Leaders are Made, Not Born.

What is a leader?  What makes a leader a good leader?  Who determines who is a good leader, and who is not?  While perusing quotes about leadership, I came across a quote by John C. Maxwell.  Before I join forces in thought with Mr. Maxwell, I want to know a little more about him. Thank you, Google!  I find that John Calvin Maxwell is an American author, pastor, and a motivational speaker.   He has written quite a few books on leadership.  One book is entitled, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. 

I was drawn to this quote because this is one of my primary beliefs of being a leader.  Leaders need to experience the same responsibilities that the people they lead experience.  When I first was hired to be a media specialist at my high school, I found myself the "boss" of two aides.  I had been the "boss" of students for 24 years, but being the boss of adults is a different story altogether.  

One of my aides once told me that I was a great boss, and one of the reasons was that I pitched in and did whatever was needed to be done.  There was not a job that was above me or beneath me.  We all worked together as a team.  

Now that I have transitioned to Technology Integration Specialist, the words of this quote ring very true.  I want to be approachable, yet knowledgeable enough to be a good resource.  Staff need to know that I too use the very things that I introduce and believe to be useful.  

Good leaders are always looking to learn new things and find ways to become better leaders. Taking training classes, meeting colleagues who do the same things, and following people via social media are all good ways to see what is happening in other districts.  I believe it is important to learn as much as possible, and one of my goals whenever I take a new class is to help me become a better leader, but also to help others to lead as well.  

Always and foremost, a good leader sees strengths in her team, and then allows them to become better leaders themselves.  I am a firm believer in letting people take an active role if they are comfortable with that.  One of the things I am looking for in this course is to find the best way to gently encourage people to set forward and share what they know and use.  

There have been many leaders throughout history, some famous, but many others are infamous.  Being a strong leader isn't easy, but I am willing to put forth the effort and become the best I can be.