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My grandfather, a member of the Greatest Generation, a
veteran of two wars, retired Air Force and a top executive in two large companies
shared this with me early in my development as a leader. He said, “Son, they don’t have to like you, they
just have to work for you.”
This piece of advice has always kept me focused on what
is truly important in leadership, that the mission of the organization trumps
your need for feeling good.
I learned a lot from my grandfather. When I start to
think that I’m overwhelmed, I just remember me a plaque he kept on the wall. In
formal and fancy script it read, “When you are up to your ass in
alligators it is difficult to remember that your primary objective is to drain
the swamp.”
If what we do everyday isn’t primarily focused on
improving the quality of instruction and increasing student performance, then
we too are being distracted by the alligators.
My grandfather gave me a gift. It was a safety net. He
and I knew that if things ever got over my head, he would bail me out. No
questions asked. I am most proud
of the gift I believe I gave him back. I never had to use the safety net.
Work
Hard. Be Responsible.
