Exemplary Leadership Essay 3h2t60

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP: BUSINESS VS. EDUCATIONAL

Exemplary Leadership: Business vs. Educational Joy Taylor Educational Leadership: Educ. 515 May 31, 2015 Professor Rodrigues Concordia University Irvine School of Education

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Exemplary Leadership: Business VS. Educational There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded. –Mark Twain. Two very accomplished figures who belong to this “less crowded” group are seasoned leaders United States Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander, John R. Taylor, and fourth grade teacher and parttime principal of Charles E. Teach Elementary School in San Luis Obispo, CA, Guy Crabb. In his 27 years in the Coast Guard, LCDR Taylor has received four Commendation Medals, two Achievement Medals and three Letter of Commendation Ribbons. Throughout Principal Guy Crabb’s decades of educational leadership experience, he has not only written and published four books, he was also selected as San Luis Coastal Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year in 2006. He is known for his innovative ideas and having the ability to motivate young students to “think outside the box.” Both of these ired leaders believe that leadership is not about the leader, but about helping those they serve. LCDR Taylor and Principal Crabb have an abundance of the characteristics that describe what make up an exemplary leader, among those is selflessness and charisma. In order to make a positive impact on their constituents, LCDR Taylor explains the importance of being positive and “going the extra mile,” and Mr. Crabb says that teaching important values and being sensitive to a student’s needs are necessary. Though both of these leaders are from different fields of work, business and education, they have similar views on what it takes to lead effectively. LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb believe that one of the most important things a leader must do is to maintain their integrity, health and motivation to fulfill their leadership duty. LCDR John Taylor and teacher/principal Guy Crabb are examples of leadership that professionals in the educational field must mirror in order to provide the

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direction, and encouragement that young people need to be successful now and in the future. After interviewing LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb, it is clear they both have a ion to make it possible for those they lead to be successful. When I first spoke with LCDR Taylor over the phone, I asked him what his philosophy on leadership is; he quickly replied, “Leadership is not about title, position, prestige or privilege. It's certainly not about you at all. Being a leader is about being a servant, and serving and investing in the success of others!” He went on to say that a leader is a servant who ensures his people have the tools and training to get their job done effectively. From hearing his strongly stated assertions, his voice shared a heartfelt conviction of what it has taken him to truly lead others for over twenty years. It is evident LCDR Taylor has experienced the power of investing his time and energy in helping others become the best they can be. On the same note, as I interviewed Mr. Crabb in his classroom, he explained that an exceptional leader is one who is there for his/her constituents to give them guidance in making the best decisions, for answering questions, to look to as a positive role model, to share his/her challenges in order to inspire others to persevere through all the difficult situations life has to bring and to build confidence through challenging his/her constituents. Aside from Mr. Crabb’s strong reputation of a great role model and leader in the classroom, to validate he exemplifies his definition even further, Mr. Crabb shared a story about a former ELA student he once had. This third grade student came to his class without any English language skills and without a decent pair of shoes on her feet. He saw to her immediate needs and supplied her with a pair of shoes. Throughout the year he focused a lot of his time to help this student learn English and become a part of her new classroom community. Years later as he was strolling through town, a man ran up to him and hugged him as he cried. This strange man explained to him that he was this

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student’s father and expressed great gratitude for the way he had helped his daughter to succeed during that time. As Mr. Crabb described this event, he too had tears in his eyes, and explained that this is one reason he loves his job. Both LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb show that above all else, being a leader is being a servant to those they have the privilege to oversee. Both LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb have the characteristics of what it takes to be a good leader. The famous book The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations by Kouzes and Posner explains that a good leader must model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and encourage the heart. Mr. Crabb “models the way” by sharing his values through stories from his own past and what he has learned from his experiences, thus allowing others to trust and relate to him. As a leader, one must also affirm the shared values of the group (Kouzes & Posner, 16). LCDR Taylor explains his ability to do this as he practices “having a giving spirit, being selfless, helpful and genuinely happy for the success of others.” This kind of example sets the stage for an ideal working environment on both ends. Kouzes and Posner explain that in order to inspire a shared vision among constituents one must first enlist them. In order to “enlist others” to follow the lead, an important trait to have is charisma. Charisma is the ability to display animation through adding emotion, fast movement and speech to a story or lesson. According to Kouzes and Posner, “emotionally significant events create stronger, longer-lasting memories” (147). Mr. Crabb fills his daily lessons with animated stories that the students love to hear and retell once they get home to their families. Mr. Crabb explains that when he enters the classroom “it’s show-time, whether he feels like it or not.” LCDR uses his body to animate stories he tells his constituents, for example, standing up to show with his body the kind of ride he had on a huge wave he surfed. In using these strategies, these leaders are excellent at engaging others in listening and

