Teach for America's Lesson Plan for Leadership

Attention recruiters: If you are looking for men and women to fill senior leadership positions in a decade or two, look no further than Teach for America.

This thought crossed my mind as my wife who was writing a recommendation for an applicant read me what the federally sponsored teacher development program desired in its candidates.

There are no slackers in Teach for America. It looks for men and women who show "evidence" of such things as: achievement, perseverance, critical thinking, organizational skills, respect for others, interpersonal skills and a "desire to work relentlessly in pursuit of our vision."

Of all of these desired attributes two command our attention, not only for teachers but also for the leaders of today and tomorrow. They are perseverance and critical thinking.

Perseverance is an attribute that all good leaders manifest. Of late it is something that lately has been given short shrift. Perhaps it is because for so long we coddled ourselves in the spirit of entitlement that has passed burdens of the day into the future. Working hard against the odds seems contrary to a celebrity culture that has lulled us into thinking all will be well. The crash of 2008 and the subsequent destruction of wealth and eight million jobs have taught us otherwise.

Leaders today need to be tough and resilient. They need to buck the odds in order to succeed. And that means there are few, if any overnight successes. So much of work today is rough sledding and it takes men and women of strong hear to persevere.

Critical thinking is the aspect of leadership that will point us in the right direction. The beauty of the American management model is that it is action oriented; we know how to get things done. The downside is we may not take the time to think about where we are headed as well as the choices we will make along the way.

If we are to navigate the challenges of the day we will need sharp thinkers who are comfortable with ambiguity. More and more uncertainty rules, a leader who can reason, weigh alternatives, and insist on deliberation and alternatives will be the one who helps the organization survive.

Augmenting these two attributes are the humanistic values Teach for America seeks: diversity, dignity and respect. Such may be in short supply in some sectors but when you look at executives that employees trust you will find them. Good leaders treat others as they wish to be treated and employees as contributors.

While I would certainly advise human resource directors to look for men and whom who have taught in the Teach for America program, I would hope that that such committed and accomplished individuals remain in the teaching profession. As the program states "successful teachers are also accomplished leaders." Our nation will need such leaders if we are to educate our children to assume levels of responsibility that will be required to meet and surmount the challenges of the 21^st century.

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John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership development consultant, executive coach, author, and speaker. In 2010, Top Leadership Gurus named John one of the world's top 25 leadership experts. John's newest book is 12 Steps to Power Presence: How to Assert Your Authority to Lead. (Amacom 2010). Readers are welcome to visit John's website, www.johnbaldoni.com