School Leadership

Education leaders have personalities that make them individuals. They are full of idiosyncracies and not afraid to stand alone and be different. To be a great educational leader, you have to be comfortable in your own skin. If you can’t be comfortable with yourself, how can you expect others to be comfortable with your leadership?

The importance of being authentic

Be yourself, and know that you are more than enough. You don’t have to speak like Martin Luther King or have the charisma of JFK to be a great education leader. You just have to be willing to work hard at your craft, understand how to manage a learning environment, build a great leadership team, communicate with others, etc. If you can do that, you are ahead of the curve. 

Transformational education leaders understand that the things which make them different are the things that define their character. Just be yourself, and people will favorably respond to your authenticity. Think about this, how do people feel when someone they know is not being their authentic self? We are initially a bit shocked and turned off by the fact that the person either: isn’t confident enough to be themselves, doesn’t respect us enough to be themselves, or is playing a fictional part to manipulate us for their own gain.

You may think that you are fooling others by playing a role, but at the end of the day, people will figure out that you are an imposter, and in one way or another, you will be ostracized for it. So do yourself a favor, and just be yourself. People can try to imitate you, but you are the only one who can pull this role off.

What does Shakespeare have to do with it?

“All the world’s a stage/And all the men and women merely players” is a phrase that was coined by William Shakespeare. The meaning of this phrase is that this world is like a stage show, and all human beings are merely actors. I think that to a certain extent, this is true. So, why not play the role that you were born to play on the center stage?

Many education leaders are perfectionists, which tends to make them critical of themselves and the people around them. They believe that an educational environment should be professional and formal at all times. Also, they want the school day to be predictable and for things to happen exactly as they planned it.

It’s ok to laugh

However, let’s face it, what can go wrong, usually will go wrong. That is life! It would be best if you had a healthy sense of humor about life and not take yourself too seriously (which can be difficult when you want others to take you seriously). Educators and students alike don’t want a be led by a person that is all work no play. If you have ever dealt with a strict, no-nonsense boss, then you know that they can be extremely hard to work with.

Education leaders who take themselves too seriously risk isolating people and driving educators to quit. Also, students who attend schools that are strict are often bored and disengaged from their studies. It’s ok for the science class down the hall to be a bit noisy, and just because you hear lots of laughter and giggles, it doesn’t mean that things are out of control. It just means that the kids are having fun while learning. There is nothing wrong with that.

Find humor in life’s imperfections

Effective education leaders can laugh at themselves and understand that they are only human and can make mistakes like everyone else. It’s ok to be a perfectionist, but when things go wrong, it’s ok to find it humorous. Even if you can’t bring yourself to find the humor in everyday life, don’t be the one to rain on everyone else’s parade by creating an environment that frowns upon laughter.

On the other side of the coin, you also have to make sure that humor is utilized inappropriately. You should never tell jokes or find things humorous that degrades, embarrasses, exploits, or bullies another individual or group. This rule should be enacted and understood by everyone in the school environment. Make sure that you enforce it at all times.

Passionate education leaders often have a robust desire that pushes them forward. This desire drives them to be the best leader that they can be and to help everyone in their school and district to be successful. They accomplish this by practicing invitational leadership, which invites everyone in the organization to lead in their own way.

The amount of passion you have affects your energy and that of your followers as well. Use your enthusiasm and to kindle the passion of your followers! With everyone inspired to help students succeed, there is no way that your school or district can fail. Even if you move on to another position or retire, your legacy of passionate leadership will live on through the leaders that you created.

Be like Harriet

Writing about leadership passion makes me think about the life, times, and adventures of Harriet Tubman. During the 1800s, she was a slave in Maryland that endured unspeakable torture, punishment, and tragedy during her lifetime. Through it all, she never gave up hope, and always believed that one day she would be free, alongside her family and friends.

She eventually escaped to freedom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but her passion would not allow her to enjoy it for long. Not satisfied with just securing her own freedom and living out a life as a free woman, she immediately went back down south to rescue her family and friends.

Patiently, one group at a time, she helped her relatives escape slavery, and eventually guided hundreds of other slaves to freedom in the north. Traveling under the cover of darkness and in extreme secrecy, Tubman (or “Moses,” as she was called) “never lost a passenger.”

After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed, she guided slaves farther north into modern-day Canada and helped newly freed slaves find work. This would not have been possible if Harriet did not possess an unbridled passion for justice and peerless leadership skills.

Having strong morals is an essential leadership trait because it will allow others to understand where you are coming from. They won’t have to wonder how you will react in a situation, because they know that integrity will always guide your decisions.

Your moral compass will never fail you

In challenging times, you can always count on your moral compass to help steer you in the right direction. You won’t have to wonder how you will react, because you know you have been battle-tested, and you have always chosen the right course of action.

