of my closet and hips. No more.

Well.. the Dr. Pepper is a current battle. I went for a decade without one. Then in June of 2019, I had one and the addiction came back strong. I kept it at bay with a soda just here and there for months. Then it became a couple a week, and then it was like hell, we are living through a pandemic, just drink the Dr. Pepper if it makes you happy.

And so, now I’m back to having to reframe my mind about sodas again.

UGH.

Finally, if you weren’t around in 2012 when I decided that my health and state of mind had to be priorities, here is a glimpse into the last almost decade of Emily.

That is pretty motivating to me.

I can’t wait to see what June 2022 brings.

Do you frustrate, participate or initiate?

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what type of person are you?

What type of person are you?
When change is needed, do you frustrate, participate or initiate?


Today as I was taking care of an issue that needed to be addressed, I had a realization that there are a ton of small things that I take care of daily just because they need to get done. Some things are mundane household things, some items are work-related, and some are quality of life issues.


But it hit me. I don’t think “most” people take the initiative to make changes.

And so I’ve been pondering. Why do I initiate changes when others find their place in participating in transition and others even in frustrating the process of change. I’m not throwing stones at those that hinder the process. I know that I need people to say. WAIT. Have you thought this through? Have you figured out if this will work? Do you know what the cost is?

I have to say that I often give a side-ways glance at the potential pitfalls, but I’m a gung-ho, let’s move ahead kind of person. You know, the kind of person that initiates things. 🙂

I’d be interested in knowing where your sweet spot is and why.