Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, January 6, 2018

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 6, 2018 EDUCATION & YOUTH 7 Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 6, 2018 EDUCATION & YOUTH 7 
GOLDENWORDS: 

Dr. Dan’s College Corner 

LEADERSHIP MATTERS FOR HIGH 
SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS 

What is “leadership” and why do Student Activities 
Directors, Deans and other institutional leaders and 
employers always seem to be emphasizing this term?

Your journey to adulthood through your education 
is giving you a special “toolkit” for leadership in the 
ways you are being trained as a student to examine 
complex and often colliding issues, research for 
authentic evidence, and build your case based on that 
evidence and logical reasoning.

Turns out, these educational skills are essential 
to all varieties of leadership, and the very nature of 
leadership is evolving into models unheard of as 
recently as 20 years ago. The old authoritarian and 
hierarchical model of top-down, “do what I tell you to 
do” leadership isn’t fully obsolete--in certain military, 
medical and natural disaster situations we still often 
must rely on the decisiveness and vision (and valor, 
sometimes) of that person at the top of the chain of 
command. 

Many students begin their definition of leadership 
with this hierarchical model and the ambitious among 
you seek out these positional leadership roles in clubs, 
on teams, and in society in general. They associate 
bossing people around and delegating duties with the 
higher goals of being a positional leader, which is to 
move forward a group, a company, a nation itself.

The many emerging alternative versions of leadership 
are directly connected to innovations in your schooling 
at all levels. With more emphasis on collaborative 
learning and team projects in most academic 
disciplines, students are beginning to understand that 
all of us can lead in different ways. This is a good thing, 
because employers often complain about new college 
grads they hire as selfish and self-focused (two slightly 
different things), who can’t give themselves over to the 
goals of their team and the organization itself, whether 
corporate or not-for-profit in nature.

Small wonder that a student’s history of success in 
clubs or on athletic teams is one pulse-point that hiring 
organizations seek out in evaluating candidates. In ice 
hockey, for instance, one yardstick of leadership is 
one’s “Plus/Minus” rating. Whether titular leader or 
regular player, you get plus points for being on the ice 
when your team scores, regardless of your role in the 
winning play; conversely, even if you’re not to blame, 
you get minus points for being on the ice when the 
opposition scores. This statistical tool is trying to 
assess something elusive and essential to a winning 
team--your ineffable role in making something good 
happen for your group.

In a similar vein, consider the invisible indispensabilityof certain soccer players at the highest levels ofprofessional play. The great defensive midfielder from 

Barcelona, Sergio 
Busquets, makes 
good things happenwhen he is on the 
field. As Ray Hudson,
the legendary Scotsman 
who does color 
commentary for 


the Spanish La Liga games has rightly noted: “If youwatch the game, you never see Busquets; if you watchBusquets, you see the whole game.” 

So, there are ways for you to discover and cultivate 
your own leadership style both inside the classroom 
and everywhere else. Can you persuade others of 
your point of view while being respectful of their 
perspective, or are you dismissive, disdainful, 
insulting? Can you rise to eloquence in small 
dorm hallway conversations or in front of formal 
audiences? If you have a gift for being a charismatic 
speaker or presenter, that’s great. So were Hitler and 
cult religious leader Jim Jones! Your charisma should 
emerge from the ways you link your own passion 
and conviction with that of your audience, always 
tempered and guided by your sense of what’s best for 
the public good. 

You can lead in relational contexts every time you 
are kind or compassionate or supportive to friends 
or co-workers, and if nobody notices your actions 
but you, that’s all the better! As the great Jewish 
philosopher Maimonides noted almost 1000 years 
ago, the highest form of service or charity is that 
which is performed anonymously. 

In a future column, I’ll talk more about intercultural 
leadership styles, which are fast-emerging as our 
society welcomes more perspectives from women and 
the many representatives of different ethnic groups in 
our schools, universities and workplaces. There is a 
lot to learn from many sources about leadership. 

After all, the inflexible and highly ‘vertical’ 
leadership of the great Roman Empire was defeated 
by what seemed a primitive, unwashed band of 
Germanic tribes. But the leaders of those tribes led 
by example, and ruled by persuasion--exactly the 
change model that worked best at that moment of 
history. What’s in your leadership wallet?

Dr. Dan Golden was the founding director of Life 
Planning at the Vistamar School in El Segundo. 
He was a professor, program director and Dean for 
Work & Service-Learning at Wheaton College (MA), 
and now consults with individuals, schools and 
educational districts on college access, post-graduate 
study and career planning issues. He can be reached at 
dangolden0@gmail.com. 