Moral leadership also involves being transparent and allowing your constituents to know what is going on, good or bad. Even if being transparent might shed a negative light on your administration, or cause you your leadership to be questioned, you do it anyway because it is the right call.

When making moral decisions, great education leaders should do so per their code of ethics and ensure their actions are positive, not damaging. Being principled as a leader means that you are led by a moral compass that is uncompromising and always helps you to make the moral decision. It always points due north, even if it is pressured to go in another direction.

Also, when you govern the integrity of the people you are leading, you can establish an unspoken moral code that helps better guide their decisions and behavior. With everyone using their moral compass to lead the way, a principled, human-centered learning environment is established. As a result, the job satisfaction of your employees will go up, and students can learn in a safe, protected environment.

Concluding thoughts

So take my advice and be the moral leader that everyone wants. If you don’t, you probably won’t have longevity in the field of education. Why? Because, as an education leader, are charged with the duty of helping to shape and mold impressionable children. If people get the sense that you are amoral, they will think twice about placing you in a position to be a role model for tomorrow’s leaders.

When we talk about devotion and leadership, it’s usually about the followers, but commitment is not a one-way road. At the beginning of your career, make the decision to be trustworthy, and reap the benefits. When educators trust you, they will give you 110% every day and always have your back.

Can I trust you?

Garnering the trust of your fellow educators makes it easier to put your plans in action and have others buy into your vision. When you enact a new policy or rule, there may be questions, but few will doubt your motives, as they know you have their best interests at heart. This only happens when you have a track record of being a trustworthy leader. Your word is your bond, and people know that you won’t break it for anyone. This level of trustworthiness takes a high level of courage and bravery, as sooner or later, it might put you in direct conflict with your higherups.

If following orders means breaking a promise, what will you do, will you stand tall or back down? If your higherups are as principled as you, if possible, they will work with you to find a compromise. Even if you have to break that promise, your followers will understand that you did everything you could to keep it. No matter how principled you are, you can’t beat City Hall. Evoking a sense of trust in your followers is one of the keys to being a successful leader. When employees respect you, they will trust your ability to lead them in good times and bad times.

Concluding thoughts

Education leaders garner trust by letting their actions speak louder than their words. They outwork everyone else and help other leaders and educators grow and elevate their skills. When it is all said and done, everyone wins, especially the students. When students trust the leaders in their school, they will work hard to achieve academically and to meet behavioral expectations.

To be an effective educational leader, you have to build relationships with students, parents, teachers, other leaders, etc. Relationships don’t just happen, it takes hard work to build a genuine bond with someone. Sometimes the process happens fairly quickly, and sometimes, it takes months or years. The key is to be patient and let relationships form naturally. Nothing makes people not want to be your friend than an awkward or forceful eagerness. Trust me, I have seen plenty of people make this mistake and end up coming across as weirdos.

It is true that people want to work with and be around people they like and distance themselves from people they do not. You don’t have to be something that you are not, but you do have to be friendly.

What if I am an introvert?

Being affable is not hard, all it takes is the ability to treat people with respect and to acknowledge their worth. Even if you an introvert like me, saying hello to people and inquiring about their well being are easy to accomplish. It only takes a second, and it will instantly make you a more friendly person.

What if I am a grumpy person?

Not to worry. You were not born grumpy, so it probably took some time for your demeanor and outlook to become sour. Because of this, it will take some work to turn you into an affable person. All hope is not lost; you can change your demeanor. All you have to do is work hard on your leadership character, and your grumpiness will subside and be replaced with compassion, selflessness, and accountability.

Why can’t I just fake it?

A person can’t have two opposing personalities, as sooner or later, their true character will be revealed. I spent a lot of years working for leaders who were abusive curmudgeons behind the scenes, but their public face was affable and friendly. We all knew the truth, and so did most of the city in which our school district resided. Don’t be something that you are not, as sooner or later, the truth will be revealed, and your peers and subordinates will expose the real you.

Successful education leaders are charismatic, which inspires devotion in others. This charisma can be hard to learn, as it usually requires most educators to go outside of their comfort zone by becoming more sociable as well as learning how to command the attention of and speak to a group of any size.

Charisma is not my strong suit

Luckily, charisma is a skill that can be learned. If you are an introvert, it might be hard for you to come out of your shell, but I believe that inside of every person is a beautiful peacock waiting to get out. All it takes is for you to get used to showing your feathers in front of small and large audiences.

How can you accomplish this? Most introverts are not introverts in front of family and close friends. Even the biggest introvert, like me, has a group of people who know the real them, that they would not dare show to other people. Just practice extending this side of your personality to the people in your school. Once you establish relationships with enough people, with their support, you will feel comfortable and empowered enough to show your true self to the rest of the staff. That’s how you turn an introvert into a charismatic peacock.

