Elmer worked for a
school in a variety of roles – I’m not sure if he even had a job
title...none could do justice to the scope of his duties anyway. The
school started with pre-kindargarten and went through 12th
grade.
He took care of
facility maintenance, the cleaning and the minor fixin’ to keep
everything presentable and functional.
He also drove the
bus, bringing the kids back and forth to school as well as on the
various school field trips. The kids always arrived safely and were
well behaved on his bus.
Elmer tended the
boilers to heat the school and provide the hot water. The old boilers
were cantankerous, but he would talk to the boilers about ‘acting
right’, bang on a pipe or two, and work his magic to keep the
building toasty warm no matter what was happening outside.
He could patch up a
broken ‘thingamajig’ to get up and running again, and could
repair anything without aid of the manual or even the proper
replacement parts.
An endearing quality
of his was giving directions – Elmer knew how to get anywhere and
was happy to share his directions with you in detail...however, he
always forgot one turn, usually toward the end of the journey, so
we knew that we would have an expected ‘unexpected tour’ of the
area before we found the desired location.
However, while his
efforts kept the facilities and logistics humming along, Elmer was
most noted for his leadership. He had no formal designation as
leader, but he was always at the head of any crisis – first one to
begin addressing the issue, taking action, creating a plan, helping
others slip in to appropriate roles to bring things back to balance
and normalcy, and Elmer was usually the last one to leave once the
situation had been brought under control.
He always had a good
word for the students, asking about their accomplishments, and when
needed, a blunt word or two – a verbal ‘kick in the butt’ - to
motivate a student that was not striving to achieve their potential.
Elmer never missed a
graduation – be it a kindergarten class moving forward to first
grade, or a class advancing from lower school to upper school, or the
big one – high school graduation. In coat and tie, he was in the
back of the auditorium giving a ‘thumbs up’ sign and smile as
each of the students received their diploma, and his applause seemed
seemed to be the loudest in the hall.
Not surprisingly,
when graduated students returned to school for a visit, the first
person they would find was Elmer – to share their latest
accomplishments, and their appreciation.
He was a leader of
men, women, and children, each of whom followed his lead
enthusiastically, without need for designated authority or the mantle
of a formal title.
Personally, I
learned a great deal about leadership by simply following him around,
and his influence continues to guide me today. Elmer was a great man,
a wonderful individual - so accomplished and meaningful to so many
people.
While few
organizations have such a special individual as Elmer, many have a
‘go to’ person who helps to keep things running smoothly while
helping others grow and learn, all without benefit official
acknowledgment or formal authority. Like Elmer, they are natural
leaders...support and nurture them.
Want more? See the Final Frontier for insight and ideas.