WHEN VIEWING ON A TABLET OR MOBILE -- DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM candidates who are trying to join your team. Because you recognize that every- one is capable of realizing his or her full potential, you see in others what they do not see in themselves. You encourage and inspire them to develop and evolve in order to achieve their personal bests. I have an unwavering belief in every person’s potential to rise above the obstacles in life. I believe that human potential is infinite and full of possibil- ities. I believe that all humans have the potential to grow and transform into incredible contributors to the well-being of our global society. Effective leaders need to have this same faith in human potential for both children and adults. Whether I am developing a leader or teaching a child, I believe that having a positive outlook regarding human potential is vital to unleashing the intellec- tual and social dynamism that makes each person special and unique. Great leaders have incorporated this quality into their core values. They act upon their understanding that all people are capable, competent, and resource- ful by digging deeper with adults and children to discover and develop what is below the surface. In most instances, leaders with this core value have the uncanny ability to see, nurture, and develop a person’s potential gift. Some people may only see deficits or underdevelopments in certain adults as well as in certain children. However, effective leaders always look for what makes people tick. They look for every person’s gift. They look for every person’s greatness. 2. Knowledge Leaders hunger for knowledge. They seek knowledge in a wide variety of aca- demic and nonacademic venues, including disciplines such as science, mathe- matics, humanities, business administration, and military science, along with the grocery store, the barbershop, and the people they encounter in the street. Leaders read. Leaders research. Leaders are consumed with wanting to know more and to understand more. They continually seek knowledge so that they can better understand themselves and the world around them. Four levels of knowledge exist for a leader in the field of early childhood education: self-knowledge, knowledge of others, knowledge of craft, and knowledge of leadership. One of the fatal flaws of ineffective leaders is the absence of knowledge. Ineffective leaders do not know their own strengths and weaknesses. They are easily blinded by a distorted sense of self. Thus, self-knowledge and knowledge of leadership are critical to being an effective leader. Effective leaders know The Leader’s Core: You Are What You Believe 13 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL