Summary: When I was a Language Arts teacher, I would walk my students through a series of practices on identifying their surroundings and writing down the details. <br> You could try it right now. Take a moment and pause to consider the following:<br> What are you seeing? Look up, down, around, and behind you. Are you seeing the glare of sunlight from a nearby window? Or maybe it’s the stained surface of a tabletop. Could it be a yellow painted wall holding a framed photo?<br> What are hearing? Stop and simply listen. Maybe you hear the buzz of a heating or air system from nearby vents. Or do you recognize the distant hum of passing traffic?<br> What do you smell? Are you surrounded by the scent of brewed coffee or mix of aromas coming from a busy kitchen? Or maybe you smell the mustiness of old books.<br> What are you touching? Your body is full of nerves. Can you feel the fabric of the shirt you’re wearing resting on your shoulders? Or how about the press of your shoes against your toes? Are you holding the smooth ridges of a pen in hand?<br> What are you tasting? Maybe it’s the sweetness of gum or the caramel flavorings of your favorite soda? Or it could be the aftertaste of your most recent snack.<br> What are sensing emotionally? Are you anxious, excited, worried? Do you have a sense of confidence or angst for the day ahead? Or maybe you’re tired from a short night of sleep, or hungry for your next meal?<br> It is easy to step into your day with a list of to-do’s and fail to see what is right around you or even what is happening inside your own brain. Sometimes it takes real effort to pause and reflect on your surroundings. But being mindful is important, not just in writing, but in leadership.<br> Defining Leadership<br> Leadership is an interesting and popular word. It is used in a lot of inspirational quotes, as titles for books, in website descriptions, and conference themes. But leadership is much more than a word. Leadership is influence. It means helping others to achieve more. It is taking someone from one location to another, or motivating another to do what she otherwise would not accomplish on her own.<br> There is something else about leadership I’d like you to think about. Leadership is about those whom you are leading. Whether you are leading students, teachers, co-workers, employees or team members, each person you lead is a future leader.<br> Someday, your influence, motivation, presence or input will no longer be immediately present. When that happens, the question will be: How have you invested in recognizing the leadership potential in those whom you lead so that they can in turn lead in their own areas of influence?<br> Being a Person of Influence<br> Think about the people who have been the most meaningful leaders in your life. Maybe it is a parent, a coach, a teacher or another school leader. I bet it is safe to say that he or she paid attention to details you did not see. Maybe that leader had the ability to look at life or scenarios from a perspective that helped you reimagine, redesign, or reprioritize your outcomes. <br> Influential leaders see or hear what others may be missing. That’s why even professionals at the top of their game, like <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/need-a-turnaround-make-a-comeback-the-starbucks-way/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Howard Schultz</a>, the former CEO of Starbucks, or the NBA star <a href="https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina-state/Board/103752/Contents/Adam-Harrington-that-one-is-Kevin-Durants-personal-trainer-70526466" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Kevin Durant</a>, hire others to personally consult or train them.<br> Whether you are leading children or adults, you are an influencer. And the ability to see what others are missing is an important quality in strong leadership. <br> 6 Ways to Invest in Future Leaders<br> How can you take an active role in maximizing the leadership growth in those whom you’re leading...
