Today’s Task – October 11, 2021

If you follow the NFL at all, you know that the first year coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars is on the hot seat. Following last week’s loss, he chose to not return to Florida with the team, opting instead to remain in Ohio. Later, a video surfaced of a young girl appearing to give him a lap dance at a local club. The response from some of his players was that you can’t stand in front of the team, ask them to meet a moral standard, and then act like that! It is no surprise then, that the word is that he has lost the respect of his team.

Want to be successful as a band director? Be a person of character and integrity. If you are going to set the standard, you must also live the standard….every moment of every day. Will you sometimes slip? Of course you will. And when you do, acknowledge it, own it, and fix it. Not only is that the best approach for you, it models to your students a very important lesson. We measure character and integrity not just when you “walk the walk,” but by how you respond when you “trip.”

Today, no every day, I encourage you to consider the importance of being a person of character and integrity. What we say to our students may be of far less value than what we model in our actions. Do it right, and you might have the experience I recently had presenting a leadership workshop in Pennsylvania. A former student was a participant and he expressed to the group that “Mr R is exactly who he says he is.” I took that as a compliment. Just sayin’!

Make Today a Magnificent Day!

Gary L Rupert
Culture Strategist/Coach
II:Leaders Creating:II Leaders
LCL Mentors @ Marching Arts Education