Iʻve been reading Dr. David Hanlonʻs book, “Making Micronesia: A Political Biography of Tosiwo Nakayama,” about my uncle who became the first president of my country, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). It inspired me to think about Tos and his humility in leadership.
As I continue to move closer to graduation in July, I am becoming more and more reflective of the kind of leader I am and aspire to be in the future as Dr. Raatior. Iʻve grown so much these last several years working on my doctorate at UH Manoa. I take to heart what a faculty mentor said to our cohort, “The Ed.D at your name doesnʻt make you a good leader, but it opens avenues for you to exercise good leadership.”
This LinkedIn article by Dr. Patrick Leddin, “8 Behaviors of Truly Abundant Leaders,” resonated with me today. While it sets out eight behaviors of good leaders, I think itʻs missing the most important behavior in a Pacific context, i.e. respectful humility. So here goes, the 9th behavior:
9. Be Humble
An abundant leader is one who respects others to a fault, honors their humanity in relation to a larger vision of a peaceful community (whatever that community entails). In that humility one embraces the strength of the other grounded in oneʻs own inner strength.
Without that sense of respect for others out of humility, one can become overly self-focused and lose sight of people. After all, leadership implies others being there on the same journey. Read the article and see what resonates with you and what challenges you. Be aware of the feelings, learn, and improve on.
Source: 8 Behaviors of Truly Abundant Leaders | LinkedIn
