Former Kauai Senator and County Councilmember Gary Hooser has been writing a weekly column for The Garden Island for the past year. He offers great insight into government operations and functions and we’re glad to have him on the Forum page. He always presents a strong, solid case to back up his arguments and views.
Others welcome his words, too.
Gary was invited to offer words of “reflection and contemplation” to the state Senate and, on Friday, that’s what he did.
Hooser was invited to speak by Oahu Sen. Les Ihara and welcomed to the podium by the present Kauai Senator and Senate President Ron Kouchi and the entire membership of the state Senate, who gathered for their official floor session.
Here is a paraphrase of Hooser’s remarks. We hope you appreciate them as much as we did. It seems too often leaders put their own interests ahead of the very people they represent. Fortunately, Kauai has many fine leaders who do indeed put the people first.
“We are all leaders, and leadership comes in many forms. I encourage all in attendance today to think about the path of servant leadership. Leadership is about serving others. It is not about power, or money or position, but about helping and serving others.”
“A Leader’s Prayer”
Leadership is hard to define.
Let us be the ones to define it in justice.
Leadership is like a handful of water.
Let us be the people to share it with those that thirst.
Leadership is not about watching and correcting.
Let us remember it is about listening, connecting and acting.
Leadership is not about telling people what to do.
Leadership is about finding out what people want and then helping them and empowering them to achieve that.
Leadership is less about the love of power and more about the power of love.
As we continue to move down the path of leadership, let us learn from and follow in the foot steps of those servant-leaders that have gone before us.
Let our greatest passion be compassion.
Our greatest strength love.
Our greatest victory the reward of peace.
In leading let us never fail to follow.
In loving, let us never fail.
Great words, Gary. Let us listen to them.
are you really that naive? Hooser is about himself first and always! Thanks for the good laugh!!!