8. Have Integrity
“Your measure of
character is what you say or do when no one is looking.” -Anonymous
In Stephen Covey’s book, The
8th Habit, (2004) he talks about the essential qualities of a
leader. Overwhelmingly, the number one response to his survey was integrity.
What would you say was the number one effective quality of a leader?
One significant part of our school leadership philosophy is
for students to train other students. To accomplish this, we travel through the
state to accomplish this. We surveyed over 5,000 students and significantly,
the number one important quality of a leader was “character” which translates
to Covey’s version of integrity. The other three top qualities were attitude,
confidence, and communication.
We all go through experiences that change
the way we look at the world. Unfortunately, our children do not have the
experiences or sometimes the skills to deal with difficult situations where and
when great character is essential. It is up to the adults in their lives to
relay the experiences younger people need to reach their potential. The same
concept may be true with the younger workers in your organization.
When I meet with students and visit
classrooms, I often tell the students that one of the easiest ways to lead is
by doing the right thing. An essential element of success is that positive
character be reinforced by all adults that come in contact with our students.
As adults we must display the behavior we want our children to emulate. Great
character should be displayed in all institutions.
As principal of a middle school for the
last seventeen years, I’ve had some amazing opportunities to meet well-known
people of character. These people have stamped an impression that will stay
with me forever. We had Hannah Pick, Holocaust survivor and childhood friend of
Anne Frank. We had a visit from Ruby Bridges, civil rights trailblazer and the
subject of a Norman Rockwell painting. Countless others have graced our
building with their presence including experts in almost everything. But the
most important people I’ve met at our school are the students that paint the
picture of our future.
The messages
of positive character all contain similar components. Start with yourself
before you change anything else. Be that person you want around you.
As educators, every decision we make
must be in the best interest of the students. This means sacrifice, and
sometimes it may seem like we do it at the expense of adults, but I guarantee
you in the long run it pays off. It pays off exponentially because integrity is
passed on to everyone that accepts his or her role as a leader.
Take a look at the people around you. Who
do you trust? Most likely the people you trust have the utmost integrity.
Likewise, they are the same people that build character into their lessons and
the lives of other individuals. They are the same individuals that do the right
things day in and day out. If you think being an educator is easy, then you aren’t
an educator, or you are not a very good one.
The
following letter from a parent raises the expectations of my own character.
Dr. R.,
I had to write to you and express
my feelings. I have an older child and have been through school as a parent
from elementary to college and experienced a lot of teachers and principals
along the way.
You are a unique man: The epitome
of a role model. You went above and beyond for my son. He needed your gentle
but firm guidance, you are a wonderful man. The best educator, principal, role
model I could ever want for my children. You made a difference in my son’s life
at a crucial time. He still “pushes the envelope” but he is a changes young
man. I owe that to you.
After our first encounter in 5th
grade, I told my son I was impressed by you that whatever you say goes. I
trusted you then and I still do. You are a man of character, which are few and
far between.
Thank you for being you and helping
my little boy turn into a changed young man.
You will always have a special
place in my heart because you made a difference with my son.
Belhaven is lucky to have you. I am
grateful my son had you as a principal. I feel honored to have met you, even
though sometimes during stressful times.
I tell both my children frequently
when faced with difficult decisions; what would Dr. R. do? Then proceed. My
entire family has utmost respect for you. Thank you for changing my son’s life.
You DID make a difference.
Forever Grateful, A Parent
That letter absolutely raised the bar for me and made me a
better person. I had a lot to live up to but most importantly I had to be that
person I wanted around me when I looked in the mirror. Your character becomes
you.
Things to
think about:
Sometimes it’s hard to connect. Connect anyway.
Be that person you want around you.
Never give up.
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