Leadership Thought: The School That Was Named After Its Janitor

Dear Friends,

What’s in the name?  Well, let’s ask Steve Hartman, American broadcast journalist who tells the following story. When folks in Swedeborg, Mo. decided to name their elementary school building, everyone knew it had to be named after someone truly special.

When you have your name on a building that’s huge. The name would have to be named after someone who was significant, right?

Throughout history there’ve been many national figures who fit that bill. Also, there are lots of famous Missourians who would have been great choices to have their names inscribed over the front door of the school. But in the end, they went with Claudine Wilson.

Who is that, you might ask?  Meet school custodian, Claudine Wilson.

One of the school students said of her, “You can get her a vacuum cleaner, and she’ll appreciate it because she really likes cleaning.”

Another student commented, “Yeah, she’s like in the zone. She focuses, and she just really dedicates herself to the school.”

Her principal said, “She has given so much to the school, and over the past 30 years, she has taken on a busload of additional responsibilities from transportation coordination, often driving a bus when needed, to filling in for absent secretarial staff.”

From lunch duty to landscaping, from facility operations to fill in operator, she is always doing something to make the school better.

Claudine, Swedeborg’s school janitor does it all. Her “How  can I help you,” is a constant reminder that she is always seeking to help make things better for others.

She says, "I just keeps finding ways to serve others and the next thing I know, I was leaving at 6 in the morning and getting home about 7:30 at night.”

And what’s your motivation for doing all that?” she was asked.

“The kids, the kids; they are always in your heart.”

That’s what makes Claudine who she is, a servant of others.

School board president Chuck Boren says, “When these kids get sick, you think they go to the nurse to start with? No, they go to her. If they’ve had a bad night they go to her. I mean, she’s there for each and every one of them."

And after all, that’s why the school board voted unanimously for the new name of the school to be the Claudine Wilson School.

There’s really only one person in this whole community who remains unconvinced that Claudine deserves this honor: it’s Claudine!

She says, “It touches your heart, but I don’t think my name needs to be up on a building somewhere.”

 So, we’ll add humility to one of the reasons why her name needs to be up there.

In America, names on buildings often inspire greatness. The Swedeborg educational leaders define greatness a little differently than most people do.

“Would you want to be like her,” a student was asked?

“Yeah, that’s what everybody should want to be, you know, that’s what I would want to be, also.”

Claudine is an example of a servant leader, who like Jesus, came to serve and help others,

Claudine is more than just a successful person with a building named after her; she is significant, notable, and unforgettable.

It has been said “a leader serves by leading and leads by serving,” and a leader she is. She is the kind of servant leader who places others’ agendas above her own. Servant leaders always give more than they take, and they are always looking to serve and add value to others. They make others better.

An English, nobleman Sir Bartell Fere, served as governor of Bombay, India, in the 1860’s. He was known by both family and acquaintances as the ‘helpful man.’ On one occasion when he was returning from a long trip, his wife sent a newly hired servant to meet him and help him with his baggage. "How shall I know Sir Bartell?” asked the servant. The governor’s wife responded, “Look for a tall gentleman helping somebody.”

Let us never forget that, like Claudine, serving and helping others is always the best preparation for leading others.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom