EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP: BUSINESS VS.

EDUCATIONAL

Exemplary Leadership: Business vs. Educational

Joy Taylor
Educational Leadership: Educ. 515
May 31, 2015
Professor Rodrigues
Concordia University Irvine
School of Education

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP: BUSINESS VS. EDUCATIONAL

Exemplary Leadership: Business VS. Educational

There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who
claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded. Mark Twain. Two very
accomplished figures who belong to this less crowded group are seasoned leaders United
States Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander, John R. Taylor, and fourth grade teacher and parttime principal of Charles E. Teach Elementary School in San Luis Obispo, CA, Guy Crabb. In
his 27 years in the Coast Guard, LCDR Taylor has received four Commendation Medals, two
Achievement Medals and three Letter of Commendation Ribbons. Throughout Principal Guy
Crabbs decades of educational leadership experience, he has not only written and published four
books, he was also selected as San Luis Coastal Unified School Districts Teacher of the Year in
2006. He is known for his innovative ideas and having the ability to motivate young students to
think outside the box. Both of these admired leaders believe that leadership is not about the
leader, but about helping those they serve. LCDR Taylor and Principal Crabb have an abundance
of the characteristics that describe what make up an exemplary leader, among those is
selflessness and charisma. In order to make a positive impact on their constituents, LCDR
Taylor explains the importance of being positive and going the extra mile, and Mr. Crabb says
that teaching important values and being sensitive to a students needs are necessary. Though
both of these leaders are from different fields of work, business and education, they have similar
views on what it takes to lead effectively. LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb believe that one of the
most important things a leader must do is to maintain their integrity, health and motivation to
fulfill their leadership duty. LCDR John Taylor and teacher/principal Guy Crabb are examples of
leadership that professionals in the educational field must mirror in order to provide the

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP: BUSINESS VS. EDUCATIONAL

direction, support and encouragement that young people need to be successful now and in the
future.
After interviewing LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb, it is clear they both have a passion to
make it possible for those they lead to be successful. When I first spoke with LCDR Taylor over
the phone, I asked him what his philosophy on leadership is; he quickly replied, Leadership is
not about title, position, prestige or privilege. It's certainly not about you at all. Being a leader is
about being a servant, and serving and investing in the success of others! He went on to say
that a leader is a servant who ensures his people have the tools and training to get their job done
effectively. From hearing his strongly stated assertions, his voice shared a heartfelt conviction of
what it has taken him to truly lead others for over twenty years. It is evident LCDR Taylor has
experienced the power of investing his time and energy in helping others become the best they
can be. On the same note, as I interviewed Mr. Crabb in his classroom, he explained that an
exceptional leader is one who is there for his/her constituents to give them guidance in making
the best decisions, for answering questions, to look to as a positive role model, to share his/her
challenges in order to inspire others to persevere through all the difficult situations life has to
bring and to build confidence through challenging his/her constituents. Aside from Mr. Crabbs
strong reputation of a great role model and leader in the classroom, to validate he exemplifies his
definition even further, Mr. Crabb shared a story about a former ELA student he once had. This
third grade student came to his class without any English language skills and without a decent
pair of shoes on her feet. He saw to her immediate needs and supplied her with a pair of shoes.
Throughout the year he focused a lot of his time to help this student learn English and become a
part of her new classroom community. Years later as he was strolling through town, a man ran
up to him and hugged him as he cried. This strange man explained to him that he was this

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP: BUSINESS VS. EDUCATIONAL

students father and expressed great gratitude for the way he had helped his daughter to succeed
during that time. As Mr. Crabb described this event, he too had tears in his eyes, and explained
that this is one reason he loves his job. Both LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb show that above all
else, being a leader is being a servant to those they have the privilege to oversee.
Both LCDR Taylor and Mr. Crabb have the characteristics of what it takes to be a good
leader. The famous book The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things
Happen in Organizations by Kouzes and Posner explains that a good leader must model the way,
inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and encourage the heart. Mr.
Crabb models the way by sharing his values through stories from his own past and what he has
learned from his experiences, thus allowing others to trust and relate to him. As a leader, one
must also affirm the shared values of the group (Kouzes & Posner, 16). LCDR Taylor explains
his ability to do this as he practices having a giving spirit, being selfless, helpful and genuinely
happy for the success of others. This kind of example sets the stage for an ideal working
environment on both ends. Kouzes and Posner explain that in order to inspire a shared vision
among constituents one must first enlist them. In order to enlist others to follow the lead, an
important trait to have is charisma. Charisma is the ability to display animation through adding
emotion, fast movement and speech to a story or lesson. According to Kouzes and Posner,
emotionally significant events create stronger, longer-lasting memories (147). Mr. Crabb fills
his daily lessons with animated stories that the students love to hear and retell once they get
home to their families. Mr. Crabb explains that when he enters the classroom its show-time,
whether he feels like it or not. LCDR uses his body to animate stories he tells his constituents,
for example, standing up to show with his body the kind of ride he had on a huge wave he surfed.
In using these strategies, these leaders are excellent at engaging others in listening and