SCHOOL DIRECTORY 
Alverno Heights Academy200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024(626) 355-3463 Head of School: Julia V. FanaraE-mail address: jfanara@alvernoheights.org 
Arcadia High School180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007Phone: (626) 821-8370, Principal: Brent Forseebforsee@ausd.net 
Arroyo Pacific Academy41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca,
(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil ClarkeE-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org 
Barnhart School 
240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007(626) 446-5588Head of School: Ethan Williamson 
Kindergarten - 8th gradewebsite: www.barnhartschool.org 
Bethany Christian School93 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 
(626) 355-3527Preschool-TK-8th Grade 
Principal: Dr. William Walnerwebsite: www. bcslions.org 
Clairbourn School 
8400 Huntington DriveSan Gabriel, CA 91775 
Phone: 626-286-3108 ext. 172 
FAX: 626-286-1528 
E-mail: jhawes@clairbourn.org 
Foothill Oaks Academy822 Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010(626) 301-9809Co-Principals Nancy Lopez and Diane Kieffaberinfo@foothilloaksacademy.orgpreschool@foothilloaksacademy.org 
Frostig School971 N. Altadena Drive Pasadena, CA 91107 
(626) 791-1255Head of School: Jenny Janetzke 
Email: jenny@frostig.org 
The Gooden School 
192 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024(626) 355-2410Head of School, Carl Parke 
website: www.goodenschool.org 
High Point Academy1720 Kinneloa Canyon RoadPasadena, Ca. 91107 
Head of School: Gary Stern 626-798-8989 
website: www.highpointacademy.org 
La Salle High School3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 
(626) 351-8951 website: www.lasallehs.org 
Principal Mrs. Courtney Kassakhian 
Monrovia High School325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016(626) 471-2800 Principal Darvin JacksonEmail: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us 
Odyssey Charter School725 W. Altadena Dr. Altadena, Ca. 91001(626) 229-0993 Head of School: Lauren O’Neillwebsite: www.odysseycharterschool.org 
Pasadena High School2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca.
(626) 396-5880 Principal: Roberto Hernandezwebsite: http://phs.pusd.us 
St. Rita Catholic School 
322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024Principal Joan Harabedian (626) 355-9028website: www.st-rita.org 
Sierra Madre Elementary School141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024(626) 355-1428 Principal: Lindsay LewisE-mail address: lewis.lindsay@pusd.us 
Sierra Madre Middle School 
160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024(626) 836-2947 Principal: Garrett NewsomE-mail address: newsom.garrett@pusd.us 
Walden School 
74 S San Gabriel Blvd 
Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166www.waldenschool.net 
Weizmann Day School1434 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, Ca. 91107(626) 797-0204Lisa Feldman: Head of School 
Wilson Middle School 
300 S. Madre St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth EsselnE-mail address: resseln@pusd.us 
Pasadena Unified School District 
351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Ca. 91109(626) 396-3600 Website: www.pusd@pusd.us 
Arcadia Unified School District 
234 Campus Dr., Arcadia, Ca. 91007 
(626) 821-8300 Website: www.ausd.net 
Monrovia Unified School District 
325 E. Huntington Dr., Monrovia, Ca. 91016 
(626) 471-2000Website: www.monroviaschools.net 
Duarte Unified School District 
1620 Huntington Dr., Duarte, Ca. 91010 
(626)599-5000Website: www.duarte.k12.ca.us 
BOSCO TECH’S ADMISSIONS INFORMATION 


NIGHT IS JAN 18 

ROSEMEAD, CA. – January 4, 2017 - Don BoscoTechnical Institute (Bosco Tech) will host anadmissions information night for prospectivestudents and their families on Thursday, January 18,
from 5 to 8 p.m.

Interested middle and elementary school studentsare invited to tour the school’s extensive engineeringand applied science labs and classrooms, andmeet instructors and current students during theevent. Information about shadow visits and tuition 
assistance will be available. 

“Bosco Tech offers a unique and well-roundedcollege-readiness, STEM-focused curriculum,” 
said Principal Xavier Jimenez. “This informationalevening is a great opportunity to learn more aboutwhat our students are accomplishing and to hear 

from them about the Tech.” 

For information about the event or about the 
school, contact Director of Admissions John Garcia 
at jgarcia@boscotech.edu or 626-940-2009.

Bosco Tech is an all-male Catholic high schoolthat combines a rigorous college-preparatoryprogram with a technology-focused education.
The innovative curriculum allows students to 
exceed university admissions requirements whilecompleting extensive integrated coursework in oneof several applied science and engineering fields. Theschool boasts a four-year college acceptance rate of100 percent and approximately 75 percent of BoscoTech graduates have careers in STEM-related fields.
Visit www.boscotech.edu or call 626-940-2000 for 
more information. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com