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PRE-SPRING CONFERENCE

BY DON HARRIS
Secrets to Successful Leadership Aren’t Really Secret

AASBO members heard some sage advice from a former military a major contribution to education, and operate very complex and
o cer who told them: “You can do anything, but you cannot do sophisticated organizations.
everything.” What’s more, we ask no room or tolerance for error, Brown said –
Walter “Skip” Brown, Senior Program Manager for Valley 99.9 percent isn’t good enough. For example, he said, if 99.9 percent
Schools, was the pre-conference keynote speaker for Transportation were good enough, 1.4 million books would be shipped with the
and Facilities, Maintenance and Operations at AASBO’s Spring wrong cover and hundreds of entries in a popular dictionary would
Conference on April 4, in Laughlin, Nevada. Brown, a retired U.S. be misspelled.
Army o cer with 22 years of service and 16 years at Paradise Valley School employees are “one of the most respected and at the same
Uni ed School District before joining Valley Schools, focused on time disrespected occupations in the world,” Brown said, adding
the secrets to successful leadership. that at times some are almost afraid to say what their job is.
First of all, he said, there are no secrets. “We have to rely on one AASBO members are all on the same team, developing better
another. Somebody has experienced the problem you’re about to ways to their speci c occupations. “We provide a vital service to
have,” Brown said. education, and we are all too busy to do one more thing,” Brown
Having worked in the education eld for a number of years, said. “Some of you are on cell phones while I speak, trying to keep
Brown knows about school business o cials. “ e folks who track of what’s going on back home. But, we are never too busy
work in and around public education are proud, caring, highly to help each other. at’s what we do and who we are. We are all
quali ed professionals – it’s amazing the depth of knowledge in focused on one mission – student achievement. We actively seek to
this room,” he said. Additionally, AASBO members provide the
safest environment for our kids in classrooms and on buses, make CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

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24 THE EDGE SUMMER 2018
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