• “Leadership is authenticity.”
• “Leaders have to understand that it’s not about them; it’s about others.“
• “It takes courage to be a leader.“

These quotes could be highlighted in major business publications’ explorations of what it takes to be a strong leader:

• Authentic leadership, as described in Forbes.
• Servant leadership, as explained in Forbes.
• The courage required by leaders, as examined in Inc.

In fact, the comments originated with school district leaders who will be receiving honors in Education Week‘s Leaders To Learn From event next March, and their views could be as applicable to chief executives running education businesses, as to chief administrators running schools.

Four early winners are in the spotlight for their outstanding contributions to students and schools. Twelve more will be announced in early February. You can catch a few comments from our early winners in this brief video.

The quote about authenticity and the one about courage originate with Tiffany Anderson, the superintendent in the Jennings, Mo., district. She demonstrates how high-poverty communities can improve academic achievement by focusing on meeting the needs of students inside and outside the classroom.

The “servant leadership” approach, central to the theme it’s “not about them; it’s about others,” comes from Terry B. Grier, the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District. He and Houston’s Chief Technology Officer Lenny J. Schad are being recognized for their leadership example of how to set the bar in managing the digital transformation of a large urban school system. 

Find out more about Leaders To Learn From, and register here for the live event that will honor the 16 leaders on March 18 in Washington, D.C.