Who Do I Admire as a Leader?

Who Do I Admire as a Leader?

The person I have in mind is someone I’ve followed for years.  She is a theatrical director in the local community and I’ve been in quite a few of her shows.  If she invites me to audition for her, I go out of my way to do so even when “taking a break from theater” as I was these past few years.  Why? Because she is a fantastic leader. Having listened to and watched Simon Sinek again recently, I believe the person I’m referring to exudes the leadership qualities Mr. Sinek espouses.  

She is a playwright and director.  These roles are all about leadership.  As a playwright she is out in front taking a risk – she puts her art on the line for others to see, appreciate, and judge.  It takes a lot of courage to write something you know will be reviewed in the local paper and not many are willing to take that risk.  She is extraordinarily empathetic. She understands the characters in her story, but she also understands the actors working to bring them to life and the technicians who work to create the supports that allow the show to exist in a theater. She understands that life happens.  She is all about collaboration and letting the best idea win. She always puts others first over herself, so much so that I worry about her sometimes. If a decision is difficult, she takes responsibility for its consequences, and when things work out well she distributes credit generously.   She is one of the hardest working people I know.