A TRIBUTE TO JAMES H. DUNCAN

 
 
 

TRIBUTE TO JAMES H. DUNCAN, PRINCIPAL BYRD HIGH SCHOOL,
SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA,
1955 to 1970

Article by Herb Rubenstein
President and Founder, Herb Rubenstein Consulting

Introduction

As a result of attending a dinner of the Strategic Leadership Network of Washington, DC where Katherine Elberfeld spoke on the topic of Servant Leadership, I got back in touch with the qualities that made James H. Duncan an exceptional principal of Byrd High School during my years from 1966 to 1970. I wanted to list these qualities not only to express my personal gratitude to Mr. Duncan, but to provide a list of qualities that all leaders should seek to demonstrate in their lives. Since I graduated in 1970, I decided to stop at 70 qualities which he possessed that represent in my view the foundations of leadership.

I do not know what training Mr. Duncan received to develop these qualities, but I do know that leaders today would do well to have even half of these qualities under their belt. I think Mr. Duncan came close to demonstrating each of them on a regular basis. His leadership qualities were:

  1. High energy, inspirational
  2. Directness, yet personable
  3. Clarity
  4. Used words very carefully, not verbose
  5. Presented himself as working for a cause
  6. Lived what he preached
  7. Set high standards/goals for himself and others
  8. Had managerial talent and expertise and the ability to create and express vision
  9. Cared for and was concerned about people
  10. Nurturer
  11. Creative
  12. Had definiteness of purpose; clear about the "why"
  13. Always believed he had a "clear shot" at the desired outcome or goal
  14. Patient (calm and resolved), yet impatient (had a sense of urgency)
  15. Motivator
  16. Resourceful
  17. Networker and team builder
  18. Multi-tasker
  19. Coach, more than a manager
  20. Enabler of learning
  21. Encouraged innovation
  22. Encouraged teamwork and hard work
  23. Led people more often than managed people
  24. Loved to watch students and faculty grow and develop personally
  25. Authentic
  26. Inquiring
  27. Learning
  28. Humble, not arrogant
  29. Brilliant
  30. Accepting of each person
  31. Courageous
  32. Spontaneous
  33. Consensus gatherer
  34. Appreciated differing points of view (to a point)
  35. Made sure "his" success showed up as "your" success
  36. Mentor
  37. Facilitator of success
  38. Thought in terms of models
  39. Truthful, High Integrity, Honest
  40. Logical
  41. Not quick to claim credit for himself
  42. Made sure he both heard and "listened to"
  43. His main purpose of speaking was enrollment
  44. Appreciated humor and knew how to use it
  45. Acknowledged strengths of others
  46. Valued others' contributions
  47. Exceptional emotional and mental strength
  48. Had a plan to achieve his goals
  49. Sought out opportunities to lead
  50. Willingness to listen
  51. Ability to be non-judgmental
  52. Was demanding of himself and others and never demeaning
  53. Always had a positive attitude
  54. Could give a label to an "impossible to define" subject to make it stick (for example "Byrd High Spirit")
  55. Had a commanding physical presence, aura
  56. Could lead people in ‘guided discovery' to help them lead, perform, excel
  57. Saw that he had a duty to guide and lead people
  58. Sought to involve many people in the development of processes and creating the action steps that would lead to success
  59. Open and available for consultation
  60. Talked to people in a way to help them become their "better self"
  61. Loved what he did
  62. Dedication
  63. Person of strong faith
  64. Person who knew that "faith trumps fear"
  65. Inclusive of others
  66. Self-confident
  67. Focused on others and their performances
  68. "We" oriented, rather than "I" oriented
  69. Enthusiastic
  70. Great, resonating voice

Conclusion

If you knew Mr. Duncan, you experienced him demonstrating many, if not all of these traits. For those who did not know James H. Duncan, I hope this list gives you some indication of key leadership traits for you to develop and deploy.

Biographical Information

Herb Rubenstein is an attorney and the CEO of Herb Rubenstein Consulting, a leadership and management consulting firm. He is co-author of Breakthrough, Inc. – High Growth Strategies for Entrepreneurial Organizations (Prentice Hall/Financial Times, 1999). His email address is herb@herbrubenstein.com and he can be reached at (301) 718-4200 in Bethesda, Maryland or (202) 236-7626 in Washington, D.C.

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© 2007 Herb Rubenstein Consulting