Introduction

I interviewed three leaders for this paper in order to get three different perspectives on
leadership. Each one of these leaders has been in a leadership role for five or more years. Some
of the leaders I spoke to have had many leadership roles in their careers, and one has had the
same role in his career. The three people that I interviewed were SJ, the head principal at large
suburban high school, JC, former CEO of a small business, and GS, the head coach of a large
suburban high schools football team. Each of these three men shared valuable insight and
experiences with me on their time as leaders. Based on what I have learned, I have separated my
findings into similarities, differences, surprises, and big ideas.
Similarities
These three men shared a lot of similarities besides the evidence of success in each of
their careers. They were three things that each leader seemed to believe in and focus on at some
point in our conversation. Based on their successes, I know that will work to adopt those lessons
and advice and put them into practice. The three similarities I saw in each of the three interviews
dealt with motivation, sweat equity, and keeping a balance between their leadership roles and
their personal lives.
Motivation was a strong similarity I saw between these three leaders. Each had valued the
motivation that drove them and the teams they ran. Speaking to SJ, the example was being proud
of the students and the culture that his school was building. For JC, the example was being able
to put food on the table and then the ability to purchase luxury items. With GS, the example was
quenching the competitive thirst that he has in his life. Each one of these examples directly
relates to the type of leaders these men are. Based on these large goals, each man had small goals
to make the large goal achievable. This point really struck me as valuable since I know in

educational leadership I will have some outsized ideas that will only be achievable if I break
them up into smaller and more manageable goals. It was evident how each leader is passionate
about their leadership roles. This passion drives and motivates them to be the best they can be on
a daily basis.
Sweat equity was another major similarities all of these leaders shared. As GS said, As a
leader you need to be the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. While the other leaders
didnt give such a memorable quote, they also shared of experiences when they put in long hours
in order to meet or exceed their job expectations. These moments shaped each leader in
individual ways that provided them the mindset they needed to succeed in a future or current
role. The effort that it takes to be a leader is much greater than roles underneath a leader. Thus
when someone is called to go the extra mile, that responsibility falls to leader. Successful leaders
will answer that call.
The greatest similarity that each of these leaders shared was the importance of keeping a
balance in ones life. Each leader emphasized the importance of keeping an active personal life
outside of their role as a leader. Prioritizing a life outside of their workplace and all that entails,
allows each of them to function at a higher level as leaders. As SJ told me, Longevity in this
profession requires balance in your life. The ability to be swallowed by your leadership role due
to its depth is conceivable. However, solid long-term leaders know when they need to put the
work down in order to function at the highest level.
Differences
Despite the similarities, each leader I interviewed had some distinct differences.
Reflecting on these differences, I believe that a lot of those differences came out of their unique

paths to their leadership roles. It is important for future leaders to see that there isnt one set way
to become a leader. Embracing differences of staff and other leaders is important if a leader
wants to become and stay successful. The three main differences I saw from my interviewees
was their motivation to become a leader, philosophy on hiring, and major lesson they have
learned so far in leadership.
The motivation to become a leader can come from a myriad of reasons. Each leader
interviewed came into their roles under different circumstances. Becoming a leader was
something that was forced upon JC due to the untimely death of his father. While he didnt have
the experience of being the leader of an organization, he had leadership roles in his younger
years that provided experience that he would have to rely on early in his professional leadership.
GS was pushed into being a leader because it satisfied his competitive drive and love for the
game he coached. Lastly, SJ was pushed into being a leader by believing that he could be a
successful leader after watching his colleagues and how a school worked. Despite their
differences, all of my interviewees have had success in their field of leadership. Each one of
these men shows that there isnt one direct route to leadership and one type of route doesnt
guarantee success.
Hiring and managing their team was something that each leader I spoke with had a
different philosophy. GSs belief on hiring was to hire the best person available. As a leader he
will pick up the slack that is left. JCs thoughts on hiring was to hire the person with the
strongest morals, as he believes that he can teach someone whatever skills they may need after
the time of hiring. SJs opinion on hiring was to identify weaknesses on the team as well as the
needs for the school. While each leader is responsible for the product they put out, they each had
a different way of finding the people that help them be successful. Being a younger leader, I will

