A ruler (boss) is really good at telling people what to do, but not much else. A leader is in it with their people. Those that are being led feel like their leader is right there, in the thick of it, with them. "In the trenches" so to speak. Not disconnected from some Ruler on Mount High that has nothing to do with them. At the end of the day, a leader makes their teachers feel valued. They encourage them. They listen to them. They seek out their opinions. A leader understands they are nothing without the teachers, therefore does everything they can to inspire them and help them. Leaders routinely say, "Hey, I really appreciate you." or "Thank you for covering that extra recess duty." Or "Nice job working with those students. We are lucky to have you." Teachers should be saying the same things to their students. It's so simple to say those things! So just do it. Be a leader.
Have you ever heard of a "servant attitude?" A leader should have this. It's when the leader acts as a "servant" in a way--by approaching it like, "How can I help you?" or "What do you need to do your job better?" The reason these questions aren't asked more often is that some don't feel secure in their position of power because they can feel those under them only obeying out of obligation. They need to make sure everyone knows who is "in charge." If you have to remind people that you are in charge, then you are no leader.
If teachers/students walk away from a full day of work and feel dejected and/or worthless, that's a problem. That means the person in charge is far from being a true leader. A teacher should walk away feeling encouraged and hopeful. They should be eager to get back to school the next day and work hard for their students but to also want to work hard for their leader. Students should be excited to return to school the next day and work hard for their teacher leader.
It's amazing how many don't get this.
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