Leading with Heart

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about individual leadership in life. Today, I want to offer a quick example of an authentic leader who inspires me at work and in life.

I'm thinking of one sunny colleague of mine who helps our campus remember the humanity of our students. She gently--but somehow implacably--nudges even the most curmudgeonly professor toward paying attention to the individual needs of each student and how their emotional-social lives affect their learning and academic outcomes. People sometimes mistake her kindness for being a pushover. They are very wrong; she has a steel core of confidence and certainty in her area of expertise.

I would trust this woman with my life. Literally. I've heard tales of her politely elbowing her way through a crowd (saying "excuse me") to administer lifesaving CPR. While maintaining her positivity, she manages risk and identifies pitfalls, quietly calls people to accountability, and always encourages the heart. If you've ever read Kouzes & Pozner or encountered their conceptualization of leadership, you have a sense of the leadership style she embodies.

I wish I did it half so well.