Lessons of Leadership

Last night (October 7), we talked a bit about various leadership models, and they presented a pretty structured research-based view of leadership. However, there are some aspects of leadership that are a bit "softer", but just as important. what follows are some of my thinking over the years about this "softer" side of leadership. My first two thoughts are posted here. I'll have others in subsequent blogs.




1. "Always come home with what 'brung' you to the dance." We all came into this profesion for an assortment of reasons, many of which might seem "corny" but for many of us, our motivations ow are not much different than when we were a twenty-something. If you're still in this profession, and you're looking for even more responsibility, more opportunity to make a difference, more capacity to influence others, it's important to always remember your professional roots and where possible deepen and strengthen them. but that can't happen if you turn your back on those core motivators. Max Depree, in Leadership Jazz expressed this idea very well. He said:



“Beliefs and values are the footings on which we build answers to the questions ‘Who matters?’ and ‘What matters?’ The promises we make as leaders must resonate with our beliefs and values. Otherwise, they ring false, and people know it. In our lives as leaders, we frequently find ourselves in situations where skill and technique fail us. At times professional qualifications simply aren’t enough. We need to resort to deeper resources, resources beyond technique and the jargon of seminars, resources rooted in our beliefs and values."



2. "There is no substitute for passion." We've all experienced work where we go through the motions because we have to and we've all experienced the feelings of fulfillment we get when we do a really good job on simething that really matters deeply to us. While the word passion sometimes has a salacious connotation attached to it, being passionate about improving the learning and development of all the children in your charge is anything but salacious. Passionate leaders seem more engaged, they get other engaged, and they are relentless in their pursuit of excellence. Dr. Mary McDuffie, a one time Wachovia Principal of the Year and Northhampton County Superintendent and currently the Executive Director of NCCAT, said it well when she said: “Commitment comes from passion. In our case, passion about teaching and learning, passion about people, passion about being a part of something good.”



These are the first two. I would appreciate any comments you'd care to offer. I'll post the next blog with two more leadership lessons next week.