remember these interviews and contemplate these styles throughout my career. I am curious to
find out if one style works better in a certain field or if each leader has a different style of hiring
and management that can work across fields. Hiring and management is critical portion to
maintaining programs and staffs and one that can be done successfully numerous ways.
Different starting points and different visions coming into leadership also gave each one
of my interviewees a different take-away from their time in leadership. JCs biggest lessons
came from reading people and being able to foresee true intentions. This was due to a lawsuit
that caused professional and personal tension which stemmed from a former employee leaving
the company. Mistakes made by GS led him to his take-away, which is to listen rather than
ignore the instruction of older and wiser colleagues. In SJs career his valuable lesson is, dont
bite off more than you can chew in relation to leadership roles. Each one of these lessons came
with a story from these three men that were major parts of their professional career. The lessons
that they learned generally came with some pain or discomfort. This forces them as a leader to
dig themselves out of a hole they have created. It would be nave to think that a leader wont
learn a major lesson in their career. Leaders are expected to learn many lessons based on having
to make many decisions and take risks on a daily basis. However, as these leaders showed it is
the lesson you take away from each of these teachable moments that is vital in order to continue
being a successful leader.
Surprises
During the interview process there were a few things that these leaders shared that
surprised me. Most of the surprises came from my personal assumption of what a leader in each
of their respective field would not value. I found that each interviewee had a certain trait or
experience they looked for that surprised me.

In speaking with SJ, I found the most surprising thing to be, his suggestion of having
coaching or athletic directing experience before becoming a principal. His theory on this was that
in smaller districts, where most administrators get their start, an administrator will be required to
wear many hats. One of the hats that was most time consuming was the extracurricular hat,
which involved many athletics. Having the experience of setting up different events and being
able to work equipment, such as using a public announcement system will be useful tools to put
to use as an administrator. This suggestion fell under the larger and less surprising idea of getting
as much experience as possible before becoming an administrator. However, I was quite
surprised how much working with athletics prepared SJ for his leadership role.
When discussing a corporate environment with JC, I found his leadership philosophy to
be the most surprising. JC reiterated the importance of giving your employees the time to make a
mistake with the belief they would learn from that event. JCs philosophy of not micromanaging
his staff is something that he felt very strongly about. The logic behind his philosophy as he
explained it to me was he hires competent adults, and they should be treated as such. I was
surprised by this revelation, but it served as a solid reminder that my colleagues will be
competent professionals who I need to trust as a leader. The ability for a leader to trust their
colleagues will result in a healthier and stronger work environment.
In my discussion with GS, I was surprised GSs desire to keep his team as busy as
possible. The reason he believed in keeping his players as busy as possible was to provide them
safe and beneficial opportunities outside of practice and school. While the idea of having
positive extracurricular options isnt new, the passion that one leader has for other
extracurriculars was surprising. This was a lesson, since I know that as a leader certain staff
members will be offered development and professional options outside of what I can offer. This

will require me as a leader to not be jealous of opportunities presented to my staff and encourage
their growth. When a leader is supportive of their staff, they will be fostering a healthy
environment and be able to see growth.
These surprises came from preconceived notions that I had about each leader and their
environment. Not only did their surprises teach me a lot about leadership, they also taught a
valuable lesson about making assumptions. Surprising lessons are all around us, we as leaders
need to seek out and understand these surprises.
Take-Aways
The experience to interview three leaders from three unique backgrounds was invaluable.
The wealth of knowledge that they were able to share with me has given me building blocks to
start my leadership journey. All of the similarities, differences, and surprises were things that
jumped out to me as important. I know that as I become my own leader I need to realize my
similarities with others as well as my differences. The only thing that would be a weakness
would be the inability to adjust my style within reason, based on the situation and who I was
dealing with. Each of these three leaders had things they felt very strongly about and things that
could adjust based on the moment. I know that this will require me to stick with my values and
beliefs during tough times. However, I do know that compromise is key when working with
other adults and something all leaders must be capable of at points in their career.
Leadership can be expressed in many different ways. Successful leaders are comfortable
how they lead, but look at other leaders for the opportunity to develop their own leadership
skills. This paper allowed me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills by picking the
brains of three successful leaders. That opportunity will be the biggest take-away, as I will look

to continually develop my leadership skills in my career by learning from other successful

leaders. This experience is only the beginning in learning about and improving my leadership
skills and there are lessons I have learned that I will always take with me.