RESOURCES 

LEADERSHIP LANGUAGE 

PLAYBOOK 

- TABLE OF CONTENTS -

BETWEEN TEACHER AND CHILD

by Haim Ginott

I’ve come to a frightening conclusion. 

I am the decisive element in the classroom.

It’s my personal approach that

creates the climate. It’s my daily

mood that makes the weather.

As a teacher, I possess tremendous

power to make a child’s life

miserable or joyous. I can be

a tool of torture or an instrument

of inspiration. I can humiliate or

humor, hurt or heal. 

In all situations,

it's my response that decides

whether a crisis will be 

escalated or de-escalated, 

a child humanized or dehumanized.

THE (4)G's of GREATNESS 

GROW

GIVE

GRIT

GRATITUDE 

(GrAttitude)

THE (4) I's of INSPIRATION

IMAGINE

INTENT

INITIATE

INSTILL

The (3) S's of SUCCESS

SMALL SIMPLE STEPS

SERMONS WE SEE

by Edgar Guest

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day;

I'd rather one should walk with me

than merely tell the way.

The eye's a better pupil and

more willing than the ear,

Fine counsel is confusing,

but example's always clear;

And the best of all the preachers

are the men who live their creeds,

For to see good put in action

is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it

if you'll let me see it done;

I can watch your hands in action,

but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lecture you deliver

may be very wise and true,

But I'd rather get my lessons

by observing what you do;

For I might misunderstand you

and the high advise you give,

But there's no misunderstanding

how you act and how you live.

When I see a deed of kindness,

I am eager to be kind.

When a weaker brother stumbles

and a strong man stays behind

Just to see if he can help him,

then the wish grows strong in me

To become as big and thoughtful

as I know that friend to be.

And all travelers can witness

that the best of guides today

Is not the one who tells them,

but the one who shows the way.

One good man teaches many,

men believe what they behold;

One deed of kindness noticed

is worth forty that are told.

Who stands with men of honor

learns to hold his honor dear,

For right living speaks a language

which to every one is clear.

Though an able speaker charms me

with his eloquence, I say,

I'd rather see a sermon

than to hear one, any day.

WRITE IT ON YOUR HEART

by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write it on your heart that every day is the 

best day in the year. He is rich who owns the 

day, and no one owns the day who allows it

to be invaded with fret and anxiety. 

Finish every day and be done with it. 

You have done what you could. 

Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt 

crept in.  Forget them as soon as you can,

tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and 

serenely, with too high a spirit to be 

cumbered with your old nonsense. 

This new day is too dear, with its hopes 

and invitations, to waste a moment 

on the yesterdays.

WHO AM I ?

I am your constant companion. I am your 

greatest helper or heaviest burden. 

I will push you onward or drag you down 

to failure. I am completely at your command. 

Half the things you do you might just as well 

turn over to me, and I will be able to do them 

quickly and correctly. I am easily managed -

you must merely be firm with me. Show me 

exactly how you want something done, and 

after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great people; 

and alas, of all failures as well.

Those who are failures, I have made failures. 

I am not a machine, though I work with all

 the precision of a machine, plus the 

intelligence of a human being. You may run

 me for a profit or turn me for ruin, it makes

no difference to me. Take me, train me, be 

firm with me, and I will place the world at 

your feet. Be easy with me, and I will 

destroy you.  

 Who am I?  

I am habit.

WHAT HAVE I TRADED?

by Heartsill Wilson

This is the beginning of a new day.

God has given me this today to use as

I will. I can waste it or I can use it for

good. What I do today is very

important because I’m exchanging

a day of my life for it. When

tomorrow comes, this day will be

gone forever, leaving something in its

place I've traded for it.  I want it to be

gain, not loss; good not evil; success,

not failure; in order that I shall

not forget the price I paid for it.

(Excerpt from the book)

'Extreme Focus' by Pat Williams

WORDS

by T. L. Gargiulo

Your life is led by the words you

spread. The best advice, be clear

& concise. Uplifting & constructive,

positive & productive. So pay 

attention to how you speak.  

It can make you strong or 

it can make you weak. 

Schools may not teach us

all that needs to be taught,

like 'everything begins and 

ends with our thoughts'.

Our self-talk speaks to us 

both good and bad voices, 

that manifest into each of 

our life-changing choices.

Stand guard at the walls of

your mind's silent speech,

It'll generate a growth mindset

and provide longest reach.

THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER'S HAND

- Myra 'Brooks' Welch

'Twas battered and scarred, and the

auctioneer thought it scarcely worth

his while to waste much time on the

old violin, but held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, good folks," he

cried, "Who'll start the bidding for

me?" "A dollar, a dollar"; then two!"

