I have heard it said that if you want to look for a great leader, look for great followers. I have also heard it said that good followers make good leaders. It seems to me, then, that our Edgewalker community is a community of followers who have become leaders.
I have been feeling very reflective and nostalgic lately, to a philosophical level. Perhaps it is the pandemic getting to me, a change in the seasons or just simply life’s circumstances that are causing me to meditate and contemplate some of life’s meaning. No matter what, I feel compelled to share these things in light of the leadership moments my circumstances have been providing.
Over the past several months, I have “lost” two leaders and mentors in my life – one through death and one through occupational mobility. So really, neither are truly lost, just relocated. In both cases, they have left in their wake countless statements of gratitude and appreciation. This is at least, in part, the legacy of their leadership. I am paying particular attention today to Rod Allen and Rob Currie. The influence of these two leaders has guided and affirmed much of who I am today. There have been others, but these particular two are standing out for me these days.
If you hang around with me long enough, you will hear me talk about leaders who I would follow into battle, and those who I would not. I have served under plenty of both kinds, which has given me a good sense of the kind of leader I would like to be someday. Rod Allen and Rob Currie are two leaders who I would and have followed into battle.
Rod and Rob have countless leadership qualities. I have frequently reflected on these qualities with fellow Edgewalkers. One such quality that stands out for me is that these two leaders have demonstrated the innate ability to make me feel like there is nobody more important than me when we are engaged in activity or conversation.
these two leaders have demonstrated the innate ability to make me feel like there is nobody more important than me when we are engaged in activity or conversation.
Rodney Keith Allen
In February 2012, I walked into my daughter’s future high school for a Future Student Open House. No sooner had I stepped through the door, I was greeted by an exuberant voice from across the room, “Donovan Mutschler! I have a picture of you when you were in Grade 6 and we were skiing as a class. You were face-down in the snow with your skis sticking straight up in the air!” Mr. Allen, or “Rod” as he demanded I refer to him in more recent years, was my Grades 6 and 7 teacher and he had become the principal of my daughter’s high school. He started his career with me (well, his second year of teaching) and would end his career with my daughter. I was absolutely thrilled!
Think for a moment of a person in your life who has made a lasting positive impact. Maybe it was a teacher, neighbour, aunt or uncle, parent, or someone else. I encourage you to take some time after reading this to reach out to that impactful person in your life. Do it now, not later. For me, one such person was Rod Allen.
Rod embodied true leadership in his personhood – his practice. The result of his leadership is a legacy far beyond anything that comes from studying or reading about leadership. His legacy is in the people he influenced throughout his career as a teacher, principal, and community supporter. His legacy is in the people he touched with his friendship, passion and compassion for others.
I am quite certain that Rod did not wake up every morning and take time to think, “I will be an exceptional leader today.” It is more likely that he was drawing upon the wisdom he was learning from following positive leaders, mentors, and role models. He was acting out of his passion for teaching and love of children, and the result was a bunch of kids who felt attracted to that passion, desiring to come closer and participate. And, not just us kids, but parents, fellow-teachers and administrators, and countless people who would come to consider Rod as a friend and mentor. We have all become his legacy.
Rod passed away on October 31, 2020. Unknown to most of us, he had developed cancer, which quickly took him from us. Many of us did not have a chance to say goodbye. We had to re-read the notice of his passing many times as it sank in. We entered into a time of shared grief and as we came to terms with it, we chose to share with each other the impact that he had made in our lives. In our shared experience, we honour his legacy.
Robert J. Currie
Several months ago, my organization experienced a shuffle that resulted in the replacement of my Deputy Minister. This is just the nature of the proverbial beast – senior leaders come and go as a part of larger changes. He did nothing wrong; in fact, I would say he did everything right. In his departure, he demonstrated the same grace, dignity and integrity with which he led.
I met Rob Currie in 2015 as a member of a team that supported strategic direction for my organization. To clarify I was a member of Rob’s support team and he was a well-known and respected leader. Over these last five years, I have remained close to Rob through common work initiatives. He has continuously mentored me even when he did not know he was doing so. Sure, there were specific times when I asked for an opportunity to discuss specific areas where I wanted to become a better person. But, I would often look to his actions, responses, wisdom and servant-leadership style as the ideal nature of how I would also like to be known. I watched him in action, quietly learning from his examples.
The same that was true for Rod Allen is also somewhat true for Rob Currie – Rob did not wake up wondering what to do today to demonstrate his leadership. He was also daily drawing upon the wisdom of positive mystics, leaders, mentors, and role models. Then, he just did it. It was part of his practice, his persona. But Rob also led with intention. He was unapologetically inclusive, and he know it. He was always ensuring others had the opportunity to take the lead and encouraged them to do so. I will admit I am the beneficiary of his inclusive spirit, as he gave me many possibilities to live into.
When I found out that Rob had left, it was too late to walk past his office to say thank you and farewell. I did the next best thing and reached out on social media, letting him know how much I appreciate his leadership. I wanted him to know without a doubt how valuable he was to me. I have asked him to stay in touch, and to continue to mentor me. I have not yet learned all there is to learn from Rob.
The Legacy
Back to the relocation of these, my mentors. They have relocated but are not lost or forgotten. I continue to learn from them in profound ways, and for this I am truly thankful. This is the hope and desire of any leader – that their followers will take the opportunities that are provided, take the educated risks, and live into the potential before them. The ideal result for a servant leader is that the followers become greater than the leader, surpassing them in achievement and wisdom. The desire for servant leaders is for their followers and those that they serve to be lifted, celebrated, and respected within their communities.
Servant leaders often downplay or discredit the true impact of their actions. After all, they do not focus on the fact that they are leaders. But through their instinctive character and following their core values, they create a space for potential to emerge in others. They create an environment of trust and safety that produces natural Edgewalkers.
They create a space for potential to emerge in others. They create an environment of trust and safety that produces natural Edgewalkers.
Rod and Rob’s legacies are similar in this regard. By living out their core values and being true to the character created within them, the Edgewalkers that have emerged in their wakes are gamechangers. We are risk-takers who try new things not for our own sake, but for the sake of those we serve. We have learned in the safe environment Rod and Rob created for us – learned that it is okay to take educated risks and learn from our mistakes in the name of continuous improvement.
Rod and Rob have left a legacy of educators, leaders, risk-takers, humanitarians, community volunteers, and activists. We have felt the value of our leaders affirming us and seek to show others their true value as well. We believe in ourselves. We believe in others and strive to give others what they need to believe in themselves. We live to serve others, in the wake of these amazing leaders and teachers. We do so with a portion of Rod and Rob’s spirit within us.
May we all continue to follow exceptional leaders and live their legacies.
Donovan Mutschler, MA
For more information on the content included in this article contact Donovan Mutschler at donovan@edgewalkers.ca.
Photo Credit: Lara Dawn Photography
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