The Vulnerable Leader

I’ve been through a roller coaster of emotions recently, as I was accepted into a principal cohort in our district.  Of course, I was very excited at first, but after a few minutes of joy and elation, I started to panic.  I couldn’t help but think, “What have I done?”  All of a sudden, the confidence I had gained as a VP vanished.  I started to wonder, “What if my new staff discovers that I don’t have all of the answers?”  I know that I was being completely irrational, since I don’t even have an actual principal job yet.  However, I began to have the same pangs of doubt as when I first started to teach and wondered what would happen if a student asked a question to which I didn’t have the answer!

After overcoming this brief bout of panic, I calmed down and regained my sense of confidence.  I realized that, at my new school, I will remain genuine and true to whom I am and, if that means admitting that I don’t know everything as a leader, then so be it.  In fact, some of the best principals I’ve ever worked with embraced this sense of ambiguity and said, “let’s learn together.”  I am a life-long learner and if I don’t know something, I’m really good at working hard to find an answer.  As well, I’m quite comfortable in acknowledging that I don’t know it all because I am resourceful and a collaborator when it comes to finding a solution.  After some reflection, I realized that I, myself, have the leadership qualities that I admired in my previous principals; the challenge for me will now be to deal with my angst regarding the ambiguity and uncertainty that I’ll experience in my future role as principal.  Welcome to leadership?

The idea of moving to a new school further adds to my sense of unease.  In my current position as a VP, I’m okay with taking risks and I realize that the only difference is, at my new school, I will not know the staff as well as I know my current colleagues, therefore I won’t feel as safe to show my vulnerable side.  It’s so much easier to take risks amongst friends.  However, I can turn that angst into a strength since I’ll be able to model vulnerability for my staff so that they will feel safe to take risks and learn alongside me.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m going to have to be okay with ambiguity and vulnerability.  If not, I’m going to waste my time as the leader of a new school trying to mask the fact that I don’t know everything.  However, I need to strike a proper balance between being vulnerable and being a strong leader.  My staff won’t want a leader who lacks confidence.  So, I’ll need to call upon my resources of past experience and trust in myself.

I went through the same sort of feelings when I was first hired as a VP. I was scared because I didn’t want to disappoint my colleagues who depended on me.  As it turned out, I ended up winning the trust and confidence of my staff and parent community.  I will have to trust myself to do the same thing again, whenever I’m called upon to lead a school.  Previously, I’ve always had the safety net of being able to rely on my principal. The difference with my new challenge is that I’m going to be that net. However, I know that even as the principal, I will always be able to rely on my colleagues and mentors for help. The point of good leadership, I think, is that you never have to go it alone.

Communication Essentials

When it comes to communicating with parents, there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings.  Having said this, because the majority of our parents are unavailable during the day, a phone call is a really good second choice.

An important part of my job as an administrator is to build relationships and sometimes this means conveying bad news.  A relationship will not be solidified by refraining from telling bad news or by finding less direct ways to send the difficult news.  Sending an email to convey bad news is akin to breaking up with someone by texting them; it’s a no-no and a relationship breaker.  I believe that parents actually appreciate an administrator’s efforts to relay any difficult news in a direct manner.

Every time I phone a parent, I preface the call with “this is not an emergency call” so that parents aren’t worried about the health and safety of their child.  When communicating a behaviour issue to home, I have the student in my office as well and I ask them to call their own parents to talk to them about the situation while I’m in the room.  This strategy has two important benefits:  one – having to talk out loud to your mom or dad about something you did somehow brings the message home much more strongly; two – it most likely will result in a continuation of the conversation when the student goes home.  Without a phone call home, there may never be a conversation at home or, worse, there may be a completely different version of the situation portrayed by the student.  By making the phone call in “public”, we all work with the same version of events.

Communicating about a difficult topic can become that much more difficult if an email or text is sent because there is no immediate dialogue.  Furthermore, tone is best conveyed face-to-face or by a phone call.  There is much less ambiguity when you can hear the person’s voice.  Also, you can clarify on the spot if there are any misconceptions, rather than letting misunderstandings linger.

