Leaders

Today, eight of our colleagues are standing out. They will be presenting their procedures, products, and programs before the masses at the New York State Middle School Association’s state conference. Still another member of our faculty will be presenting at another state-level conference in about a month. They have agreed to prepare and plan, then present a usable product for other educators to learn about. They have placed countless hours before computer screens making sure every nuance of their ‘show’ is perfect. I speculate that many have also practiced their talk in front of a mirror in the attempt to gauge their timing. This is extremely stressful and I commend them for it. However, I believe the real stress comes from standing out.

Early in my career I took a graduate class from one of our favorite college professors, Harvey Smith. Harvey told me that one of the components to being a leader is the ability to take risks. I didn’t understand this at that young age, but I certainly know now. In the various positions I’ve held throughout my career I’ve had to place myself on the front lines and stand out for one concern or another. There is a risk to leadership. Criticism and possible ridicule is always a hazard for those that stand out. Is this a reason not to stand out and stay in the shadow of conformity and capitulation?

There are both professional and personal rewards to placing yourself in a leadership position. Our nine colleagues will experience these rewards, most likely after their presentations; they will sense the professional and personal satisfaction that comes from standing out. AAK is looked at as being a leader in the forefront of middle-level education and these nine leaders confirm our standing as a School to Watch. Through the frustration of being a presenter, the rush of time since they agreed to placing themselves up on stage, and concern over leaving their class and finding the “right” outfit – they’ve come to understand that leaders don’t always have an easy path. Our nine colleagues are voluntarily placing themselves in positions of leadership.

AAK has experienced success in many areas. None of this would be possible without people voluntarily standing out. On Thursday I checked into this hotel I now write from. The desk clerk greeted me with a smile and asked me how my trip was. This clerk was a leader in his own right and made an impact on me. I felt that this person really cared about me and about placing the “best foot forward.” He stood out. As I walked away with a smile I thought about all the little tasks people do that make an impact on others. I thought about my dad telling me that a job worth doing was worth doing well. Our nine colleagues have decided to stand out and make a difference in other middle schools by telling them what we do well.

AAK can be proud of Doug, Randy, Corey, Denielle, Tommy, Mary, Kristen, Carol, and Chrystal. It’s never easy to stand out as leaders. We’re fortunate to have these professionals a part of our work family. We can take a lesson from them and stand out in our own ways.

Have a great weekend!