It Doesn't Take Any Ability to Put Forth Great Effort

 

        One of the things I've always thought in any type of leadership is that it's our job to bring out the best in everyone we work with and every school/team we are blessed to be a part of.  As we were riding the other night, I was talking with my wife about the what I hoped people would say about me when I'm not on the face of this earth anymore and what I hoped I would be able to tell the Lord when it's my time.  I was reminded of Chadwick Boseman's acceptance speech when he received his most prestigious award  when he said "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."  What a profound mindset and attitude!  Wouldn't it be awesome to be able to be able to honestly say that?  

        I've had the blessing to work in multiple states, at multiple schools, with several teaching staffs, to teach and coach for over a decade, and so many opportunities to have a positive impact on student's and teacher's lives.  I remember at my first school as a principal when one of the teachers asked when was going to take a break because I worked late everyday, weekends, nights, and then would do paperwork late into the night so that I could devote more time to trying to improve instruction all day at school.....my response was that I'd rest when we reach our goal and we were a school of excellence that reached ALL students and made a positive impact on the lives of ALL students.  I've always thought that people that I worked with should do the same, but I know that burned them out....to which I said they didn't have the heart and drive to be able to push past weakness and endure to the end to be successful.  When your "why" is big enough, it'll get you to a level you didn't know you could reach and drive you to be successful.  The biggest part of our job is working with people and helping them to be their best.  One of the great things about being in education is that most people come to work and want to be successful and be effective at what they do.  It's our job as leaders to help them get there and be successful.  Daniel Pink said “Management isn’t about walking around and seeing if people are in their offices,” he told me. It’s about creating conditions for people to do their best work" (Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us).

        I've always thought we were doing teachers and students an injustice if we didn't have high expectations, if we didn't believe in them and that they could do more than they every thought they could, and if we didn't believe that we could help them get there and be successful.  Our "why" is what drives our motivation.  n Simon Sinek's "Start With Why", he says “A leader's job is not to do the work for others, it's to help others figure out how to do it themselves, to get things done, and to succeed beyond what they thought possible.” My "why" has always been simply to help people, for students and athletes to be better off because I was part of their life, and for schools that I was able to be a part of to improve and to continue to improve, I want to be able to look in the mirror each day of my life and know I gave each opportunity all that I had and the best that I had to offer, that every situation was left better than I found if, and that people were better off for me having been there.  I got into education to make a difference, not just a living.  If money and pay is what you're chasing, you'll never have enough of it. No matter how much you make, you're not taking any with you.  The impact you have on the lives of others carries on long past our last breath and heartbeat.  Some of us have will be able to look back and see the positive influence and impact we've had on generations to come. One of the lessons I can remember that my dad taught me was that it didn't take any ability to put forth great effort.  He always believed in giving 110% to anything you were part of work, team, family, church, etc.   In his book "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us", Daniel Pink said:  “Effort is one of the things that gives meaning to life. Effort means you care about something, that something is important to you and you are willing to work for it. It would be an impoverished existence if you were not willing to value things and commit yourself to working toward them.” 

        We have to ask ourselves certain questions as leaders:  Are we truly committed to the cause?  Did we really give everything we had to see the team be successful?  Are people better off because of our leadership?  If we left today, did we leave it better than we found it?   Did we give every single thing, there wasn't one more single thing we could've done, to see the team be successful.  If we took days off when we didn't desperately have to, if we didn't do everything to learn how to be effective at our job, if we didn't commit every bit of time needed to be successful, if we didn't improve the performance of those around us.....did we do a disservice to our opportunity for leadership?  One point Daniel Pink made was that sometimes the things we didn't do matter even more than the things we did.  As much as some leaders try to convince people of their commitment and work ethic, everyone knows a leader's commitment and impact.  In the end, we have to look ourselves in the mirror everyday and know deep down inside if we did everything we could for the students, families, communities, teachers, and staff that were depending on us for leadership.  It doesn't take any effort to put forth great effort, only internal drive and motivation!