Leaders Do Not Only Lead, But Are Teachers Too
Henry Adams once said that "a teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." That is a powerful testament to the impact teachers have in our lives and our world. Leaders need to recognize that they too are teachers and that they should take their responsibilities seriously. It should be every leader's hope and goal that they will have a positive impact on the organizations they lead. Leaders should never underestimate their impact; one can never truly know how far reaching their efforts will affect the future.
From the year 427 B.C. to around 347 B.C. there lived a man named Plato. I am sure that most everyone knows the name, but not too many realize that he was more than just a teacher, a mathematician and a philosopher. Plato was a leader of men as well. How else could he have had the skills and ability to form the Academy, an institution of higher learning, the first such institution in the western world and the blue print for today's colleges and universities? Plato was a teacher, a student and a leader-an example for all leaders today. Leaders have to be able to not only lead people; they have to be able to teach people as well. Plato's impact on the world is eternal and as Adams pointed out in his quote a person "can never tell where his influence stops."
Leaders should not underestimate the value of being a great teacher as well as a leader. Modern military officers still study the tactics of Alexander that Great, one of the greatest generals to walk the earth, who was influenced by Plato. Plato's influence was not direct, but came through Alexander the Greats' teacher Aristotle. Aristotle was one of Plato's greatest students and a prime example of how Plato's influence crept down through history. The smallest act today by a leader can shape the future of their organization for years to come.
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