A Grateful Heart

I love aphorisms and maxims. One of my favorites is by Max De Pree. In his book Leadership is an Art, he writes that leaders have two core responsibilities: “The first responsibility is to define reality. The second is to say thank you.”

Regrettably,  the research shows that gratitude is not among the top ten qualities a leader needs to be effective. Yet I wholeheartedly believe in the awesome power of this virtue, especially for leaders.

De Pree’s maxim popped into my mind this past week. During our weekly staff meeting at Character.org, Tamra Nast, our Director of Training and Coaching, was sharing how several schools she’s been coaching have undergone an incredible transformation. In just a few years since they began to intentionally implement our 11 Principles Framework, suspensions have dramatically decreased. Teacher retention rates have increased. Test scores have gone up. And more.

I wish everyone reading this article could have seen Tamra describe the progress of these schools. You would have witnessed first-hand Tamra’s superpowers.

Passion is Tamra’s first superpower. She is so passionate about the 11 Principles, rooted in her own professional experience. Tamra was the school counselor at one of the first schools that Character.org recognized as a National School of Character. You feel Tamra’s passion every time she talks about her school’s transformation. Simply put, coaching schools on the 11 Principles is not Tamra’s job. It’s her noble calling. 

Mastery is Tamra’s second superpower. Watching Tamra lead an 11 Principles workshop is an incredible experience. During a typical Q&A, she will offer elementary school principals compelling examples on how they can implement all the key indicators for Principle 3 and a few minutes later provide a completely different set of examples to high school teachers eager to learn more about Principle 7. When it comes to approaches, strategies, and effective practices for each of the 11 Principles, Tamra has an encyclopedic memory. You feel like you’re in the presence of a master teacher. 

Selflessness is at the core of Tamra’s spirit and energy. She is truly a servant leader. Time and time again she goes above and beyond to help our small-but-mighty team tackle and solve our thorniest problems, especially tech issues. She embodies and consistently practices the Biblical call that “no one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” 

Tamra, thank you for all you do to inspire school leaders across the United States and around the world. While school leaders may be able to empirically measure your short-term impact on their schools, I truly believe that your passion, mastery, and selflessness will live in their hearts forever.