In an article published this week on KevinMD, Dr. Kevin Lamb put forth his 10 commandments of a “Servant Leader.”
1. People are your most precious resource; take care of them.
2. “Clothe yourself with humility.”
3. Eat and sleep last. (Your people’s needs come before your needs.)
4. “Open wide your heart.” (Being transparent.)
5. Trust is the foundation of all relationships.
6. Make a difference each day, one life at a time.
7. Encourage, teach, and mentor every chance you can.
8. Every day is a good day, and some days are better than others. (Having a positive attitude.)
9. Listen more and talk less.
10. Learn to follow. (Much about leadership, both good and bad, can be learned in being a follower first.)
I particularly liked number ten. When leaders forget how to follow, they often lose touch with the people they are leading. Many of our governmental leaders have been in politics so long it appears they have lost touch with reality. They argue over whether a relief check should be $1,200 or $1,600, while the people who need the money the most starve.
From earliest childhood and throughout life, leaders helped shape my future. I’ve written on multiple occasions about the teachers and mentors I’ve been blessed to have had, as well as those teachers who were curses. Dr. Lamb’s ten commandments should be required reading for teachers and mentors.
While I’m on this subject, teachers should be among the highest paid professionals. Their role in society is critical and, unfortunately, often undervalued. We trust them with our children’s future. A good teacher can turn a child’s desire to learn on while a bad teacher can do the opposite, perhaps even stunting a child’s ability to learn.
I’ll end with the sixth commandment, “Make a difference each day, one life at a time.” Even if you are not a teacher or mentor, work everyday of your life to make positive differences in every interaction you have.
Now for a few jokes:
Homework is the teacher’s way of knowing how smart the parent is.
Giving your kid a recorder and telling him/her to go home and practice is the teacher’s way of getting revenge for society under paying them so much.
Teacher – There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Student – Are sharks just men dolphins?
Teacher – OK, I was wrong.