Face-to-face conversations and phone calls are not the only way to communicate.  There is definitely a place for technology and the use of email / Twitter/ Facebook / Remind 101.  However, I believe these tools are meant for a different type of news.  They are useful for conveying a variety of information to parents, ranging from school events to happenings in the classroom.  I see these tools more for communicating global messages of what’s going on in the school.  Of course, there can be two-way communication using these methods as well when, for example, parents respond to a photo of their child doing something in his/her class.  However, when the need arises for difficult conversations, there is no substitute for meeting face-to-face or making a phone call.  Of course, the same can be said when you want to relay a positive message about a student.  Phoning home to say how well a certain student has done will go a long way in boosting the school-home relationship.

Difficult Conversations

Having a difficult conversation is never easy, but relying on your gut and core values certainly makes the decision to proceed somewhat easier.  If you believe that having a crucial conversation will result in an improved situation for your students and/or staff, then it’s a no-brainer; you’ve got to have the talk, no matter how difficult.  The challenge is to carry out the conversation even though it may make you feel uncomfortable.  As well, making it a priority when it first comes to your attention is key because, the longer you leave it, the more difficult the difficult conversation may become.

The point of the crucial conversation is, often, to bring about a change in practice, which can be uncomfortable and intimidating for the person involved.  Remember to keep the person’s dignity intact and be understanding while having this talk.  Being a good listener and trying to remain empathetic will go a long way to achieving a positive outcome.  However, being forthright about the reasons for the conversation and the need for change is critical.

Keeping your goal for the conversation in mind is important.  Often, bouncing your ideas off another colleague or seeking advice from others to get a different perspective before proceeding can help.  Having said this, dealing with the situation in a timely manner is important.  However, it is never advised to enter into the conversation in an angry or upset state so, taking some time to centre yourself as well as to reflect and formulate a “game plan” is crucial.

Having a clear focus will help you stick to the point during the conversation and avoid the pitfall of straying into tangential topics.  A clear plan, including not only what you’re going to address but also where and when the conversation will take place is key.  Giving the person involved some advance notice is often a good idea.  Finding a time that works well for the individual as well as a location that affords privacy will set the stage for success.

These difficult conversations aren’t my favourite part of the job but I believe that they are a very necessary piece.  Not entering into a crucial conversation, when one is warranted, is the equivalent of burying your head in the sand as a leader, hoping that the problem disappears.  Addressing issues and working to improve practice will ultimately help not only the person, students, and parents involved but also the staff morale, in general.  It’s draining on the staff’s morale when they see that their leader is not addressing an issue that needs to be dealt with; it’s our job as leaders to meet these challenges head-on, when needed, thus working towards improvement in our schools.

Management as a Principal #SAVMP

Management and leadership go hand in hand; effective principals blend both into their daily practice.  I agree with Bruce Beairsto when he says, “You need management to build a house but only leadership can make it into a home” (from Chris Wejr’s RSCON presentation) – certainly, both management and leadership are essential.  A principal’s vision, no matter how clear and worthwhile, cannot be carried out in a school characterized by chaos and disorder.  So, without being able to manage as well as to lead, a principal will not be able to fulfill the vision for his/her school.

I think an effective way to manage time on a daily basis is to link my everyday practice to my vision.  In other words, the work with which I’m engaged every day should ultimately tie into my vision.  At our school, building a positive, connected community and establishing caring relationships are what we aim for and how I deal with students, staff and parents is always tied to that vision.  Thus, in my everyday dealings, whether talking to students in the office, or teachers in their classes or with parents in the parking lot, I focus on building and growing positive relationships along the way.

Of course, the occasional hiccup like having to unclog toilets (I feel your pain Daisy Dyer Duer) doesn’t really fall in line with my grand plan but these tasks still need to be done.  Certainly, I can’t predict the occurrence of these types of situations but I can deal with my predictable work in an efficient and timely manner so that these hiccups don’t throw off my whole day.  Writing reports or preparing for upcoming meetings ahead of time in an organized fashion nullifies the sense of panic when these unexpected problems occur.  Nothing becomes an emergency when it is dealt with ahead of time; preparation is key.

Long-term preparation involves building school-wide systems to ensure that, when problems arise, there is a procedure in place to deal with them.  When the systems are pervasive and well-established, issues are addressed in an efficient manner, thus avoiding the development of lingering and chronic problems.  Effective systems in place in our school help to prevent me from spending too much time in Stephen Covey’s “urgent and important” quadrant.

