Defining Leadership

    One of the most difficult tasks I have had in graduate school has been a recent assignment. The assignment required us to define leadership, goals, and examples of how to implement leadership. In the task remarks, my professor told us,  "It is best to try think of people who you think are leaders, and determine, from them, the characteristics that make them a good leader". A few incidents have recently occurred and gave me the idea to write this.

    Okay....So I tried to think of people who have demonstrated leadership and I can say, with all honesty, it's easier to think of people who aren't leaders, than who are leaders. Here are a few things I found to be a common theme among people I think of as "leaders":

1. I can go to you and you will help me in any way that you can, when you don't know something, you do your best to find the answer.

2. When I make a mistake, you don't criticize me, talk about me behind my back, but guide me and COACH me so that I can learn.

3.You are willing to share your knowledge of things so that I am able to become better at my job.

4. You are empathetic towards situations; you understand that things "can happen", and work with me along the way.

5. You provide certainty; I know what to expect, things aren't thrown in the loop, and I feel like I am kept in the "know".

6. I am treated as your equal, yes you might be above me in pay grade, but you do your share of the work too. You are driven to do whatever it takes to get a job done; even if it means taking out the trash.

     These are a few example of things I could come up with. I feel like, in today's society, we expect people who are new to be perfect, or have that "throw them to the wolves" persona. I've never learned anything from being thrown to the wolves or by using my fight or flight response! I learned things because people have taken the time to guide me, and when I didn't know or didn't do it correctly, they demonstrated the correct way to accomplish it. Maybe society has become too vindictive and only want to get ahead in their own life. I feel like people who are in charge, feel the need to embrace their power a little too much. That is NOT leading, that's called being an asshole! I thought this quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower hit the nail on the head, "You do not lead by hitting people over the head- that's assault, not leadership"!

  A few family members who demonstrated leadership are my parents and grandparents; they always lead and offer pathways to answers. Sometimes I chose the right one, and sometimes I didn't, but at least they made an effort.

   In my career, I felt that my clinical teacher taught me the most about leadership. I could tell that other people looked up to her for advice; she always had all of the answers! But, she guided me through my internship, she didn't expect me to be perfect or to have all of the answers. She understood that it was my first time really planning lessons and using the standard course of study. She also knew that the point of the experience was for me to grow, and she definitely helped me in every way she could!

  When I was a first year teacher, I felt that my team mates always showed leadership; and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I started teaching third grade (hahaha)! But, with their guidance and support, I grew and could eventually stand on my own two feet. We worked well, and if we had a disagreement about something; it was OKAY. It's okay to not share the same view as someone else, sometimes (in life) I feel like if I don't share the same view point,  as someone else, I'll get chastised!

  That's my take on leadership, and I wish that everyone could work the same way. Everyone in a leadership position started from scratch and had to grow as a person to become a leader; I think we forget that. And so, I leave you with this:

    "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader". —John Quincy Adams