Leading Others, Leading Ourselves

Simon Sinek, well known for his Ted Talk on finding your “why,” has this to say about leadership: “Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.” And to that, I would add: “and also taking care of yourself.”

For any of us who are in a caretaking role right now (whether as teachers caring for children and families, administrators caring for staff, or college instructors caring for students), it is crucial that we keep ourselves strong enough to provide that much-needed nurturing.

In the book, Art of Leadership: Cultivating Curriculum in Early Childhood Organizations, Elizabeth Beavers and Donna Kirkwood wrote a section called, “Be the Change You Wish to See in Your Program.” Especially right now, we all need to own our ability to be a bright spot of optimism and hope for others. What the authors wrote (pre-pandemic) about the importance of being a reflective practitioner (in whatever role we play in our organization) is perhaps more relevant now than ever.

The authors explained: “According to the literature, reflection is an ‘inner dialogue with oneself,’ in which an individual examines his or her experiences, beliefs, perceptions in a way that transforms both thinking and practices.” The tool of self-reflection can help us be better leaders – to ourselves first, and then to others.

Thank you for continuing to provide the kind of strong leadership our world needs,

Nancy Rosenow, Exchange Publisher
On behalf of the entire Exchange Team

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