# New Gig Harbor High School principal promises ‘servant leadership, open door’ **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029 "2025-10-16T19:23:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![melaniethewitch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melaniethewitch/32/18930_2.png) [@melaniethewitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melaniethewitch)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/1 "2025-10-16T19:23:15Z")
Posted on September 3rd, 2025 By: [Christina T Henry](https://www.gigharbornow.org/author/chenry/) > Incoming Gig Harbor High School Principal Bob Marshall fist-bumped students Wednesday morning, as a parade of cars and buses delivered their passengers. A gauntlet of cheerleaders and other students gave a boisterous welcome to their peers as they streamed through the front doors. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/2 "2025-10-16T19:42:34Z")
Moderating: > [@melaniethewitch](#): > > Posted on September 3rd, 2025 By: [Christina T Henry](https://www.gigharbornow.org/author/chenry/) Please be mindful of our Fair Use rules. You can find them here: [https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-of-service-and-faq/823562/2](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-of-service-and-faq/823562/2) Particularly this: > [@On another topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/823562/2): > > **Copyright** – Do not use copyrighted material without permission. Fair use guidelines apply and are interpreted conservatively. If you are quoting material it is good etiquette to provide a link to the source. We construe discussion of P2P and file sharing violative of copyright laws. Do not ask questions of the type “How do I get this peer-to-peer sharing software to work?” or “Can someone help me find a copy of (song or movie clip) using peer-to-peer sharing software?” Debates on the legality of this practice are allowed. I am severely editing your post to remove most of what you posted. ETA: I just became aware you’ve been admonished about doing this before. For that reason, I’m issuing you a Warning for failing to obey moderator instructions. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/3 "2025-10-17T00:25:32Z")
@melaniethewitch, Why do you think we should read this? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/4 "2025-10-17T16:56:31Z")
Is there a photo of the new principal running the “gauntlet” of cheerleaders? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/5 "2025-10-18T11:13:53Z")
What the hell is this about? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/6 "2025-10-18T11:32:59Z")
> [Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackmannii) [Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/g/Registered) cake > > [19h](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/4) > > Is there a photo of the new principal running the “gauntlet” of cheerleaders? [Sort of.](https://www.gigharbornow.org/news/education/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/) Adjust your expectations. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/7 "2025-10-18T14:30:10Z")
Best I can figure, the OP wants us to parse this guy’s use of the phrase “servant leadership.” That’s definitely a buzzword in evangelical Christianity, maybe the guy’s a devout evangelical who plans to use his position to proselytize? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/8 "2025-10-18T14:31:55Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > That’s definitely a buzzword in evangelical Christianity, maybe the guy’s a devout evangelical who plans to use his position to proselytize? Oh, that’s interesting. I had a principal once who used that term, and she was hands down the worst principal I’ve ever worked under. She eventually got so many complaints against her, from staff and parents, that they promoted her to central office. That said, she never proselytized to me. I’ve worked under other bosses who actually practiced what I’d call “servant leadership,” and they were phenomenal. I think of the phrase in this way: leadership is there to meet the needs of the people doing the core work of the organization (in this case, the school). They hire good people, then they look for the barriers to effective work, and they remove those barriers. I think of the superintendent who realized that teachers were overwhelmed with the new regimen of mandated assessments, so she found funds to get each teacher a half-day sub who would cover the class while teachers completed the assessments. Suddenly everyone could do their jobs effectively. Servant leadership! ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/9 "2025-10-18T14:56:49Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Best I can figure, the OP wants us to parse this guy’s use of the phrase “servant leadership.” It’s also a buzzword of the Project Management Institute (PMI). I’m currently studing for the Certified Associate in Project Management, and there is an entire section about servant leadership. [To serve or not to serve there is no question for a leader](https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/servant-leadership-cures-organization-9856) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/10 "2025-10-18T15:07:35Z")
Like all buzzwords, it means exactly nothing when used by the person promising it. Actual servant leadership is a good thing, but I’ll believe it when I hear this principal’s teachers and students describing them that way. @melaniethewitch , is this your school? Do you have first-hand experience of this principal? How are they really? Those are all much better uses of a thread than just posting a news article about it. A news article about a principal in Gig Harbor isn’t of much interest to anyone outside of Gig Harbor, but with a topic of “I really like my new principal’s leadership style” (or “I really hate it”) means that we’re engaging with you, not some random anonymous person across the country from us. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/11 "2025-10-18T15:27:50Z")
It’s also periodically a buzzword in the DoD. To me it has zero connection to religion, but that may be my ignorance talking. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/12 "2025-10-18T16:16:35Z")
Two days, and no further word from the OP. Lock this one down. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/13 "2025-10-18T16:39:28Z")
Ha. I know nothing about the subject under discussion, but I’m posting to say that we’ve vacationed in Gig Harbor a couple of times. It’s a lovely little town with a snug harbor and it’s surrounded by forests. It feels like being in coastal Maine, but it’s in Washington state. I miss it and I’d like to go back. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/14 "2025-10-18T16:57:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > way. > > @melaniethewitch , is this your school? Do you have first-hand experience of this principal? How are they really? Those are all much better uses of a thread than just posting a news article about it. A news article about a principal in Gig Harbor isn’t of much interest to anyone outside of Gig Harbor, but with a topic of “I really like my new principal’s leadership style” (or “I really hate it”) means that we’re engaging with you, not some random anonymous person across the country from us. Or even ‘I don’t know what this means, does anybody here know?’ And yes, @melaniethewitch, when you start a thread please do come back to it and do your best to reply. ---
**Author:** ![melaniethewitch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melaniethewitch/32/18930_2.png) [@melaniethewitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melaniethewitch)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/15 "2025-10-24T17:14:01Z")
uhm… so I orignally had more text but the mods deleted it cuz I didnt understand free use! ---
**Author:** ![melaniethewitch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melaniethewitch/32/18930_2.png) [@melaniethewitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melaniethewitch)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/16 "2025-10-24T17:14:18Z")
so sorry ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/17 "2025-10-24T17:17:24Z")
Forget the deleted text-Do _you_ have anything to say about this, or about what others have said about it? ---
**Author:** ![melaniethewitch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melaniethewitch/32/18930_2.png) [@melaniethewitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melaniethewitch)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/18 "2025-10-24T17:18:43Z")
Yeah that school is actually really ableist in my opinion! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/19 "2025-10-24T17:19:16Z")
In what way? ---
**Author:** ![melaniethewitch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melaniethewitch/32/18930_2.png) [@melaniethewitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melaniethewitch)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029/20 "2025-10-24T17:20:09Z")
one moment I should start replying to things people said- I didn’t see these until now [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-gig-harbor-high-school-principal-promises-servant-leadership-open-door/1024029.md?page=2)