For years I found it difficult to pass my old school district
Now admit some fault was mine for acting unrestricted
I wanted to prove myself and make meaningful changes
Got lost in the enthusiasm of selling a school building

But failed to lay sufficient ground work or involve the town
Never bothered to assess the feelings of those affected
Never heard the critical words making the rounds
Four new board members were easily elected
Their first action was to fire me as superintendent
 
For years I found it difficult to pass my old school district
Avoided intuitively the corner where my office was located
Now imprinted the lesson that leaders are not unrestricted
Over time I confess I was fortunate to learned the lesson
Namely, to be a successful leader one must learn to listen
To the voices of all who have a stake in the plan  

Now I can drive past, because I have accepted that
This unhappy occurrence made me a better leader
Having finally expelled the specter of failure from my mind
I now drive past, thankful for a valuable lesson learned