The other day I was asked to help out in a kindergarten class because their teacher had called in sick. While I am used to being at the front of the room conducting seminars and trainings, I took immense pleasure in sitting in the back as I watched the teacher’s aide take the lead and instruct the class. It was a great pleasure to see him engage with these children, entertain them and really listen and guide them. It suddenly dawned on me that today’s leaders, administrators, and managers could gain invaluable knowledge from this TA. All that said, everything I know about leadership I learned in a kindergarten class.

These are the 10 leadership principles that TA embodied and taught me:

1. L-Learn. A leader never stops learning and that includes from his own employees and subordinates. While a leader teaches, the best teachers know they are forever students. In today’s age, something has happened where we are programmed to always be “on” and be the experts. If we constantly come from the place of the “expert mind”, we close our learning or beginner mind, which can be a big turn off for others. If we use the mind of this expert 24/7, others will not be willing to learn from us, but will instead exclude us. Not really a good leader then, huh?

2. E-Enthusiasm. What I saw of the teacher’s help for a full eight hours was nothing more than enthusiasm for his work. He never quit! And thus, the students latched on to his every word and wanted to learn! Can you imagine if your boss, your leader came every day full of energy and enthusiasm? I bet you would want to do your job simply because your boss made your job a delight. Embody enthusiasm and watch people trust you and hang on to your every word.

3. A-Appreciation and Attention. The best leaders show care. They really listen. If something is not clear, they ask for clarity, and they do it with compassion. This, of course, makes their “followers” feel appreciated, and a good leader lets their employees or followers know that they are appreciated. A good leader is not afraid to provide positive reinforcement and recognition to his people. In fact, they realize that positive reinforcement and attention are necessary for success in their businesses.

4. D-Diplomacy. When the little students in the kindergarten class were “out of character” or had done something wrong, the teacher’s assistant handled the situation with diplomacy and tact. She never looked down on them or judged them. In fact, she “talked things out” with these young people. She discussed with them her impression and what she had noticed, but also gave them a chance to share their side of the story. After a concise and empowering discussion, she would make a proper decision on how to handle the situation. I think many leaders don’t do this. They are often quick to judge before knowing the full story of a situation. Too often their personality clashes with one employee and not the other, so they “take sides” instead of dealing with a negative situation constructively. When a leader truly wants to know what happened, it comes from integrity and diplomacy, in my opinion, a situation will be resolved in the best possible way without anyone feeling aggrieved.

5. E-Illustration. I really believe that a good leader is one who wishes to be enlightened. What I mean by this is that the leader is constantly working on personal growth, personal development, education, and personal development. They know that to inspire others they must inspire themselves. Therefore, a good leader enlightens himself by engaging in continuing education to stay fresh, open, and motivating to others.

6.R-Respectful. What I have noticed in my years of working in and with companies is that there is a continuing lack of respect for employees and staff. The tendency, in my opinion, is for leaders and managers to fall for the idea that they are in a position of power and therefore feel that they can disrespect their staff. This has always baffled me because what ends up happening is the leader ends up disrespected by his teammates, which means they are powerless afterwards. A powerful leader is someone who has respect. So, he gives respect and you will get respect and power!

7. S-Smile! I’ll tell you what, this is what that teacher’s aide did all day! She smiled even when times got tough with those little five year olds and guess what? The little ones smiled back. There is something truly amazing about a smile. There is an exchange of energy, we feel comforted and joyful when we give one and we feel exactly the same when we receive it. A smiling leader shows a happy leader and followers want to see their leader happy. This happiness is contagious. So smile often, especially when directing :o)

8. H-Honesty. The first thing I have learned since becoming a Certified Trainer is that we are all transparent. When we’re not being honest, EVERYONE knows it! Being a leader requires a lot of integrity, honesty, and sincerity. Even when you make a mistake, trust me, people will respect you even more when you own up to it and are honest. So take the path of humility and honesty and you will always win.

9. I-Innovative. A good leader is imaginative and innovative. They love interacting with others and sharing their ideas. A good leader is not afraid of his ideas and wants others to benefit from them. A good leader always has creative ideas to keep things interesting, light, and fun for his followers. Most importantly, they are not attached to their innovations as they are willing to build and build with others.

10. P-Passion. I never thought for a moment that the paraprofessional I worked with didn’t have a passion for his work. I’ll tell you, he had so much passion that he made me want to become a teacher’s aide for a kindergarten class! Passion is contagious. People follow you and want to be with you when you have passion. Don’t be afraid to show it, let it out! And let it out all the time! In today’s world, I think people are afraid to let their passion flow because they are too concerned with what other people think. But imagine for a moment if none of us had passion, none of us were really committed to a cause or had a purpose, what a boring and dreary world it would be! So, tap into that passion, rise up and be a leader and help others find their way.

There you have it, 10 easy-to-follow leadership principles.

One of my favorite sayings the teacher’s aide said throughout the day was, “Great job, kiss your brain!” After the learning you learned from this blog, realize that you already have what it takes to be a phenomenal leader because you were willing to learn new things by reading this article (you already did step #1: learn), so Pat yourself on the back and KISS YOUR BRAIN!

Yours in joy, life and learning. -Life Coach Laurie