As much as I try to integrate my vision into my daily practice and to have efficiently run systems in place, I know that I still won’t be able to complete all of the things on my “to do list”, without delegating some of the tasks.  No matter how effective I am at time management, I will still need help to accomplish everything.  I learned this concept the hard way when, in my first of year of being a vice principal, I tried to get everything done on my own.  This experience taught me that without asking for help, I wouldn’t have a long “shelf life” as an administrator.  I learned that delegation was not (and is not) an abdication of leadership but, instead, a sign of its strength.  Of course, the other benefit of delegating is that it engenders the development of more leaders in my school.  I discovered that letting teachers take charge of initiatives about which they are passionate is an effective way to develop more leaders.  This indispensable leadership lesson for me was a wonderful bonus in learning how to blend management with leadership.

The Importance of Being a Connected Leader #SAVMP

Being a connected leader has had two profound effects on me.  Firstly, every time I read a tweet or a blog post, it forces me to reflect, whether I want to or not.  I can’t help but think about my own practice when I see other educators sharing what they’re doing.  The trick is to not feel overwhelmed or inadequate.  Take the parts that help and leave the rest behind has become my motto.  For example, I’ve read a lot about awards and grades from different people to a point where it has shifted my own practice.  Reading posts by Chris Wejr, Alfie Kohn and Joe Bower have certainly given me a lot to think about and encouraged me to make changes.  Conversely, I’ve read other posts or tweets that have confirmed my own way of thinking.  For example, one day I was following a conversation on Twitter about the use of Class Dojo.  I knew very strongly that I could never use a system like that in my school.  These are just a couple of examples that show how being connected has affected my way of thinking and, ultimately, improved my ability to lead.

Secondly, I have built lasting relationships with other educators who are passionate about helping kids.  I feel that I can’t help but improve as an educator when I hang out with people (online and sometimes in person) like this.  All of a sudden there is a group of mentors from all around the world (in some cases) who are willing to share their experiences and expertise.  I think that this is what I’ve been struck with most:  people (strangers, effectively) are so kind and willing to help.  That being said, of course, this connection didn’t happen overnight for me.  I’ve had to work at building the connections and it’s something at which I’m still working.  When I started on Twitter about a year ago, I knew no one.  After about a year, I’ve built a small but extremely helpful PLN.

Having said this, I still have a long way to go and I realize that’s okay.  My transformation as a leader has only just begun but, really, that’s the exciting part.  I know now that being a connected leader is going to be a fact of life for me and I won’t go back.  One area in which I need to work is to provide some contributions to my PLN and, in general, to other educators out there.  I need to share more and one way I can do that is by blogging more.

Sometimes I do feel inadequate and anxious when I see how little I’ve contributed but I’ve become better at taking a deep breath and reminding myself that I can do only what I can do.  I have to remember that I’m not going be a George Couros or Dr. Justin Tarte but that’s okay.  What I ask myself is:  Have I become a better educator since yesterday?  Have I pushed myself to do better today than yesterday?  Most of the time my answer is yes and I’m good with that.  Most of all, I have to compare myself to me and not to anybody else.  I can certainly learn from others but I’ve still got to be me.

The Importance of Trust

Trust is a crucial factor for the success of any relationship.  Moreover, the trust that has been built up and nurtured over a long period of time can be lost in a flash.  It is for this reason that we, as administrators, have to ensure that we are absolutely trustworthy in all that we do.  I don’t think that being trustworthy is innately difficult; however, building trust requires hard work and consistency.  To maintain trust in my relationships, I try to demonstrate my trustworthiness to others over the long-term.

I think it was Phil Boyte who said that to build trust a leader must have a high “say/do” ratio.  In other words, people must feel comfortable knowing that I will do what I say I am going to do.  This form of operational trust is a prerequisite to a deeper level of trust.  Once people see that I keep my word, they will feel more comfortable trusting me.  Each subsequent trustworthy act serves to solidify the trust gained.

To further cement trusting relationships, a leader should be willing to do the hard work first before asking the same of his/her staff.  Whether it be working hard at school or being a life-long learner, I endeavor to model these attributes before I ask them of my staff.  Moreover, I would never ask my staff to do something that I’m not willing to do myself.  For example, when I ask them to take risks, I put myself out there first.

Leaders also have to show that they value their staff by genuinely listening to them.  How much do you trust a person with whom you’re having a conversation when you can tell that they’re not really paying attention to what you’re saying?  When people show up at my office it’s because they feel that they have something important to tell me.  The best way I can honour them and gain their trust is to stop what I’m doing and give them the attention they deserve.  Taking the time to know their story is important to me.  By doing so, I can show that I care and this further helps to establish trust.