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ing the ideas they are trying to convey. Both of these leaders behold all of the traits a good leader needs, however, one more to mention here is how LCDR Taylor “enables others to act” by listening to what they have to say and making sure he gives them what they need to get their job done successfully. Mr. Crabb believes in the importance of being attentive to body language and the emotional needs of his students. By giving constituents the tools they need to get the job done, emotionally or physically, these leaders obtain success on both ends. The notable traits of these great leaders go beyond what has been mentioned here, but they would fill an entire book. Being positive and teaching important values are among the strategies used to make a positive impact on those they lead according to LCDR Taylor and Principal Crabb. LCDR Taylor explains how he models a positive, helpful and giving attitude. Equally important is his example of working hard, or “going the extra mile.” LCDR Taylor is known for going above and beyond to make sure he has completed his tasks at-hand. One more strategy that he stresses is that “a leader makes you feel important, not the other way around. A leader looks to help others succeed, not himself.” Mr. Crabb shared that in order to have a positive influence on his students he shares important values through story-telling, especially stressing the importance of family. He demands good manners and he encourages direct eye- to encourage good communication skills to name a few. He believes that making sure he uses his ability to observe how students are doing emotionally is very important so he can adjust circumstances to foster their well-being. With the strategies used by these great leaders to make a positive impact, their people will benefit from them for years to come. Even though these leaders come from different fields of work, their views on effective leadership nearly identical. The “bottom-line” for each of them is that a leader is there to serve

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others. The quote that LCDR Taylor lives by is, “When I talk to managers I get the feeling that they are important, when I talk to leaders I get the feeling that I am important.” Both LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb agree that leading is about making their constituents successful by attending to their needs, giving them the tools necessary to succeed and by giving them the belief that they are important so they can go through life as confident achievers. These “great servants” also agree that it is imperative to maintain their integrity, health and motivation to fulfill their leadership duty. Both men believe they must stay loyal to what they believe in even if it means upsetting others. A good leader cannot stay quiet if something is not right according to Mr. Crabb. Mr. Crabb believes that being honest is the only way to live and he will not compromise that even when others urge him to “let things slide.” Mr. Crabb also explained his dedication to maintaining his health in order to be an efficient leader. He does not drink coffee, he never skips breakfast, he takes his vitamins and does not eat too much sugar. LCDR Taylor writes, “It is a difficult job to be a leader, but equally rewarding. So to stay healthy and balanced in the midst of pouring out your energy, you must ensure your workload does not exceed your capacity…you must eat very healthy, get plenty of sleep and work out your body on a regular basis.” He also explains the importance of taking time off to “decompress and recharge.” When asked about motivation, LCDR Taylor explains that when a leader does not take care of him or herself, he/she can “burn-out” and be ineffective. To have motivation, good health is “a must.” Furthermore, Mr. Crabb explains that it is his love for his job that motivates him. He says that if one loses the ion to lead, they need to find something else to do. In conclusion, LCDR John Taylor and Teacher/Principal Guy Crabb are ideal role models for what it takes to be a great leader. If educators throughout the U. S. had a servant’s heart, displayed the characteristics and used the strategies of these two men, our countries future would

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be bright. When exemplary leader UCLA Professor and Coach John Wooden explained in a TED Talk the difference between winning and succeeding, he mentioned a quote he heard once that made him a better person and leader: “No written word, no spoken plea can teach our youth what they should be, nor all the books that are on the shelves, it’s what the teachers are themselves.” (Ted Conferences, LLC. 2001). If schools adopt this philosophy, and istrations help make every teacher a leader that displays the qualities that LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb behold, their students would not only truly enjoy school, but they would thrive because of it. It would be wonderful if U.S. schools could challenge Mark Twain’s quote that introduced this essay, and say instead that our schools are completely made up of accomplished teachers who are ionate about preparing students for success and are trained in the ways that allow them to lead students to that place. In light of all the awards, credit, and triumphs LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb have accrued, it is clear that they strongly feel that of all their triumphs, the most important, meaningful and fulfilling accomplishment they have achieved is the positive influence that their leadership has had on their employees, students, peers, children and all the others with whom they have crossed paths.

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Works Cited

Crabb, G. (2015, May 26). Personal Interview. Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge Fifth Edition: How To Make

Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. Jossey-Bass.

Taylor, LCDR J. R. (2015, May 27). Phone and email interview. Conferences, LLC. (Producer). (February, 2001). John Wooden: The Difference Between Winning

and Succeeding [Video File]. Retrieved from

http://www.ted.com/talks/john_wooden_on_the_difference_between_winning_and_su ccess. Twain, Mark. (Quote). http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ m/marktwain393535html#SqqE4xFVHMAd2wyl.99. May 27, 2015.