“If you ever see a turtle on a fence post, you know it didn’t get there by itself.”
Serving as chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party and as the boss of folks with whom I work, I have kept a printed copy of this photo in my desk.
In having a reminder close at hand that my own success has always involved the teamwork of others, my personal goal is to be a servant leader, not one who finds a parade, then jumps in front to take credit.
In recent days, news outlets have reported on lots of leaders, such as the executives at the helm of Erlanger hospital who were awarded performance bonuses (which have now been delayed); the recent selection of Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam as chairman of the Republican Governors Association; the selection of U. S. Sen. Bob Corker as incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; the selection of U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander as incoming chairman of the Senate Health, Labor, Education & Pensions Committee; as well as recent leadership elections in Tennessee’s General Assembly.
To these and all leaders, whether you have a reminder already, or just need a little refresher, don’t forget how you got on top of that fence post to be seen, to lead and to govern.