Too often in life, the easy way out is to simply put your hands up and say, "We can't do that". In schools especially, it is easier to maintain the status quo. But in leadership in general, not changing is easier and blame a lack of action on any of the following:
- We don't have that in the budget.
- We don't have the time.
- It is not on the test.
- Yeah, that would be great, but...
Kouzes and Posner (2017) in their book, The Leadership Challenge discuss the importance as leaders to challenge the process. Too often, as organizations, we get stuck in a rut because we have had some success and we stop growing or we do not evolve past our immediate success. Kouzes and Posner would probably recommend the exact opposite of status quo. So how do we do it....
Take Risks and Support Innovation.
As a leader, it is not just you taking risks...it is giving permission for others to take risks in your organization. Don't be the gatekeeper of innovation. There is no blueprint or playbook for being the first person or organization to do something. Innovation has no playbook so it scares the majority of people. Status quo with some success is comfortable. Some success though is just that...some. Let's strive for greatness. Greatness requires courage and stepping outside the comfort zone. A few years ago, I had 2 teams of teachers come to me and ask if they could open the wall up and team teach their classes as one large group. I knew the research behind team teaching and I without hesitation said "yes". I can still remember their reaction..."REALLY". Both teams spent the summer planning and transforming their rooms. Their rooms become places where student needs could be addressed almost immediately and that just right pace was there for every kid. Within the building and community, there were mixed thoughts. Some teachers even encouraged their families to avoid those rooms, yet at the end of the year, state test scores (which I don't emphasize) told the story. It was a family environment in those rooms, but it was also a place where kids excelled. And all I did was say yes. I empowered teachers, supported them, and they ran...and so did our kids.
Teamwork, Collaboration, and Big Dreams
Too often in an organization, even beyond schools, we become disconnected because of the amount of Top-Down directives of change. The flow in education almost always appears to be non-stop. As a leader though, you have to find a balance and you have to create a process for hearing other voices and creating collaborative opportunities across your organization or school. If I'm the leader and I go into a meeting of a leadership team or any type of meeting and I simply share my vision and my own big dreams and then lay out a plan for it...I might as well try to paddle upstream on a flooded river. The only person who is invested is me as the leader. Everyone else, regardless of how great the dream is will see it as another initiative. Simon Sinek says this in one of his Ted Talks, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it!" The key to moving the needle of an organization, is not your personal why...It is connecting with your team and finding the collective why. Otherwise, what happens? You get on a path to greatness based on one person's "why" and then they leave. What happens then? The organization hires someone else, they bring in another important "why" and change the direction of the organization. As a leader, we have to develop the dreams of our organization or school, not how we are going to chase our own dreams but our collective dreams. Bring your community, your school together and build the vision and dreams together. Then those road blocks and hurdles get in the way and you have a collective effort driven by passion that works to go around them.
Develop a Team
Organizations often also have leaders have their hearts in the right place but they try to go alone. They take everything on their own shoulders and try to do everything themselves. One person can't move an organization. Leaders do this for various reasons. Some, are servant leaders and feel it is their duty to do all the heavy lifting. Reflecting on my time as a principal, this is my weakness. I didn't want to burden others with extra stuff. Other leaders may be micro managers and want to relinquish control. They assign you a task but then tell you every little step to take to accomplish it.
In order for an organization to grow and thrive, you have to develop your team. John Maxwell's The 5 Levels of Leadership, calls this level 4 leadership or people development. You have had some success and your team trusts you, to take that next step, you need to grow the potential of your team. Cut them loose and give them responsibility. Have check points just for encouragement but let them find their way. If you have a shared vision or dream for your organization, that is their guide. Let them own it and empower them to do the next great thing.
To Recap:
1. Throw the status quo out the window and begin asking questions about how you can get better.
2. Connect your organization/school as one with a collaborative process to develop your big dreams.
3. Give your team permission to do great things and get out of their way.
4. Grow your people into great leaders.
5. Repeat.
There is no playbook and there will be setbacks but your organization will thrive. Status Quo may be comfortable when you are seeing some success, but it is not great. Being average means you are just better than the worst. Get after it. Inspire your team to do great things. Support them and there is nothing you can't accomplish.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge (6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Maxwell, J. C. (2011).The 5 levels of leadership: proven steps to maximize your potential. New York:
Center Street.
A little about me...
I'm a 28 year veteran of public education with 15 years as a building leader before becoming a STEM consultant and then deciding that teaching was what I wanted to do again in the STEM field. I am now a 9-12 STEM teacher teaching PLTW, Robotics, Drones, and Leadership. Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings. If you want to connect, you can find me on the bluebird @cmill_stemguy or my new email is cmiller@caldwell.k12.oh.us.
