Last night’s family poem came from Roger McGough:
The Leader
I wanna be the leader.
I wanna be the leader.
Can I be the leader?
Can I? I can?
Promise? Promise?
Yippee, I’m the leader
I’m the leaderOK, what shall we do?
Leadership means saying “Yes.” It means taking on extra duty and making actual decisions. It’s deciding what to do, not waiting to be told.
It’s too easy to forget that leadership isn’t just an honor, it’s a responsibility. And real leadership means going beyond parroting another leader – it’s using your own judgement and shouldering the responsibility yourself. In schools we often appoint “leaders” who aren’t – they’re just assistants to the real leader, or amplifiers of the leader’s vision.)
Right now, choir teachers across the country are appointing section leaders for their choirs. If you’re doing that, I ask you to do these things:
- Remind them of the responsibility in leadership.
- Ask them to lead, not just be an echo of you.