Every now and then we meet people, leaders, who can both serve those they’re leading and somehow delight in those they’re leading.
I never got to know him all that well. He was more or less a blur in my life, someone who made a big impression by actually taking the time to engage with us. He knew each of our names, but remained satisfied with us never really noticing him. It's true that too often we don’t notice the people that do the most for us. Like a mom who keeps the house in order, or a coach who supports every player, he was the ever-present force that made everything we did feel important. What did we do in return? We made t-shirts in his honor, we high-fived him in the hallway, we talk years later about how great of a man he was.
He was present for all of us in one way or another. Thousands of us. He would travel all over the state to support each concert, show, game, or anything that his students did. He pushed us to challenge ourselves and to go above and beyond what we think we could do. When we accepted his challenges, he was there to support us. He made us believe that we could do what we didn’t have the confidence to try alone. And we knew because of him that our actions represented something bigger than just our own reputations.
He’s the kind of leader I wish everyone could have. Someone who goes above and beyond — someone who does what’s necessary, and so much more. He celebrates, and he champions. He knew us all — at least to some degree. And even if it was often in only small ways, it was enough to make a difference for me.
Those simple efforts have led me to remember the small things he did, even a full decade later.