Quarterly Newsletters 15/16 First Quarter

President’s Perspective

Ethical Leadership

For the past several months, I have been involved in many conversations where the primary topic has revolved around the concept of “legacy.” If you do a Google search on the word legacy, you will probably get a list of obituaries. Skip past those because we are not looking that far down the road. Legacy is loosely defined as something that is left behind when you are gone. Have you ever thought about what your professional legacy will be? What do you want your legacy to be?

If we were to do a survey of the people in your district and/or community, how would they describe you? I know that depends on who you ask. Many times the only person that will speak highly of me is my Momma but that is a requirement of the “Momma code of ethics”. Let’s get past all the little affectionate pet names we get called like “cheap-%&$ dude in Finance” or “chintzy” (that’s one of my favorites). What is the legacy, or reputation, we leave behind? Are we going to leave a legacy we are proud of; and what actions do we take today to leave a positive legacy? For me, when I decide to hang up the old calculator, I want to be regarded as an ethical leader. I know that I will never live down the perception by some as being the “cheap so and so in the corner” but when you get beyond all the affectionate pet names, I want to be remembered as an ethical leader. If I want to be revered as an ethical leader, what am I doing to demonstrate the behavior and the characteristics for which I want to be remembered?

What is leadership? Sir Edmond Burke, the Irish Statesman, political theorist and philosopher said, “The great difference between the real leader and a pretender is that one sees into the future, while the other regards only the present; the one lives by the day, and acts upon expediency; the other acts on enduring principles and for the immortality.” What are the characteristics of a leader? The list may include vision, honesty, ambition, courage, discipline, responsible, determined, strong work ethic, good judgment, learns from mistakes, humble, does the research, exceeds expectations and faith. These characteristics could also be called core values. Would you agree that Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, Adolph Hitler, Martin Luther King, Jr., Benito Mussolini, Mao Ze-dong, Ronald Reagan and Billy Graham are all leaders? Just the mention of each of these leaders conjures up either a positive or negative connotation. However, each of these leaders are remembered (their legacy) for the core values that they demonstrated over their career or lifetime.

The first characteristic of a leader listed is vision. Psychology Today defines vision as the optimal desired future state (the mental picture) of what an organization wants to achieve over time. A leader’s personal vision cannot be contrary to the sum of their personal beliefs for “a house divided cannot stand.”

How is legacy defined? Your legacy is, and will be, defined by your personal vision and the core values you exhibit. So, what do you want your legacy to be?

Inside the Issue

President's Perspective ..................... 1

Executive Director's Message .......... 3

Fall Conf. Update ................................ 4

Fall Conf Mobile Webpage ............... 5

2015 Boot Camp ................................. 6

Reion IV New Board Member ........... 7

As Goes the West, Poms & Assoc .... 9

Social Responsibility Campaign ... 10

2015-2016 Budget Highlights ...... 12

ASBO Intl Annual Meeting .............. 13

School Business Daily ..................... 15