The Gift of Gold: Leading with Integrity and Honor

Gifts of Leadership Series, Post One

December always pulls me into a different kind of reflection. Maybe it’s the quiet of early mornings sitting enjoying the twinkle of my Christmas tree lights, or the way the Christmas story settles into my thoughts at this time of year. I keep circling back to the three gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. Each one carried a purpose. Each one revealed something about who He was. As I’ve been thinking about leadership, I realized those gifts offer lessons for us, too. This month, I’m sharing a series of reflections that connect the gifts of the Magi to the gifts leaders bring into the spaces they serve. 

When the wise men reached Jesus, they laid the first gift before Him: gold. It was a gift that signaled worth and honor. Gold has always carried a sense of purity and strength, but it also holds something deeper. It reflects value. The wise men weren’t simply giving treasure; they were recognizing who was before them.

In leadership, we don’t gift gold in a box. Gold shows up in the outcomes that emerge when we do what is right instead of what is easy. The results reveal choices made with purpose.

I remember one summer sitting around a table with my assistant principal and a group of teacher leaders. We held this little data retreat in a relaxed pool setting. Our accountability data had arrived, and it was clear that if we wanted different results, we couldn’t keep doing business as usual. We presented a plan to change the master schedule, giving students a double dose of reading and math. The tradeoff was losing some core time in other areas, but we would gain consistent intervention and enrichment for every student. It wasn’t a decision we could make quietly. It meant every teacher would be affected.

Some nodded with confidence, while others sat back weighing the impact of implementing this revised schedule on themselves. Changing a schedule sounds simple enough until you start shifting minutes, reassigning coverage, adjusting routines, and creating expectations that people are comfortable with. But we moved forward together. We stayed at the table, listened, adjusted, and committed to a plan that honored what students needed more than what adults preferred. This group of teachers later led the discussion with the rest of the faculty during our pre-planning meeting. 

It took more time, more flexibility, and strategic problem-solving than I expected. Yet when the end-of-year accountability outcomes came in, the results were undeniable. When intervention became consistent and instruction became targeted, our student growth took off. State data revealed 100+ points earned in ELA and 95 points in mathematics. Achievement strengthened because we anchored ourselves in doing what was best for the students. That year, the data became our gold.

Late-Lee, the gift of gold reminds me that the shine is never in the decision itself. It is in the outcomes that follow when a team chooses to do the right work. The wise men offered gold to the King. Leaders uncover gold when they decide what actions benefit students most.

Leader Reflection

In what area does my data indicate I need to choose what is right over what is comfortable to meet student needs?

Leader Move

Identify an action that could produce long-term gold (positively impacting data) even if the cost of implementing the action seems too high right now. Bring your team to the table, show each person the why, and commit to leading through the discomfort because I promise you, when shifting adult behaviors, you will encounter discomfort. Effective leaders don’t say this is the plan and move through it without deviating. They use data to measure the quality of the implementation and pivot when necessary.