Charisma is very important, but it can only take you so far. To be an effective leader, the style has to be paired with substance. I have known plenty of charismatic leaders who were all style and no substance. They talked a good game, never met a stranger, and endeared themselves to the school community.

One, in particular, created a false reality concerning our school’s academic progress, and when our annual test scores were released, the school community found out that our students were not progressing academically; they were regressing. I knew that this would happen because I looked at the data for myself and posited that we were headed for this result. I tried to warn the school board, but my warnings fell on deaf ears.

It might be a platitude, but your career should be something that you love and something you are passionate about. As the old saying goes, if you find a career that you love, and would do even if you were not getting paid, then you will never work a day in your life. It might be a bit of an exaggeration, especially since you have so many extraneous variables that can make the job that you love a living nightmare.

Purpose is the thing that will keep you motivated to work hard and be the best version of yourself that you can be. As an education leader, passion is what will allow you to help your teachers grow and their students to achieve academically. You don’t have to tell people that you are passionate about something, it will resonate in your speech and your actions.

Let the purpose be your guide

Let’s end this leadership tip with an anecdote. After a mountain climbing accident that claimed the lives of 5 people, a reporter asked the guide/mountain climber why he keeps taking people to the top of the mountain even though there is a chance that many will die. He replied, “You obviously have never been to the top of a mountain.” He did not say this in a sarcastic way or tone.

His point was that the joy and exhilaration that you get from summiting the top of a mountain is an experience like no other. That’s why he continues to live out his purpose, even under the threat of death. He knows that he has found something that he loves and would do even if he were not getting paid.

Education leadership is a lot like mountain climbing, as it comes with its own risks and obstacles. Overcome them, and you can see what it looks like at the top of the mountain. If being an education leader feels like work, and you are starting to question it is the career for you, then you may be operating outside of your purpose. If so, you may want to consider a career change. You can be a good education leader, without it being your purpose, but you will never reach your potential as a human being. Do some soul searching and let us know what you decide.

The capacity to understand and control your own emotions and those of the people around you is crucial. Education leaders with a high degree of emotional intelligence understand what they are feeling, what their feelings mean, and how these feelings can impact other people. They are also masters of sensing the feelings of others and helping them to find a place of emotional balance.

For education leaders, emotional intelligence is vital for success. If you are not born with it, don’t worry, it is a skill that can be developed. You can start by training yourself to listen more than you talk. By listening first, you can observe the tone that the person is using. This will allow you to understand the mood that you are in, and counter it with a tone and language that will help bring them to a healthy emotional space.

Also, you have to learn to read facial expressions and body language. This, more than anything, will allow you to gauge a person’s emotional state. When they speak, what facial expression are they conveying? How about their body language? Do they seem loose or uncomfortable? Once you know this information, you can counter with an appropriate emotional response.

We almost forgot to talk about emotional self-control

Emotional intelligence also includes the ability to control your emotions. If you can control your emotions, you can better control the outcomes. One thing is for certain, the high paced world of education leadership is a place where emotions and tempers can easily flare. One moment you may have a teacher that is upset because you didn’t respond to their email or a student who thinks that suspending him for 10 days is unfair.

Couple with that visits from disgruntled parents and also higher-ups, and you will find yourself dealing with a powder keg of emotions. However, regardless of how much you want to react to negative energy with some negative energy of your own, you have to remain calm and be the voice of reason. Self-control is an essential education leadership skill.

Education leaders know that many situations and decisions in education include risk, and there is an opportunity cost attached to every decision you make. If you make the wrong choice, the opportunity cost can have negative or catastrophic consequences. I first learned about opportunity cost in a college economics course. This simple concept changed the way I viewed and approached life. Before making major decisions, I always consider the opportunity cost, and it hasn’t failed me yet. It can do the same for your personal and professional life.

What is the definition of opportunity cost? An opportunity cost is the consequence of a missed opportunity. This is usually explained in terms of money, but it may also be conveyed in terms of time, or any other resource.

Opportunity cost in action

For instance, on Tuesday morning, you are supposed to attend a retreat with your leadership team to do some strategic planning for the next school year. Since you are the superintendent, you have to be there, as you must lead the meeting. However, the night before, you get a phone call from a wealthy alumnus that has made the decision to donate 5 million dollars to your district, but he can only meet with you tomorrow. You have been in talks with them for months, and now they are finally ready to pull the trigger. What will you do?

Great education leaders understand the consequences of their decisions before making them. The consequences of missing the retreat are negligible when compared to the opportunity cost involved in missing out on a 5 million dollar donation. Your deputy superintendent worked with you hand in hand on the details of the retreat, your vision for next year, and the presentation that you planned to present. They can facilitate the retreat while you meet with the potential donor. You can always schedule a followup meeting to the retreat to finalize things, but this donation is a once in a lifetime thing.