This is leadership

Regarding "Ex-Science Center Chief Dies on Hike in New Zealand" (July 16): While enjoying the Carnegie Science Center one Sunday afternoon when the kids were younger, we decided to try the roller coaster simulator. The friendly, articulate, distinguished-appearing gentleman who was running the ride chatted with us while we stood in line, asking us about our family's museum experience.

I did a double-take at his name tag: "Seddon." Museum Director Seddon Bennington said that he required Science Center administrators to work a monthly regular shift, to keep an ear to visitors' experiences and to better understand their employees' work environment.

What a model of leadership: Spend significant time in "the trenches," listen to patrons (let them talk freely, don't just give them a business-model narrow survey and call it done), and advocate for your workers. Would that businesses, politicians, educators, medical interests and religious organizations routinely employed these sensible principles.

We share this memory in honor of someone who did wonderful things for Pittsburgh, with condolences to his family and friends.

 

 

LISA A. PAWELSKI

O'Hara