Gary Moore
North Carolina State University
gary_moore@ncsu.edu

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the
way, and shows the way.”
Formal
• Elected or
Appointed to a
position
Informal
• People look up
to you and
follow your lead
So you
don’t
have to be
elected to
be a
leader!
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President, Association for Career and
Technical Education
President, American Association for
Agricultural Education
President, American Vocational Education
Research Association
President, Alpha Tau Alpha (national
agricultural education honorary)
President, NCSU Gamma Sigma Delta
(agricultural honorary)
There is no
“Leadership
Secret”!
Good leaders
exhibit certain
traits or
characteristics!
C, C, C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
• Compliment/Congratulate/Celebrate
• Courage
• Consultation
• Consensus
• Communication
• Comprehension
• Compassion/Care
• Commitment
Note: These are my thoughts. They don’t come from a book. I am to blame for them!
• Commitment


A good leader is committed to the
organization
You also must be committed to fulfilling your
responsibilities to the organization
 Being selected to an office
is an honor, but does
require work
The result of not being
committed! The same
thing could happen to
your organization if you
are not committed.
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I wore hand-me-down clothes my well to-do
cousin in Austin outgrew
Didn’t cause any problems in school
Made pretty good grades
Was not a member of the
in-crowd
I was pretty much invisible
until……

Enrolled in a CTE course – Agricultural
Education and joined the FFA
 The Greenhand pin

Star Greenhand received a flock of sheep for
a year

Earned
 The Chapter FFA degree
 The State FFA degree
 The American FFA degree

Participated in judging contests

Was FFA Chapter President


Participated in
Public Speaking
Went on an
student exchange
trip to Missouri

Received scholarships to
college
 My Mother gave me $20
when I went to college
▪ That was really more than
she could afford

A CTE teacher saw potential in me and
encouraged me!
 Otherwise my life could have been entirely
different

Barbara – Family &
Consumer Science
Teacher

Ohio State
The Moonwatchers – William S. Phillips
Leaders are committed!
But the BIG point (the subliminal message)
is that CTE is much more than preparing
students for careers—it is about changing
lives.
1.
2.

Remember that—you are in the business of
changing lives

“There's a difference between interest and
commitment. When you're interested in
doing something, you do it only when
circumstance permit. When you're
committed to something, you accept no
excuses, only results.”
A leader must be committed to the
profession and to the organization!
• Compassion/Care
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Leaders work
with people
People have feelings,
egos and emotions
People do not always make decisions based
on logic
A good leader will remember
the above and act accordingly

How to Win Friends and
Influence People
(every leader should
read this book)

Don't criticize, condemn or complain.

Give honest and sincere appreciation.

Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Become genuinely interested in other people.

Smile.

Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest
and most important sound in any language.

Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.

Talk in terms of the other person's interests.

Make the other person feel important –
and do it sincerely.

Win people to your way of thinking
 12 chapters

Be a Leader: How to Change People
Without Giving Offense or Arousing
Resentment
 9 chapters

“People don’t care how
much you know, until they
know how much you care!”
John Maxwell
This applies to you and the people in your organization
(and it works with students in the classroom too)

“People follow people who genuinely care
about others”
Tim Peters
• Comprehension

A leader does his/her homework

A leader doesn’t fly by the seat of
his/her pants

A leader spends time studying, reading and
collecting information

A leader truly comprehend the issues and
problems

“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent
perspiration”
Thomas Edison

Likewise, much of the success of a leader is the result of intensive
study and comprehending the issues and problems; not just
smiling and waving at people.

Leadership is hard work and the underpinning for leadership
(studying and comprehending) often occurs outside of the
spotlight.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to
fail.”
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“We must be silent before we can listen.
We must listen before we can learn.
We must learn before we can prepare.
We must prepare before we can serve.
We must serve before we can lead.”
• Communication

A good leader
constantly shares
information.
 Whether the news
is good or bad

You don’t keep
people in the dark!
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“Communication is the real work of
leadership.”

Most people don't listen with the intent to
understand. They listen with the intent to
reply. They filter everything through their
own paradigm and experiences, so that what
they hear may not be what you said – Mark
Scureman
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Leaders need a vision for what is to be
accomplished, goals, and mission
It is imperative this be communicated to
everyone within (and even outside) the
organization
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People assume the worst
People speculate
People do not feel they are trusted
People feel undervalued
Rumors start
• Consensus

When decisions have to be made, involve all
those affected by
 Sharing information
 Showing compassion
 Doing your homework
(comprehension)
 Soliciting their input

And then work diligently and
attempt to reach consensus

“How important is employee buy-in? When
an employee buys into your mission, they
become a force for driving your mission.
When an employee doesn't buy in, they are
working against you and your mission.”
Joseph Byrd
http://EzineArticles.com/4325243

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for
consensus but a molder of consensus.”
• Consultation

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If consensus can not be achieved, then all
parties who may be impacted should be
consulted.
One may not always be in agreement with
the decision, but at least
they know they have
been heard.

The leader of the past knew how to tell. The
leader of the future will know how to ask –
Peter Drucker
• Courage
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There are times when the
leader must be willing to
make difficult decisions
This often takes courage
 Hopefully this will be after
going up the pyramid
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However, if time or
circumstances dictate that a
decision be made, the leader
must have the courage to make a decision

You will never do anything in this world
without courage. It is the greatest quality of
the mind next to honor.
Socrates
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How far would Moses have gone if
he had taken a poll in Egypt? What would
Jesus Christ have preached if he had taken a
poll in the land of Israel? What would have
happened to the Reformation if Martin
Luther had taken a poll? It isn't polls or public
opinion of the moment that counts. It's right
and wrong and leadership.
Harry Truman
Leaders possess
courage!
• Compliment/Congratulate/Celebrate

Compliment, Congratulate and Celebrate
 Be quick to compliment and congratulate others
for good work – we all love praise and recognition
▪ This will make the other person want to work even
harder
 Look for excuses to celebrate the
accomplishments of others