TYLER, Texas — UT Tyler President Dr. Michael Tidwell view leadership not as job quality but a duty-bound service.
"I don't see myself as a leader, I'm a servant to the people of the state of Texas, more specifically to those who are in East Texas," Dr. Tidwell said. "Being a servant simply means that we are working together."
As president, Dr. Tidwell views his role as a way to improve his community, to leave East Texas in a better shape than it was.
He believes UT Tyler should serve as an education and economic driver for the East Texas community.
"I take that very seriously," Dr. Tidwell said.
While leaders are born with a set of qualities that are necessary to be effective, Dr. Tidwell believes leaders must develop. The most important part of developing a leader, according to Dr. Tidwell, is education.
"When you think about education, not just higher education, everyone is always learning. All of us are always learning," Dr. Tidwell explained. "It is so essential and so important that we enter into a process of continuous change in our lives on a day to day basis."
Learning is not simply done without a willingness to learn and admitting the difficulties.
"Learning is uncomfortable. It's uncomfortable for the teacher and, in lots of cases, the learner as well," Dr. Tidwell said. "So we have to get comfortable being uncomfortable."
Another quality that good leaders from great leaders is decision-making. However, good decisions are rarely made on their own.
"We have people counseling us [including] parent, and teachers, and friends, and pastors and coaches. These are folks who have lived and walk[ed] the path that, in many cases, we're trying to walk ourselves," Dr. Tidwell explained. "[It is] so important that we make good decisions, that we get good counsel, and, at the end of the day, that we are doing what's going to be best for, not just our short term feelings and emotions, but for a long term well-being."
