My Leadership Journey: A Simple Thought in a Complicated World

I am not a politician, nor do I enjoy politics; however, several recent events occurring in our country have saddened me. The actions in Charlottesville, Virginia last week are contrary to the vision of the many great leaders in our country. Unfortunately, the actions in Virginia revealed an undercurrent of tension that has existed in not only our country - but our world - for quite some time.

It saddens me that we value or devalue human worth, based upon the superficial characteristics of gender, race, religion, culture, and sexual orientation - to say a few. We are all humans. We all have value. Perhaps, our nation, our world, and our leaders need to look at life through the eyes of our children.

Although I have been a secondary teacher most of my career, I have recently been given the privilege of working at an elementary school. The children have taught me so much about leadership and what it means to be an effective leader.

When I look through the eyes of our students, I see what life is all about:

  • I see students who are willing to sacrifice and share with another person because the other person does not have food, drink, or even a crayons.
  • I see diverse groups of children befriending and playing with each other on a playground.
  • I see best-friends who look, act, and come from entirely different backgrounds. 
  • I see smiles and wonder.
  • I hear encouraging words between students of different genders and races.
  • I hear the words "I am sorry" when someone is wrong.
  • I feel the embrace of a child, who wants to show that they care.
  • I feel the definition of true love. 
When I look into the eyes of our students and my own children, I am encouraged that love still exists. I am still encouraged that children see value in others beyond the superficial definitions of human value or devalue - mostly created by adults. 

Regardless of your stance, perhaps you may agree that we all need to take a step back for a moment and see the world through our children's eyes.  Perhaps we would see that we may need to change our actions, words, and thoughts. Perhaps, we may even need to change how we value others. 

It's just a thought - a very simple thought - in such a noisy and complicated world. 



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