I recently took part in an online training course with Kevin McGowan, a NYS Superintendent of the year from Brighton Schools in Rochester, NY. Kevin has an easy going nature, a good sense of humor, and a great ability to read the room. He started the training with a question to get people engaged. He asked each of us at the meeting to pick a character from a movie or a story or TV show that we would be and why.
He said he’d break the ice and stated that he would want to be Ted Lasso and wonderfully recited a part from the show, where he talked about being curious and hit home the point about the importance of listening and asking the right questions. Kevin told the story wonderfully, and really set the bar very high. It was just perfect. He then said, “Andrew, why don’t you start off for your team.”
Without any preparation or really deep thought about it, I looked at what was in front of me. I have the characters from the movie Toy Story sitting on a bookcase in my office.
I said I would want to be Woody from Toy Story and the group laughed. I went on to explain that Woody is a passionate leader, who’s loyal to his friends and dedicated to his owner Andy. Woody leads an adventurous life filled with exciting twists and turns and stays true to himself. He is high energy, he’s humorous, but remains super focused on his purpose, dedication to his owner Andy and loyalty to his closest friends. He works hard to keep his team safe and get them in the right positions.
When I was done, I was proud that I was able to think quickly on my feet and was happy with my answer. It made me reflect on who I am as a husband, father, school leader, and motivational speaker. The more I thought about it, the more I realized so many of the comparisons between Woody and me were true.
I ask two questions of you: What is an engaging strategy you use to engage your people at a meeting? And which character would you be?
Great job, Kevin McGowan–thanks for your leadership. Kevin and three other NY Superintendents lead a great weekly leadership blog/event called The Secret Sauce. You can subscribe here: https://substack.com/@supersauce
Keep surviving and thriving, friends! Be like Woody–passionate, focused on his why, and dedicated to his team! #SurviveThrive
Fun read! Stepping into new roles builds confidence and growth.