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP: BUSINESS VS. EDUCATIONAL

remembering the ideas they are trying to convey. Both of these leaders behold all of the traits a
good leader needs, however, one more to mention here is how LCDR Taylor enables others to
act by listening to what they have to say and making sure he gives them what they need to get
their job done successfully. Mr. Crabb believes in the importance of being attentive to body
language and the emotional needs of his students. By giving constituents the tools they need to
get the job done, emotionally or physically, these leaders obtain success on both ends. The
notable traits of these great leaders go beyond what has been mentioned here, but they would fill
an entire book.
Being positive and teaching important values are among the strategies used to make a
positive impact on those they lead according to LCDR Taylor and Principal Crabb. LCDR
Taylor explains how he models a positive, helpful and giving attitude. Equally important is his
example of working hard, or going the extra mile. LCDR Taylor is known for going above and
beyond to make sure he has completed his tasks at-hand. One more strategy that he stresses is
that a leader makes you feel important, not the other way around. A leader looks to help others
succeed, not himself. Mr. Crabb shared that in order to have a positive influence on his students
he shares important values through story-telling, especially stressing the importance of family.
He demands good manners and he encourages direct eye-contact to encourage good
communication skills to name a few. He believes that making sure he uses his ability to observe
how students are doing emotionally is very important so he can adjust circumstances to foster
their well-being. With the strategies used by these great leaders to make a positive impact, their
people will benefit from them for years to come.
Even though these leaders come from different fields of work, their views on effective
leadership nearly identical. The bottom-line for each of them is that a leader is there to serve

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP: BUSINESS VS. EDUCATIONAL

others. The quote that LCDR Taylor lives by is, When I talk to managers I get the feeling that
they are important, when I talk to leaders I get the feeling that I am important. Both LCDR
Taylor and Mr. Crabb agree that leading is about making their constituents successful by
attending to their needs, giving them the tools necessary to succeed and by giving them the belief
that they are important so they can go through life as confident achievers.
These great servants also agree that it is imperative to maintain their integrity, health
and motivation to fulfill their leadership duty. Both men believe they must stay loyal to what
they believe in even if it means upsetting others. A good leader cannot stay quiet if something is
not right according to Mr. Crabb. Mr. Crabb believes that being honest is the only way to live
and he will not compromise that even when others urge him to let things slide. Mr. Crabb also
explained his dedication to maintaining his health in order to be an efficient leader. He does not
drink coffee, he never skips breakfast, he takes his vitamins and does not eat too much sugar.
LCDR Taylor writes, It is a difficult job to be a leader, but equally rewarding. So to stay
healthy and balanced in the midst of pouring out your energy, you must ensure your workload
does not exceed your capacityyou must eat very healthy, get plenty of sleep and work out your
body on a regular basis. He also explains the importance of taking time off to decompress and
recharge. When asked about motivation, LCDR Taylor explains that when a leader does not
take care of him or herself, he/she can burn-out and be ineffective. To have motivation, good
health is a must. Furthermore, Mr. Crabb explains that it is his love for his job that motivates
him. He says that if one loses the passion to lead, they need to find something else to do.
In conclusion, LCDR John Taylor and Teacher/Principal Guy Crabb are ideal role models
for what it takes to be a great leader. If educators throughout the U. S. had a servants heart,
displayed the characteristics and used the strategies of these two men, our countries future would

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP: BUSINESS VS. EDUCATIONAL

be bright. When exemplary leader UCLA Professor and Coach John Wooden explained in a
TED Talk the difference between winning and succeeding, he mentioned a quote he heard once
that made him a better person and leader: No written word, no spoken plea can teach our youth
what they should be, nor all the books that are on the shelves, its what the teachers are
themselves. (Ted Conferences, LLC. 2001). If schools adopt this philosophy, and
administrations help make every teacher a leader that displays the qualities that LCDR Taylor
and Mr. Crabb behold, their students would not only truly enjoy school, but they would thrive
because of it. It would be wonderful if U.S. schools could challenge Mark Twains quote that
introduced this essay, and say instead that our schools are completely made up of accomplished
teachers who are passionate about preparing students for success and are trained in the ways that
allow them to lead students to that place. In light of all the awards, credit, and triumphs LCDR
Taylor and Mr. Crabb have accrued, it is clear that they strongly feel that of all their triumphs, the
most important, meaningful and fulfilling accomplishment they have achieved is the positive
influence that their leadership has had on their employees, students, peers, children and all the
others with whom they have crossed paths.

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP: BUSINESS VS. EDUCATIONAL

Works Cited

Crabb, G. (2015, May 26). Personal Interview.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge Fifth Edition: How
To Make

Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. Jossey-Bass.

Taylor, LCDR J. R. (2015, May 27). Phone and email interview.

Conferences, LLC. (Producer). (February, 2001). John Wooden: The Difference
Between Winning

and Succeeding [Video File]. Retrieved from

http://www.ted.com/talks/john_wooden_on_the_difference_between_winning_and_su
ccess. Twain, Mark. (Quote). http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/
m/marktwain393535html#SqqE4xFVHMAd2wyl.99. May 27, 2015.