A colleague from a school system other than the system I work for shared an incredible story of service this morning. She went way beyond the call of duty to respond to a request that at first glance most would think of as beyond any rightful expectation of any employee.
Instead of denying the request, she turned the expectation into an opportunity to contribute a task of value, teach every child in the school, and lift the quality of community in her school to a new height.
How often do we despair when we are asked to do something that is beyond what we think we should do? How often do we take the time to contribute our best strengths and abilities to a task that at first glance might seem too big or beyond the call of duty?
Instead my colleague made a decision to do the task and do it well. She said that all the students were so excited and invested. She confided that the task brought her great personal satisfaction and made her feel like a superhero. The work also exemplified the school's core values: "We take care of ourselves. We take care of each other. We take care of the environment."
Later, my colleague noted that Dinsmore's Ted Talk affirmed her efforts and lent greater perspective and commitment to her decision to do the work as well as her commitment to future good work and investment.
Traditionally employees serve their leadership, and today there's lots of talk and action related to serving one's clientele, students, and customers. To learn and teach well, servant leadership expands to serving those we teach, our colleagues, our leaders, and our own beliefs and expectations. The way we balance and tend to this task will differ from individual to individual, but the broad intent and need will remain the same.
