Educators in America and around the world face a daunting task. Educators are asked to teach every student regardless of their ability, their desire to learn, and their family or socioeconomic situation. As I am sure you are aware, education can also be one of the most rewarding careers in the world. However, in order to be a great educator you must accept the responsibility of affecting the lives of children. Last year I read Mark Sanborn's most well known book The Fred Factor. I was immediately hooked on Mark's message about having a positive impact and influence on those around you. Most importantly, Mark also firmly believes in living your life in a manner where you should "fear nothing but to waste the present moment."After the huge success and popularity of The Fred Factor, I searched for additional books written by Mark Sanborn. The book You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader immediately caught my interest purely because the title was very intriguing. Upon completion of the book, I began to think more about how every educator truly has the opportunity to be a leader in his/her own right. This is such a powerful idea when you wrap your mind around how many teachers we have in America and around the world. If every teacher truly and honestly believed they were a leader; can you imagine the worldwide impact we would have on our students?
Genuine leadership as an educator is imperative, and as educators it is our duty to make sure we are always...
- acting with purpose rather than getting bogged down by mindless activities
- caring about and listening to others
- looking for ways to encourage the contributions and development of others rather than focusing solely on personal achievements
- creating a legacy of accomplishment and contribution in everything we do
"Genuine leadership is not conferred by a title, or limited to the executive suite. Rather, it is shown through our everyday actions, and the way we influence the lives of those around us."
Please take time to reflect and think about how you live your life. Are you living a life that inspires and motivates others to reflect and think about their lives? In 1, 5 or 20 years will you regret the life you lived? Will you accept the challenge and responsibility of never wasting a moment (especially somebody else's moment)? Teachers, business men or women, nurses or any other profession...will you rise to the occasion and assume your new role as a leader?
-If you are looking for another book about every individual taking a leadership role please read Tribes by Seth Godin. As part of the book club I lead at my high school, I plan on half the group reading You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader, and the other half reading Tribes to compare the two books and their differences and similarities on leadership.
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