The Heart Led Leader: Frank DeAngelis

         

Photo by Vicki Mokuria

     To start of the new year in the Master's of Arts program in Educational Leadership and Societal Change at Soka University of America, I and five other students are participating in a four-week-course featuring inspiring educational practitioners around the nation.  In this course, we are fully immersed with each guest practitioner as they share their stories and leadership philosophy with us. At the same time, these practitioners receive a full immersion experience themselves of the M.A program and the educational ideals of Soka or value-creating pedagogy. 

     In the first week of this distinguished speakers' course, our class met and participated in a two-day leadership workshop with the former Columbine High School Principal, FrankDeAngelis.  The workshop took us through the spiritual and psychological journey of Frank during and after the 1999 Columbine shooting. He shared about his decision for staying at Columbine and how he transformed the 1999 Columbine, a school of tragedy, into the current Columbine, a school of hope.  

     His down to earth character and his philosophy of love showcased Frank's unique ability to touch people's lives.  I viewed him as a type of leader that is becoming rarer to find in today’s school administrative culture.  His philosophy about loving kids aligned with the philosophy of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the founder of Soka pedagogy.  At the core of both are students' happiness.  Even in his consideration for our class’s different perspectives, Frank modeled this tenet.  One of the highlights of the workshop was our final activity.  We each wrote down our dream on a piece of paper and carried them to the beach where we shared them out loud.  This exchange was a genuine moment where I could feel and appreciate the heart-led leadership.

     There were many sayings that I learned from Frank that concisely and eloquently captured his educational leadership.  These saying are key and ones I am likely to remember: 

1. I’m not a victim, I’m a victor
2. Your job title might change but you won’t change
3.  It’s all about people, not about test-scores
4.  Don’t underestimate the power of community, caring, and community service
5.  Are you popular or are you respected?
6.  Lead from the heart
7.  Whatever you decide, prioritize it!
8. Parents need to be parents
9. The door is always open
10. Passion is not an issue for you guys

     The last one is more for us but they all reflect Frank’s lofty journey throughout his life and career as an educational leader of more than twenty years.  One thing Frank kept repeating was that each person has leadership skills.  I remember, to instill this point, he asked each of us what opportunities we had to develop our leadership skills?  Through sharing, we came to the realization that just by being on this earth, we had opportunities to develop our leadership skills as a mother, daughter, friend, student, Buddhist, Christian, and so forth.  Moreover, we not only can develop our own inner leader, but we can contribute to helping those around us see their own leadership potential. 

     If you are a leader, as everyone is, I feel it is crucial we start perceiving and nurturing the potential of those right in front of us. While our society today sees power, fame, and money as the most desirable traits of a leader, we can be a different example.  We can lead by our heart, with love and compassion.  We can engage with others on an equal level and raise capable youth as they explore and find their own voice in this world. From Frank, I learned that wearing your heart on your sleeve is the greatest badge of honor you could wear.