When you are one who aspires to be a leader, you must constantly ask yourself one central question: Why would anyone choose to follow me?
courtesy: www.chainleader.com
Rosa posed this question in a recent article entitled Should We Follow You? It’s a great question for teachers to ask as well. Students become like their teachers in many ways. In fact, I have noticed that many behavior problems are reflections of what teachers do (not that teachers are to be blamed for every discipline problem). Attend a teachers’ conference and watch.
I have noticed that teachers tend to stray off task really easily, like their children. I have watched teachers thumb through conference brochures, text others, talk to others, come in late…during a keynote presentation. I have seen them skip sessions and go shopping instead. Of course, I have seen others who are totally engaged and excited about their learning and all that is going on during the conference.
So, I have drawn a conclusion, that might be unfair in a way, I admit. When students do what they do, they might simply be reflecting their leaders. As an administrator, I observed the modeling our teachers and staff were projecting to our students. There were some great examples. I remember a radical turn around in our cafeteria. For several years, students were constantly reminded to clean their tables, put trash away, talk more softly, etc. When a change in leadership came, and higher expectations were set, reminders were rarely needed.
Bottom line, we underestimate the power of a good influence. Students learn to follow by our example of followship and lead by our example of leadership. Follow me…as I follow… Back to Rosa’s question: as a leader of children, why would they choose to follow you?
