Essay on Dr. Comstock's Leadership Style

(Response to Bryan Murphy): It is interesting that you point toward Dr. Comstock’s malleability in adjusting to different needs of his community that moved him outside of his initial comfort zone of expertise, hypertension. Pointing out Dudley’s “lollipop story” as a reminder to shed fears of rejection and vulnerability is important. The path of a successful leader often forces them to embark on a path of uncertainty, and be willing to embrace this and grow from it is a valuable lesson. In regards to your question about humor, I think it is an under appreciated trait of successful leadership. It demonstrates a comfort and levity in times of high stress, which can refocus negative energies toward positive ends. It also creates an environment conducive to free exchange and open communication, an undoubtedly integral component of producing ideas.
(Response to Brent Johnson): Mentioning Dr. Comstock’s ability to communicate informally despite high intelligence and lofty credentials is a key to recognizing his success as a leader. After all, a position of leadership is always a social position in the context of relationships, and conveying an idea in a comprehensible way is important. No matter how brilliant an idea is, if it cannot be understood and implemented, it never leaves the abstract level. It is also interesting to question “private satisfaction,” and what this means. The difference between what a private satisfaction is and how this differs from something like public adulation is an interesting thought exercise. Leaders often face public scrutiny, and many failures in the eyes of others; so reconciling private satisfaction with the outside views of others is an ongoing process. I think it is also important and insightful that you are relating Dudley’s statements to your own place as a leader of your children. The idea of self-efficacy is an example of the constant balance of trying to be supportive, while instilling in a person the ability to succeed on his or her own.