Another way that a leader can demonstrate care about his/her staff is to acknowledge their contributions to the school community.  Doing so doesn’t need to involve pomp and circumstance; I find that a simple thank you to a hard-working teacher, or a kind note left in a mailbox will go a long way toward strengthening positive relationships between me and my staff.  This demonstration of caring by showing appreciation for good work done is, I believe, a stepping-stone toward developing trust.

Leaders should be open and honest about themselves; people should know where you stand.  It is only after being upfront about my core beliefs, that people can see my actions are indeed consistent with my value system.  It is then that people are likely to trust me.  They may disagree with my point of view, but they won’t distrust me as a result.

Leaders should also be open about their school community and one way in which they can demonstrate their transparency is through using social media.  Last year, I started to share publicly with our parents what we do at school using Facebook and Twitter.  I think by showing parents what we do at school in this manner will only serve to facilitate the building of trusting relationships.  If nothing else, it’s a great conversation starter when a parent approaches me to talk about a photo they saw of their child working in class.  These types of conversations can be the beginning of building trusting relationships.

In my opinion, school communities thrive when positive relationships abound.  In order to foster these relationships, trust must be at the root.  When I start at a new school, ways I can establish trust are by being open and upfront right from the start, demonstrating appreciation of my school community members, being a good listener, and ensuring that I do what I say I’m going to do.

My Vision

When people walk into my school I want them to notice the positive feeling of community right away.  As intangible as this seems, I really do sense the difference between the schools that have the “vibe” and those that don’t.  It’s like when you’re invited to someone’s home and the warmth and happiness of its occupants is so strong that it spreads to you.  That warmth comes from the positive relationships within the family.

How do we go about establishing this kind of culture within our schools?  In the same way; that is, I believe that positive relationships formed within the school community are the building blocks for creating the kind of culture to which I am referring.  Thus, my vision for my school begins with and depends on forging positive relationships.  Building trusting connections where community members feel valued and cared for is essential.

My fundamental belief is that students learn best when they are immersed in a positive culture where relationship building forms the cornerstone of learning. Martin Krovetz sums it up well for me in his book, “Fostering Resiliency” when he writes:

Human relationships are at the heart of schooling.  The interactions that take place between students and teachers and among students are more central to student success than any method of teaching literacy, or science, or math.

It has been my experience that a teacher’s greatest tool is his/her ability to establish a trusting relationship with the student.  Students often will try harder to achieve for teachers with whom they have a positive relationship.  I also firmly believe that, generally, the more connected a student is to his/her school community, the more successful and motivated the student will be.  In the same way, teachers who feel connected to the community and have positive relationships at school will also be more motivated and will often go the extra mile, striving towards excellence.  Students, teachers, staff and parents will be engaged and inspired as a result of these caring relationships.  Success naturally follows.

Once people taste success in an environment where they feel safe and valued, they will be more willing to take risks.  This risk-taking will enable the community to strive towards continuous improvement.

As the community is working together to improve, the positive culture is reinforced which also serves to further strengthen the bonds and relationships already established.  The caring connected culture feeds upon itself.

When these caring relationships are established, it becomes increasingly possible for everyone (students, teachers, and parents) in the building to feel a sense of belonging and ownership.  It’s like the “Cheers” effect – you want to go to a place where everybody knows your name (as well as your story).  To be a part of something is a fundamental human urge, and school is a great place to nurture this sense of belonging.  My vision is that the stakeholders all feel that it’s their school and their community; each member feels valued and wants to contribute to nurturing the warm and inclusive culture of excellence within the school.

Why I lead

I lead because it’s important and it matters and because it is part of my being.  I’m not talking about being a saviour, but about making a contribution to my community and ultimately to my students.  I was a leader as a kid, organizing the neighbourhood children for soccer or hockey games.  I worked with trouble teens as a camp counselor right after high school and I was a leader in my school before ever becoming an administrator.

Having progressed as a leader into a position that allows me to influence change on a greater scale, I can’t imagine ever stepping back.  Even though being a VP is the hardest job I’ve ever had, I don’t think I could ever give it up.  The more I work in education, the more I realize how important the school has become to so many of our students, in ways beyond purely academics.  I strive to make our school a warm and welcoming place so that our students feel safe and comfortable being in our building.  I feel very lucky to be in a position where I’m able to affect positive change and it is now my duty to continue in this way.  Finally, although there are many days when I am exhausted emotionally in my job, I do have to confess that being a leader and helping others makes me feel really good.