Leading from the Kitchen: Where Service Meets Strategy

What does leadership look like?

As an educational administrator helping schools shape and strengthen their culture, I think about that question often. With so many demands placed on school leaders regarding strategic planning, curriculum development, crisis response and many other; it’s easy to lose sight of what leadership truly means¹. But a lesson I learned decades ago, during a college internship at a senior center, continues to guide every decision I make.

I still remember the day I met Ms. Cutchins, the director of a community senior center. During our first meeting, she asked me what I envisioned for my future. I confidently told her that I saw myself running a center one day. She lit up with enthusiasm and promised to help prepare me. That moment marked the beginning of one of the most formative experiences of my life².

When my first day arrived, I showed up early, just as she had instructed, dressed to impress. I wore a suit, a sharp shirt, and even wingtip shoes. I looked like a Wall Street executive ready to take the helm. Ms. Cutchins cheerfully greeted me, gave me a tour of the facility, introduced me to the staff, and then showed me to a beautiful office with a view. I was buzzing with excitement.

But then, everything changed.

She came to get me and said it was time to meet the members. After a few warm greetings in the lobby, she gently led me to the kitchen. “Take off your blazer,” she said with a smile. “Put this apron and hairnet on.” Before I could fully process it, I was standing in the dining hall handing out fruit and milk, right alongside her. After breakfast, we wiped tables. We stocked supplies. We took inventory. We spoke with members and cleaned up once again. It was a full day of humble, hands-on work³.

At the end of the day, Ms. Cutchins sat down with me and shared something I’ve never forgotten. She said, “If your vision of leadership doesn’t include doing the work yourself, it’s not a complete vision. A true leader motivates from any spot on the line; not just the front.”

That moment redefined my understanding of leadership. She wasn’t just giving me a task; she was modeling what it meant to lead with humility, empathy, and service⁴.

Now, decades later, as I support schools in cultivating strong, inclusive cultures, I still carry that lesson. School leadership isn’t about staying in an office or issuing directives from a distance. It’s about being present in classrooms, greeting students in the halls, helping in the cafeteria, listening to teachers’ concerns, and pitching in whenever and wherever help is needed⁵.

In schools, culture isn’t shaped by slogans on a wall or memos from above. It’s shaped by the everyday actions of those who lead. When school leaders roll up their sleeves, they build trust. When they walk the talk, they foster respect. When they serve as part of the team they create a culture where everyone feels seen, valued, and inspired to give their best⁶.

Ms. Cutchins taught me that leadership is not about status; it’s about service. That principle has stood the test of time and continues to anchor me in my work today⁷.

So I’ll leave you with the same question she left me with all those years ago: “Are you willing to lead from any spot in the line?”

References:

Bass, Bernard M. "Leadership and performance beyond expectations." (1985): Free Press; Collier Macmillan.
Blanchard, Ken H. "Situational leadership II: The integrating concept." Leadership and the one minute manager. William Morrow (1985).
Greenleaf, Robert K. "The servant as leader." (1970): The Greenleaf Center.
Bennis, Warren G. "On becoming a leader." (1989): Basic Books.
Maxwell, John C. "The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership: Follow them and people will follow you." (1998): Thomas Nelson.
Schein, Edgar H. "Organizational culture and leadership." (2010): Jossey-Bass.
Collins, Jim. "Good to great: Why some companies make the leap... and others don't." (2001): HarperBusiness.