BLOG 4 - EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND BEING A LIGHT IN THE WORLD (7 Jan 2025)

“People will forget what you said

People will forget what you did

But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

- Maya Angelou

I heard this quote today in a webinar I listened to by Governance Solutions on how to engage board members. I was thinking about this in the context of recruiting board members for the Johansen Larsen Foundation, which I serve as the President for. We have an upcoming retreat in March to mark our 15 year anniversary and will be looking into recruiting new candidates to serve on our board. I am also a public school board trustee and thus think about board leadership across these two contexts. And just recently I decided to put my name forward to run for the Vice-President position for the CIES (Comparative and International Education Society) and if elected will serve on the CIES board (again) for a further 3 years.

It is a New Year and with a new year comes new beginnings. I’ve been reflecting upon my board experience and leadership roles and Maya Angelou’s quotation really speaks to me. Moving forward I hope that the leadership I embody makes those around me feel supported and valued. I firmly believe that the best decision making comes from inviting and honouring a diverse range of voices to the table, and even those (especially those) with whom I may disagree. Thus, at the start of this New Year, I aim to be a leader, in all aspects of my life, through my:

📷 character that is deeply influenced by my faith commitments to humility, compassion and love

📷 competence as someone with a lot of leadership experience in the educational and non-profit sector worlds

📷 courage to speak out against injustice and not be afraid to make tough decisions, which might even alienate some who have (and my lose) power

📷 and my calling as a light in this world, shining with grace so others may be able to find their way despite the barriers they might face in their lives.