According to a survey of school principals, 50% are stressed out to the point of quitting, because of long work hours, poor work-life balance, and wanting to be with students instead of administrative paperwork.
While I worked for Patrick Lencioni, he asked me if I was interested in returning to school leadership. I said not really, because it was “too little pay for a lot of work.” I told him that the principals I know work no less than sixty hours a week. His response was, “That maybe so, but why does it have to be that way?”
This brings up some very important questions.
Are school principals - those want to quit - efficient enough in how they lead? Do they consciously or unconsciously choose to be overworked, because that is the culture of school leadership and because they are natural-born-givers? Could they not use their time and energy more efficiently, by hiring more prudently, by fundraising “smarter,” by learning how to say no to accidentals, through best-practices and the right methods?
Slow down to go fast. Work smarter, not harder.
School leadership is potentially an infinite field for planting and harvesting good fruit. At Smart and Healthy Schools, we have never met a “lazy” school leader. And yet we are convinced that any school leader could reduce their hours or work and find a healthy balance with coaching and with the right tools, while being more effective in how they serve their communities. We have expertise in time-management tools, in team and culture building, in best practices for fundraising and teacher training. Let us help you spare some of your adrenaline for those times when you really need it.
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