Still More Leadership Lessons from a Bus Driver

This fall I wrote two short articles about a bus driver and the positive influence he had on a great many people. He was truly a model leader. Many people who read these articles expressed their appreciation to me for writing about Jerry Lee and how he made a difference in so many lives.

Basically, the messages were about humility and serving and caring about others, everyone in our communities. It is so important to let people know “we are there for them”, there to listen, truly listen, to be encouraging, to let them know they are special and have special gifts, and that we are rooting for them.

Well, by my good fortune, I have gotten to know another bus driver who exemplifies effective leadership.

Mike Way is pastor of the Assemblies of God Church in Charlevoix, which is a beautiful town in Northern Michigan. He is also a school bus driver.

Being a pastor, Mike believes it is important for him to be a respected presence in the Charlevoix community, to lead a life that people of all faiths admire. He is friendly and out-going, which is important in his role as a pastor, as it is for any community leader.

Some years ago, there was a need for school bus drivers in Charlevoix. That opportunity appealed to Mike as it was and is an important role in the town, and he would get to know a lot of children and their parents, which is important to him as someone who loves the community in which he grew up, and also as pastor of his church.

In our recent conversation, Mike explained one of his views on the handling of COVID-19, that he wishes we did not use the term “social distancing”, that he rather we say “physical distancing”, that yes, we try to stay 6 feet away from another person, and that we realize how important it is that we remain socially connected. He values relationships dearly, as we all should.

Mike shared he feels being a school bus driver is rewarding as we could well be the first responsible adult that some kids may see in the morning. So, if we greet them warmly and show that we care about them and want them to succeed even in only that day, it may help them develop a better perspective of themselves.  With many broken homes today, kids are the true victims and they suffer behind the scenes, which can go unnoticed. If we understand that, it helps us help them, even if it is just with respect and care with our warm smile and hello in the morning, and have a great rest of your day in the afternoon.

Our respect and warm greeting similarly can mean a lot to children who are fortunate and are not from broken homes. We all benefit from knowing we are cared for.

Further, Mike said another thing we do is drive the sports teams. He has found that we are also a contributor to their successes by making the athletes feel proud they are representing our school and giving them first-class treatment and respect to and from the games. We are there to provide service to them whether in the classroom or the athletic field or courts.

We are here on earth to serve and love one another. Mike, the pastor, and school bus driver promotes and exemplifies this.

We certainly expect leadership from the pastor of a church or other heads of a house of worship – and it is important to realize that highly effective leaders, in fact, lead with humility and empathy. They “are there for others”. It is who they are.

This is another example of a bus driver having a positive influence on the lives of many.