This isn't going to be a long-winded blog on the qualities I look for in a leader. Because the greatest quality of leadership can be summed up in one word: servant. A true leader is willing to serve those under his/her leadership. I've seen leaders who forget this principle and ultimately lose their grip on reality, resulting in a grandiose view of themselves and a loss of respect from their subordinates. I've also experienced leaders who took this to heart and earned the respect and support of their team. It's simple, yet powerful. To lead, you must first be willing to serve.
You don't have to look very far to see the bad example of leadership. Finding a real servant-leader, that's not an every day experience. I had a principal who clearly understood that it was his job to clear the way with the community and district paper-shuffle to free up his teachers to do their job in the classroom with their students. We didn't serve him, he served us. It was amazing. Not too surprising, this elementary school was a California Blue-Ribbon winner two times in a row. Funny how that works.
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