Influencers

I had never thought about it before. But it really makes sense to me as I looked back. The subject was that of influencers, those who inspire or guide the actions of others. 

Fred Carroll, a 1967 graduate of Adamsville High School, and I were drinking coffee and reminiscing about earlier days. He had played basketball and baseball in high school and later played baseball at Union University. After finishing college and a brief stint in the military, he accepted a teaching and coaching position in neighboring Hardin County. Then he told me a story I hadn't heard.

 In 1974 when the job of coaching boys and girls basketball at Adamsville High School was open, Fred was a leading candidate. As we talked that day, he  told me how he had gone to see Dr. Abernathy, a local medical doctor, and confided in him that he was not going to apply for the job at AHS. I asked, "Why Dr. Abernathy? He was not the school board member for the second district?" He said, "Dr. Abernathy had great influence in Adamsville." He felt it was important for this man to know of his intentions. Fred had the advantage of recognizing the influencers. 

If Fred had wanted the job, he, not I, would have been the new coach. Unaware of any of this background, I applied for the job and was later hired.  I coached for five years and then was appointed principal beginning in the 1979-80 school year.

 As we left the coffee shop and went our separate ways, the power of influencers stayed on my mind. Who were the ones in my thirty years of administrative leadership in McNairy County from 1979-2009 who enhanced the school that I was fortunate to lead?  Somehow it amazed me that I had never really stopped to ask that question or even think in those terms. Coming to the awareness that our success as leaders is almost always built on the guidance or support of positive influencers was profound.

 I now believe that those who influence in any organization, business, school, church, community, government, or family are not necessarily in positions of authority.  Sometimes they may be like Dr. Abernathy, a country doctor in a small town. Or they may be someone like Coach Don Todd. He wasn't in a position of assigned leadership per se, but he had as much influence as anyone during my time as principal at AHS. Because of his example as a great and dedicated teacher, he set the bar high which led the way to a group of coaches who were excellent teachers. You see, he was a teacher first and then a coach.  All our coaches knew this.  He had as much to do with the school's academic success as anyone.  He was a positive influencer. He was willing to work in supportive roles.  It was never about himself.  Don Todd was a WE man, not a ME man.

 One day in a faculty meeting he challenged us by posing a great question, "What kind of teacher would you be if your own child was in your classroom?" Then he suggested that is how we should teach all students. Though not in a position of "power" he was a very positive influencer. Both of our sons were in his American History class. They both graduated from college with a major in history.

I referred earlier to Fred Carroll.  He was a history major, too, who joined our faculty in the fall of 1982. He was also a great influencer at Adamsville High School. He had the unique ability to communicate to others in a way that brought unity and teamwork to our school. He became our assistant principal in the late 1980s and improved the administrative leadership and school environment. How a leader makes people feel when he is in their presence is a strong indicator of the measure of an influencer. Our communicating the vision for the school improved with the addition of Fred Carroll. He was then and still is an influencer for good. 

Both of these men never received much if any credit for their positive contributions at AHS. But I am thankful for their willingness to be positive influencers when I did not even recognize the magnitude of their contribution. And it won't surprise you to know that both of them are among my dearest friends.  

A key aspect of leadership is being able to identify the influencers in any organization--both positive and negative individuals. Later I will discuss negative  influencers and how to navigate their attacks.