The famed UCLA basketball coach, the late John Wooden, once told a reporter who asked that the key to good leadership (i.e., having influence) is to be a good listener.
Teachers who desire to have long-term influence in the lives of their students and their student’s families (i.e., younger siblings, friends and family, etc.) are good listeners, proactive communicators, and gracious encouragers. They are leaders because they know the difference between teaching students and teaching subjects in the same way John Wooden knew the difference between coaching basketball and coaching men.
