Leadership

Now that I'm officially a teacher/leader in a few capacities (to ESL students, to those looking to accomplish their fitness goals, and with my Big Brother/Little Brother match, Manny), I find myself thinking more and more about what makes a good teacher/leader and trying to improve. Books have been written about the subject, it has been researched thoroughly, and one can easily take a scientific/research-based view about what makes good leadership. I'm not going to do that today.

I have read a book or two (John Wooden's "On Leadership" was fantastic), but I'm no scholar. I'm merely an amateur when it comes to the powers of leadership. My research credentials are non-existent. However, despite my lack of true cache when it comes to the subject, I do have an opinion on a few things that make a good leader ...

A leader is passionate. Passion means creativity, dedication, optimism, educated thought and unbridled motivational energy. Students of any type feed directly off of the aura that emanates from the person in front of them, which makes apathy so problematic for leaders. It is the most contagious disease known to man and one of the easiest to contract. This is why, every day, I try and make it a point to think about the people on "the other side of the desk/gym," and how they will perceive me that day. If I'm not making them excited about what I'm teaching, I'm failing as a leader. It's as simple as that.

A leader is educated. It sounds simple, but I think plenty of us know people out there who are "leading" (sales teams, marketing departments, 4th grade classrooms, etc.) that don't really know things as well as they should when it comes to helping their constituents learn how to do whatever it is that they do. The key with this is not to know everything, all the time, but to always be LEARNING as a leader. Another common disease when it comes to people in a leadership position is the contention that merely having the position of pseudo-authority makes them omnipotent and, therefore, superior. It's bullshit. If a teacher isn't constantly learning from students, peers and any other resource out there, they're not truly leading (or at least not as well as they could). Study, listen, write, communicate; do anything that keeps you in touch with educated opinions.

A leader is fair. It's nearly impossible not to play favorites, but one really has to try when in front of a group, because once the perception of bias or favoritism permeates a collection of people, you've lost them. Look everyone in the eye. Wait for the slow people and encourage the fast ones. Make everyone feel that they are on the same level. Challenge everyone, at every point, in a way that makes them feel safe and motivated. This is perhaps the hardest part of teaching - customizing the approach in a way that "teaches" each person in the way best suited to them. But it is also the most rewarding and effective. The time you spend to get to know the person behind the student, the attitude, the life experiences, the better rapport/trust you'll build.

A leader is honest. For the longest time, this was something in which I thought I excelled, but it was really a facade I had up because I was uncomfortable with who I was, my direction in life and many other things swirling around my head. I am proud to say that is no longer the case. It took a lot of introspection, a career shift, the good fortune to find someone who truly understands me, some watershed "I don't give a crap I'm going to quit ... wait, I don't want to quit because that's weak ... I'm going to work hard and push through," moments, and the realization that  honesty is not a quality or a personality trait to get me there. Honesty is a way of life. It plays into leadership in the most fundamental way - if you don't communicate desires, expectations, frustrations and obligations directly and honestly, no student/co-worker/mentee can or will ever learn from you.

Finally--although I could go on--a leader is engaged. A favorite Chinese proverb says "tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand." What many leaders fail to grasp is that this concept only works if it is engaged on both sides of the student/leader relationship. Being engaged  - empathetic, active, motivational, constructionally critical, etc. - allows for the galvanization of the student/leader bond and for that process of perpetually continuing education that I talked about earlier. I try and get in there and do the exercises with my clients, use real life experiences to illustrate grammar lessons and drive home learning moments through personal experience when I'm talking to my little brother Manny. Because if I'm a part of it, I'm learning from it, and the recipient of my "leadership" is much more likely to feel the benefit and my passion, which leads to more trust, retention and positive results (whatever they may be).

Again, I'm no expert. I don't have decades of experience leading. What I do have is a strong desire to be a positive force in peoples' lives, in whatever way possible. To do that, I will need to lead in one way or another, and to do that, I have to be sure I'm always aware of how to get better. Thank you for helping me do that by reading what I have to say.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on leadership. What makes a good leader? Who stands out in your mind as a person to whom to look up? How do you lead in your everyday life?