"Only two? Two dollars, and who'll

make it three? Three dollars, once;

three dollars twice; going for three.."

but no, from the room far back, a

gray-haired man came forward and

picked up the bow; then wiping the

dust from the old violin, and

tightening the loose strings, he

played a melody pure and sweet as

caroling angels sing. the music ceased,

and the auctioneer, with a voice that

was quiet and low, said; "what am i bid

for the old violin?" and he held it up

with the bow. a thousand dollars, and

who'll make it two? two thousand! and

who'll make it three? three thousand

going once, three thousand, twice and

going and gone, said he. the people

cheered, but someof them cried, "we

don't quite understand what changed

its worth." swift came the reply: "the

touch of a master's hand." and many

a man with life out of tune, and

battered and scarred with sin, is

auctioned cheap to the thoughtless

crowd much like the old violin, a

"mess of pottage", a glass of wine; a

game - and he travels on. "he's going

once" and "going twice, he's going and

almost gone." But the Master comes,

and the foolish crowd never can quite

understand the worth of a soul

and the change that's wrought by

the touch of the Master's Hand.

THE STORY OF BEST & BETTER

PART 1

GOOD BETTER BEST

GOOD BETTER BEST

NEVER LET IT REST

UNTIL YOUR GOOD IS BETTER

AND YOUR BETTER IS BEST.

PART 2

NEVER REST ON YOUR BEST.

PART 3

'BEST-TO-BETTER'

'BEST' IS WHAT YOU'VE

DONE IN THE PAST.

'BETTER' IS WHAT YOU'LL

DO IN THE FUTURE.

PART 4

NEVER TRY TO BE "THE" BEST,

BUT ALWAYS DO "YOUR" BEST.

PART 5

DO YOUR BEST

FORGET THE REST

RUDYARD KIPLING QUOTE

No written word

nor spoken plea

can teach the kids

what they should be. 

Nor all the books

on all the shelves,

it's what the teachers 

are themselves.

THE BUTTERFLY STRUGGLES

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared.

He sat and watched the butterfly for

several hours as it struggled to force

its body through that little hole. Until

it suddenly stopped making any

progress and looked like it was stuck.

So the man decided to help the

butterfly. He took a pair of scissors

and snipped off the rest of the

cocoon. The butterfly then emerged

easily, although it had a swollen body

and small, shriveled wings. The man

didn't think anything of it and sat

there waiting for the wings to enlarge

to support the butterfly. But it

never happened. The butterfly then

spent the rest of its life unable to fly,

crawling around with tiny wings and

a swollen body. Despite the kind

heart of the man, he didn’t

understand that the restricting

cocoon and the struggle needed by

the butterfly to get itself through the

small opening were God's way of

forcing fluid from the body of the

butterfly into its wings. This struggle

would prepare and strengthen the

butterfly for flying once it was out

of the cocoon. Our struggles in life

develop our strengths. Without

struggles, we never grow and

never get stronger, so it's important

for us to tackle certain challenges

on our own, and to not always

be so reliant on help from other. 

Sometimes struggles are exactly what 

we need in our lives. If God allowed us 

to go through our lives without any 

obstacles, it would cripple us. We 

would not be as strong as what 

we could have been. We could never fly.

I asked for Strength ….. And God 

gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom ….. And God 

gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity ….. And God 

gave me a brain and brawn to work.

I asked for Courage ….. And God 

gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love …. And God 

gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors ….. And God 

gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted...

 And I received everything I needed!

THE VELVET-COVERED BRICK

(Excerpt from: "Habitudes")

"Images That Form Leadership Habits & Attitudes"

by Dr. Tim Elmore

"Good leaders possess both

strength and sensitivity.

They are tough and tender.

Because they are emotionally

secure, they're able to handle

confrontation and conflict

in a healthy way."

3 FROGS SITTIN' ON A LOG

Three frogs sittin' on a log.

One frog 'decides' to jump off.

How many frogs are left?

There's still three! ...but why?

Because the frog only 'decided'

in his mind. He never took the

'action-step' to execute by

getting up & actually following

through on what he'd decided

he was going to do.

Moral:

Well done is better

than well said, & actions speak 

louderthan words.

So always 'lead from the front'.

Great leaders say, "Follow me!",

Bad leaders say, "Go get 'em!"

THE DASH

By Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak

at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on the tombstone

from the beginning, to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth

and spoke the following date with tears.

But he said what mattered most of all

was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

that they spent alive on earth.

And now only those who loved them

know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,

the cars, the house, the cash.

What matters is how we live and love

and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.

Are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

to consider what's true and real,

and always try to understand

the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

and show appreciation more,

and love the people in our lives

like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

and more often wear a smile,

remembering this special dash

might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read

with your life's actions to rehash,

would you be proud of the things they say

about how you spent YOUR dash?