As the new school year begins, there are plenty of education leaders who are in the saddle for the first time and scared to death. You want to establish yourself from day one, but you don’t quite know how to go about accomplishing this. Don’t worry, we have you covered. In this piece, we will discuss 7 ways that you can establish yourself as a new education leader.
- Be confident in your abilities. You were hired as an education leader, because your district knows you have what it takes to be an excellent assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent, etc. That says a lot. Now that we have established that, you need to be confident in your own abilities. So from day one, make it a point to exude confidence, even if if you have to fake it before you make it.
- Showcase your knowledge and skills. From day one, showcase your innovative ideas, expertise, and knowledge. This will help establish you as the “go-to” person in various areas of leadership. Also, don’t just solve peoples problems, develop a reputation for teaching people how to solve their own problems.
- Serve. If you want to be a great educational leader, then you must also be a servant. This means going out of your way to help others accomplish their goals. If you do, they will return the favor tenfold, and always have your back, just like they had yours. You won’t have to use your authority to lead, as people will do it because they trust your leadership.
- Learn your organization’s culture. Every workplace has its own culture, a set of written and unwritten rules that dictate how it operates. Before making any major moves or changes, learn your organization’s culture. Only make changes if necessary, because if it’s not broke, don’t try to fix it.
- Learn from others. If someone else is better at something than you, don’t be afraid to lean on their expertise. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that if you ask for help, your subordinates will assume that you don’t know what you are doing. Even if they do, we know that only small-minded individuals think that way. Growth minded individuals know that the smartest people in the room ask lots of questions, and don’t care what others think.
- Get to know your colleagues. When you are new education leader or new to a leadership team, make sure to get to know your colleagues. They can help bring you up to speed, and you can bond over the experience Also, you can learn what makes them tick, what they are good at, etc.
- Learn office politics. When you begin a new education leadership position, you need to know who the influencers are. What teachers command the most respect in your school building or in the district for that manner? By doing this, you can have a better understanding of potential landmines, and who to consult before making major decisions.
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