According to Forbes Magazine, the top ten qualities of any leader are:
1. Honesty – Be honest in your dealings with men.
2. Ability to delegate – Trust
3. Communication – Listening and speaking to others
4. Sense of Humor – Laugh at yourself, laugh with others
5. Confidence – Believe in yourself and others will believe in you
6. Commitment – Passion
7. Positive Attitude – Yes we can
8. Creativity – Imagination
9. Intuition – Spiritual guidance
10. Ability to Inspire – Passion
The lowest voter turnout in any election occurs during local elections when it is most important for citizens to not only be aware of the issues, but be cognizant of the position of the individuals running for office, on those issues.
As the race for Mayor, City Council, School Board Commissioner and other local leadership positions in and around Rochester and Monroe County begins, forums and debates between and among the candidates for these positions will be taking place in various settings at various times.
It is important that the citizens of Rochester attend these forums in order to gain insight into the people they will ultimately elect to lead their local government.
In attending the various introductory sessions and listening to the speakers, voters must be aware of and look for the leadership qualities listed above in the words and deeds of the candidates running for office.
There are eleven candidates running for School Board Commissioner, three incumbents and eight hopefuls. The Democratic primary will lighten the field somewhat, however there will definitely be more candidates than positions to be filled.
All of the candidates will have a vision of what best to do for the district. What is important to remember, though running for the position of School Board Commissioner, we are voting into office, three individuals who we are asking to make important decisions regarding our children’s educational future.
The dialogue must be about our children, not buildings or budgets or testing. Our education leaders must be willing to make tough decisions that will benefit our children, not “the bottom line.”
Attend the forums, listen carefully, choose wisely, our children deserve our best leaders.
Join the Movement to Save our Children!
