“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” – Nelson Mandela
This quote by the late great Nelson Mandela is definitely one of my favorites. Its all about sacrifice. Many people want to lead, but do not want to sacrifice for the overall good of an organization/group. We, as education leaders, need to embed this quote into our daily actions as we lead our teachers and students.
Too often we see leaders who “want to be in the front of the picture, but turn their back when its time to develop the film.” Each day that we engage in our mission to empower our teachers and students, we need to continue to solve the problems that hinder progress. Only when the teachers and students are successful are we as education leaders successful. We must Motivate, Innovate and Create – or as I refer to it “Rock the MIC” – to keep the ship moving in the right direction.
Lastly, as education leaders we must always give credit where credit is due. Even though everything rises and falls on leadership, we have to make sure our teachers and students get the credit they deserve when necessary. This builds a culture of respect and trust in your school.. and in return people will quickly want to help others or sacrifice themselves for the cause.