Lead By Example

November 17, 2015 by Susan Wing in Leadership Lessons, Points to Ponder

"Actions Speak Louder Than Words"

How often have we heard that kids will listen to what you say, but will do what they see you do? People that we lead may hear what we say and ask, but will model their actions based on what they see from us. Leaders are often told to lead by example, but what does that really mean? As a parent, teacher and leader, I have always tried to lead by example, but must admit that at times I have been guilty of not taking the time to set up the path to success.

As a parent, I told my children numerous times, “Go clean your room…”
As a teacher, I told my students numerous times, “Study for your test…”
As a principal, I told my teachers numerous times, “Do what is best for your students…”

While all of these are good statements, taking the statement and providing concrete ways to success makes the difference in being an effective leader as opposed to an instruction giver. I happened to see a real life example of leadership in action last week while visiting Disneyworld.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

September 09, 2015 by Susan Wing in Leadership, Simple Stories

On a recent trip, I was reminded of the importance of being willing to step out of your comfort zone. As a leader, a teacher, in your profession or in your personal life, growth will not occur unless you are willing to step out of your comfort zone.

I accompanied my husband on a business trip and since we were going to be close to Zion National Park, I planned a day trip there so he could see the magnificence of the park. It had been twenty-three years since I had been to Zion and I was excited to share the wonder of the park with him. I mentioned to my brother that we were going to be there and he said, “Are you going to do the Angel’s Landing hike? That’s supposed to be ‘the’ hike to take in Zion.” That’s when I began to do some research…and decided to step out of my comfort zone.

There were a couple of things that occurred to me as we made this hike. The first was that I must have been a fool to think that I could accomplish this hike! We were obviously twenty to thirty years older than most everyone else on the trail. The trail description was strenuous – that doesn’t match my ability. The young people who were coming down as we were going up all had red faces and looked worn out. We had previously decided that we would take the hike slow and easy, stop when we needed rest and see if we could conquer this “strenuous” hike. We were definitely stepping out of our comfort zone!

When stepping out of your comfort zone, the following thoughts come to mind:

Appreciate Who You Are

August 25, 2015 by Susan Wing in Leadership Lessons

With all of the students returning to college, I began to reflect on that amazing time of my life. It was the fall of 1976 and I was seventeen years old when my parents dropped me off at Georgia Southern. I don’t know if they cried or not on the way back home, but I was elated to be off and on my own! As the daughter of a preacher, I had been raised in a fairly strict environment and I loved the new experience of walking out of my dorm and not having to respond to those questions I had become so accustomed to… “Where are you going? Who are you going with? What time will you be back?” Obviously, as I became a parent myself, I learned to appreciate those questions as they were really parental efforts to keep me safe from the dangers of the world, but at the time - not so much.

What I loved most about college was that I began to learn more about myself and began a journey of appreciating who I was without feeling the need to change in order to please someone else. Here are a few of the things that I learned about myself early on:

Lead By Example

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Appreciate Who You Are

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