We know that every school leader has their own list, and it would have been possible to make this a list of 10 or 20. Here are three that we especially love. They are simple, not always easy, but get to the heart of school leadership's most essential value: make yourself visible. It is so essential that is arguably not even a value, it is more like permission-to-play. And yet, we are constantly surprised with school leaders who withdraw.
Be visible when the parents drop their kids off, or when the students arrive. The first :15 of the school day sets the tone for everyone. If you want a vibrant school culture, avoid the urge to retreat. As the penguin in Madagascar said, “Just smile and wave.”
Real-time, in the moment feedback for teachers and staff, which is roughly about at least 7-to-1 positive-to-negative. To be avoided is putting off feedback for quarterly, formal and sit down meetings. To be avoided when possible is “let’s take this conversation offline.”
Open-door to office always whenever possible, because this communicates to everyone that they are the core of your mission.
“I’m more of a lead-from-behind kind of person.” If this means that I want to set others up on the stage for success and do not feel the need to self-promote, 100%. If it becomes an excuse to exercise a laissez-faire style of leadership, then eventually like many school principals you might find yourself being ambushed by frustrated community members, who have felt unable to express their opinion. If I know that I am not strong in what Patrick Lencioni calls “the genius of galvanizing,” then all the more reason to at least make myself present so as to build relationships with a small team of those who can galvanize on my behalf.
If, in other words, I am showing others that I am present, and engaged, and tuned-in - maybe even quietly so - I have already done about half of what it means to lead a community. If I give into the temptation of every leader to withdraw, it can easily become quicksand for both me and my community. These three daily practices communicate very effectively that I am truly the school’s leader, and give security to others in good times and in bad.
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