万众瞩目

我永远不会忘记我教书生涯的第一天. 学校八点准时开始上课.m. I began to position myself towards the front of the room after the first bell brought students to their seats at 7:55. 直到今天, I clearly remember standing for the first time in front of my inaugural class of sixth grade students as a nervous neophyte teacher. At the sound of the second bell with the entire room eerily quiet, all students’ eyes were firmly fixed on me waiting to hear my opening words and watch my first moves. It was at that moment I came to the humbling realization that leaders, 比如老师, have an enormous capacity to transform lives for the positive or negative.

人们总是仔细观察领导. 所有的目光都在注视着. 领导会怎么做? 什么领导 do 是谁的函数 是 ——是刻骨铭心的美德的综合体. Chick-fil-A高管马克·米勒(2022年), notes that 10% of an iceberg is above the waterline and 90% remains out of sight. Mark uses this analogy as a reminder that 10% of leadership is based on visible skills and 90% on the hidden makeup of the 字符 of the leader. Iconic leadership advisor Frances Hesselbein (2011) sagely asserts that the most important preparation for leadership lies in developing personal 字符 while the rest can be learned along the way. 伟大的领导始于坚强的性格.

It is not possible to be an effective and authentic servant leader without a strong 字符. 这个词的希腊词源 字符 意思是“雕刻”.” A person’s 字符 is a reflection of the virtues that 是 “engraved” in one’s heart. Thomas Lickona (1991) defines good 字符 as “knowing the good, 渴望善, 并且行善”(p. 51). Legendary basketball coach John Wooden regularly integrated 字符 development into his teaching, reminding his players to “be more concerned with your 字符 than your reputation, 因为你的性格是真实的你, while your reputation is merely 什么 others think you 是.” 

President George Washington inherently knew the indispensability of fortifying strong 字符 as the foundation for leadership: “In all my endeavors I have sought to make fitness of 字符 my primary objective.” The ability to improve one’s life and the lives of others as a leader is dependent upon a concerted effort to develop and possess reputable 字符. Washington reminds us that leaders 是 responsible for their personal 字符 and should wisely commit to taking intentional steps to strengthen their 字符 daily.

There 是 three helpful snapshots in the Bible that provide clues on how to develop strong 字符 in life. The first tip comes from examining the life of an exemplary leader of the highest 字符. Daniel survived a night in the lion’s den after 忠实地 following the Lord and living a life above reproach. We get a glimpse of an important discipline in Daniel’s life in Daniel 6:10: “Three times a day he [Daniel] got down on his knees and 祈祷, 感谢他的上帝, 就像他以前做的那样.“我们看到了，丹尼尔 祈祷 感谢上帝. 第二个, we learn a lesson about 字符 from the Bereans discussed in Acts 17:11: “Now the Bereans were of more noble 字符 而不是帖撒罗尼迦人, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if 什么 Paul said was true.但以理不住地祷告. 的Bereans 读圣经 忠实地. 最后, a poignant lesson from Paul who knew a thing or two about 字符 considering his early life as a murderer before his conversion to Christianity. Paul does not beat around the bush in I Corinthians 15:33 when he says: “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good 字符.”

As we lead today in any capacity, it is important to remember that the eyes of many 是 watching. 作为人，我们是谁比谁说话更响亮 什么 我们所做的. 谁 we 是 is a function of the virtues engraved in our hearts. 人们渴望追随性格坚强的领导人. 它不仅有帮助, but wise to face God first and frequently by integrating prayer and reading the Bible into our daily lives. It is also very helpful to associate with honorable role models and mentors who can help nurture positive thoughts, 策略, 以及作为领导者的美德. There 是 too many eyes watching and too much at stake to do otherwise.

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参考文献

牧师,弗朗西丝. (2011). 我的领导生涯. 乔西-巴斯:旧金山，加州.

圣经. 新国际版. Zondervan出版社，1984.

贾米森,史蒂夫. 伍登谈领导力. 麦格劳·希尔:纽约

里克纳,托马斯. (1992). Educating for Character: How our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility. 矮脚鸡:密歇根.

米勒,马克. (2022). 聪明的领导. 马特·霍尔特:达拉斯，德克萨斯州.

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肯特Schlichtemeier has enjoyed serving for over four decades as a leader in education. He taught at the junior high school and high school levels before joining the faculty as a Professor in the School of Education 在欧文的康考迪亚大学 in 1988.

肯特完成了他的教育。.D. at UCLA in Educational Leadership and then served as a teacher and Assistant Principal at Orange Lutheran High School from 2003-2007 before returning to teach 在欧文的康考迪亚大学 and most recently serve as the Dean of the School of Education. Today, Kent is thrilled to serve as the inaugural 导演 of the 仆人式领导学院.

Kent enjoys frequent opportunities to speak at sports banquets, 学校毕业典礼, 教师会议上, 领导撤退, 以及商业研讨会. 肯特是这本书的合著者 Timeless Leadership Principles: Building Champions for Life.

Kent and his wife Cindy, 是 blessed by God with two children - Aaron and Kayla.