Wk 4 Leadership Post: Role Model Reflection

My Mom and I at... Chick-Fil-A

The first leader that I would like to talk about here is... my mom. I know that this sounds weird and childish, but everything I learned about leading people I learned from her. My mom, Angela Cormier, has worked for Sam’s Club for over 20 years. She started when I was only a toddler. She worked really hard and everyone around her respected her because of her hard work and dedication. It was this respect and her own dedication that gave her the courage to apply for the management program when I was in high school. It came as a shock to her and was no surprise to everyone else that she was accepted right away. She moved away from her hometown and her beloved daughter to pursue her dream of leading her own department. She has since been transferred back home and is working as a manager under the same man as when she was a mere employee. In watching her lead and speaking with those that she leads, I have found that what gives her such respect with the people she is in charge of.... she hasn’t forgotten what it is like to be in their shoes. She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and do the work with them instead of simply watching them do it. There exists a high level of accountability and expectation between her and her team. I think that this is because they know that she expects it because she can make it happen herself, but trusts them to do it just as good. She has taught me that people will live up to your expectations.... so why not set them high. Her love for the company and her expectation of success has gained her respect all the way up to the top of her management chain. She has now gained enough confidence in herself that she is striving for the top and would love a club of her own. As much as I look up to her as a leader, I am also just as proud of her for her courageous leadership style.

I have taken what I have learned from her into every job that I have worked. I give 110% and expect the best out of the people that answer to me. I think that this is why my students have excelled so 
much under my tutelage. 

Principal Jeri Michie
Gateway Academy

Another leader that I am striving to be like is my principal, Jeri Michie. She leads in such a way that you know that she has your back. Her love of learning is contagious and trickles all the way down to every student in the school. As a teacher, I knew that I could not only come to her for professional advice but also classroom teaching advice. She is another leader that started at the bottom and worked her way to the top. Every time I went to her she not only shared ways that worked for her, but also ways that had worked for other teachers as well. She never cared which option was chosen as long as the student’s needs were put first. I have read and heard about awful dictator like principals and I have been blessed to work with a fellow teacher, who happened to also be the principal. If I ever reach the point in my life where I become a principal, I hope that I can lead as well as she does!


Unfortunately in some ways, I try to keep myself sheltered and naive. I haven’t really accepted the fact that I am a grown up and should be paying attention to grown up things. Because of this, I do not know of any leaders outside of my little “bubble.” I like the way the Steve Jobs ran Apple, but I don’t know any details about what/how he did it. I like the wasn’t afraid to take risks when he knew that it was a good idea. I also love that Chick-Fil-A has managed to stay true to its Christian believes. I can’t think of any other major restaurant that closes on Sunday. My closest Chick-Fil-A also plays Christian music all day long.

I wish I knew of more leaders out there in the “real world,” but it is something that I am striving to learn more about. I am finally starting to “feel” like a grown up and I am sure that sooner rather than later I will become more aware of what is going on in this crazy world that we live in.