What Can Yogurt Teach Us about Educational Leadership?

As an example of uncommon leadership, Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO of Chobani, recently surprised workers at his company with an unlikely statement:

"We used to work together, and now we're partners," he told them as he announced that each person would own own 10% stake in the company when it goes public.

The subsequent outpouring of gratitude and shedding of tears from his employees is simultaneously emotional and inspirational, especially in light of the true weight of Ulukaya's decision: each person stands to make a substantial amount of money ("hundreds of thousands of dollars," the article states) when all is said and done.

Upon hearing of this uncommon move, fellow EdTechManiac, Blair Einfeldt, and I engaged in a bit of dialogue about how a similar scenario would play out in the educational world.

Obviously, a school official cannot offer his or her staff members Chobani kind of money; it is just not a possibility. However, if a school's admin truly loved and cherished her or his faculty - or a classroom teacher held students in such a high regard - as much as Ulukaya does his workers, what kind of results would there be?

Well, here is an example of what it sometimes looks like now:

@blaireinfeldt @tigercoachw $10 gift cards to Starbucks...

— Darin Anderson (@coachdarin22) April 27, 2016

What Could it look like?

This?

@coachdarin22 @tigercoachw Do administrators teach alongside? Do they join the teacher's union and fight for proper compensation?

— Blair Einfeldt (@blaireinfeldt) April 27, 2016

Or this?

@coachdarin22 @tigercoachw This is no knock on any current or former admin but here is an example in education IMO https://t.co/6Zm0ISuDaX

— Blair Einfeldt (@blaireinfeldt) April 27, 2016 

I argue that if a teacher or administrator or staff member goes above and beyond what the written job description is, then he or she is on the fast track to Chobani-level sincerity and goodness.

I recently wrote a post about Ron Clark and his ability to make fun and relationships and respect and learning all part of a regular school day. But Clark's is just one example of the many selfless and sincere acts out there that might compare to Ulukaya's.

What are yours?