“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” - Marianne Williamson
This past weekend I ran for my 11th time in the Run for the Cure … an event I see as both a celebration of life and one of loss. I have run so long mostly for a dear teacher friend who lost her battle in 2006 but fought for several years before succumbing to her disease. This year my run was even more personal… I had my team with me for strength, decked out in pink from head to toe - even my teenage boys, but my wonder-full moment came as we were driving away, I actually pulled back into the parking lot to speak to a woman I saw walking slowly to her car, a woman I had seen earlier on the run being pushed in a wheelchair by her family, I asked her if I could give her a hug – she looked like she needed one – and she did – she had just completed her Chemotherapy on Friday and was struggling to make it through the day! Amazing young woman and family! When we talked she said she was celebrating that she still had a few eyelashes left…a celebration I was able to share in with her and a week later I am still touched by her strength and her ability to, if even for a moment, celebrate her strength, her journey and share it with a stranger. We often may not even realize the moment when we have a profound impact on another person. I am often asked, “What does it take to be a leader?” I share this video: https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership?language=en Leadership isn’t merely some obscure trait you learn from a book or a graduate class, is in all of us –whether you lead with lollipops or whether you lead quietly, when we interact with each other it is not always the moments we remember that impact us but the impact we can have on others. We are all faced with moments like the one above regular basis. It is when we make the choice to act, become vulnerable, and take a chance on humanity that amazing things can happen that help shape who we become. I wonder … As we head into the Thanksgiving long weekend, In this daily busy, crazy, time … will you be able to take/make a moment to say hello or give a hug to a stranger or a student just because? Will you be a leader today? How will you share your power? How might you share some kindness? https://www.kindness.org/initiatives/66-reach-out-to-someone-special Comments are closed.
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AuthorI am a Calgary Board of Education Principal, proud to be leading learning. I am driven by curiosity and believe that each day welcomes new learning. I am passionate about intellectual engagement and task design and I treasure "wonder-filled" moments with students. Archives
July 2018
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