GOOD THINKING

9

Back to School Edition 2016

BlueRibbonNews.com

ourselves first before we can really be good 
for someone else, which is something that’s 
a bit of a challenge for educators because we 
are such servant leaders. 

What’s the last book you read that you 
found interesting?

Karen Martin wrote a book called “The 
Outstanding Organization.” There’s always 
going to be tough times in any organization, 
whether it’s a school, a business or 
corporation. What she speaks to is the 
fact that if you embrace that by working 
together to solve problems, you find better 
solutions during those tough times. 

Describe yourself in one word.

Driven. My father was a salesman for a 
wholesale grocery company, and on the 
social side it was hi fives for everyone who 
walked in. It was all about relationships – 
everybody’s important no matter who it is. 
And he would expect me to act accordingly. 
Shy wasn’t allowed; learning how to speak 
with people was. 

When I was 16 years old, I’d wake up at 
2:30 in the morning and find my mom 

studying her nursing books. She had a 
four-year nursing degree and became a 
Registered Nurse. The fact that my mom 
was up in the middle of the night studying 
while we were asleep – that she was driven 
to get her degree done, driven to be the best 
that she could be – always impressed me.

What most inspires you? 

I’m inspired most when I see great leaders 
lead during a time of difficulty. As a 
former coach, we would always say you 
can never panic in the fourth quarter. I’m 
always amazed when leaders can rise to the 
occasion during difficult times when nobody 
else could, and continue to support those 
that they could and be a voice of hope.  

Who are your heroes – people you look 
up to who have had a big impact on 
your life?

I’ve described my parents as heroes, and 
I’ve been blessed to have so many heroes 
in my life. Bob McQueen was a former 
football coach in high school, and he had 
about 24 quotes on the wall if I remember 
right. Sometimes if people would make 
excuses or blame someone else, he would 

point at one of the quotes 
written on the wall and 
ask them to read it, and 
the quotes would say 
things like “Perfection” 
or “It’s what you do for 
others that counts.” With 
little quotes like that, 
he raised us to have that 
compass or mental model 
of how you’re going to 
lead and expect excellence 
from everybody.

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