Recently an employee in a senior leadership position at my workplace accepted a new job at a different institution. This person had accomplished many things and was an admired leader. A thank-you message to them was circulated in an e-publication, and I'm paraphrasing it below. I thought it was a powerful statement about the personal qualities we should aspire to as leaders, what do you think?

"Thank you…

• for answering the call to serve,
• for opening your door to every person and all ideas,
• for doggedly pursuing equality for all,
• for seeing good in everyone, even when they responded with incivility or hostility,
• for mustering the courage to offer solutions to challenges,
• for taking risks to advocate for the greatest good for the greatest number and for striving to mitigate harm to as many people as possible,
• for showing genuine human compassion,
• for inviting people to the table who had never before sat in such a position of influence,
• for prioritizing our care and dignity,
• for always remaining calm during so many difficult times,
• for your optimism during the most challenging times,
• for your humility and acceptance of our shortcomings,
• for your encouraging us to be aspirational, and for taking down, rather than building up, roadblocks before us,
• for your fearless leadership, guidance, and support"

 

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Alison Lemke, M.A., M.P.A., CCC-SLP, CBIS
Director of Clinical SLP Education
Associate Clinical Professor
University of Colorado-Boulder
2501 Kittredge Loop Drive/409UCB
Boulder, CO 80309
Alison.Lemke@Colorado.edu
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