The Team

As we close out October, which is designated as 'National Principals Month', I want to take just a few moments to express my appreciation and gratitude for our building principals. Building leadership is among the most challenging of jobs in a school district. Not only do they have to manage hundreds of students daily, they are also tasked with supervising a professional staff that at times have competing interests. In addition to the challenge that comes with day to day building operations, they are also required to navigate oftentimes complex relationships with parents. Indeed this is not an easy task and some days they are likely left wondering: why did I choose this path?

To reach this career milestone takes years of training, field experience, and, for certain; perseverance. This odyssey begins like any other educator: as a classroom teacher. At some point along they way, a trusted colleague or a [role model] recognizes something in them. Maybe it is through the demonstration of key leadership attributes, or the way they navigate difficult conversations. Perhaps they recognize an innate ability to see the bigger picture. That may be all that is needed, a bit of encouragement and a small nudge to consider something different. And with that, an opportunity to have an impact that extends beyond the walls of their individual classroom unfolds before them. Thus begins a quest that takes them back to school for more training and coursework. Classes on leadership. Curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Politics. Ethics. Finance. All of these skills go into the creation of a principal. That training typically ends with a Masters Degree in hand, and then they are ready to lead their own building.

But to be clear, the training doesn't end there. In fact, it never ends.

I'm currently leading our administrators through a book study that examines the leadership traits employed by Abraham Lincoln during his presidency. Over the summer I read 'Team of Rivals' and following a side trip to Springfield picked up 'Lincoln on Leadership' by Donald Phillips, which became the book that we are now reading as a team. I've always been fascinated by our nations presidents and have read quite a few biographies and autobiographies about their time in office and how they navigated what is arguably the most difficult job in the world. Yet when it comes to Lincoln, he stands alone. Through our examination of Lincoln's leadership, hopefully we will be able to emulate and develop some of the skills he used that rank him in a class all his own. 

Now, I am no Lincoln. None of us are! And running a school and running the country are about as different as night is to day. Side note: I love this quote on the back cover of the book: "You think you have it rough? Only ten days before Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office in 1861, the Confederate States of America seceded from the Union, taking Federal agencies, forts and arsenals within their territory." Indeed, perspective is a powerful image! Even so, Lincoln led with character, deploying traits and skills that enabled him to succeed and become one of our most revered presidents.  

Lincoln encouraged his subordinates to take initiative and to act on their own judgement. In other words, he delegated responsibility and empowered them. At the same time, when working with his cabinet he demanded consultation [collaboration] when dealing with 'high stakes' issues. He asked for feedback and input from his trusted advisors often, and understood that once decision time came, it was his burden to carry. This kind of teamwork can only be achieved when you are dealing with leaders of integrity and those whom you can trust. 

So then at our meeting last week, I told the story of being a young and inexperienced administrator. Anytime I had to be away from the school, even for a day I felt duty bound to check in. I would call my secretary a couple of times a day just to check in. In my mind I was demonstrating assertive leadership and assuring everyone that even though I wasn't physically in the building I was still in charge. Everyone could rest easy. Yeah, right! What I was really doing is saying, "I don't trust you to be able to handle it if something comes up". 

Fast forward twenty years. Once I became superintendent I realized that not only was this unrealistic; in many ways it was counterproductive. Furthermore, over the last nine months I have found myself out of the district more than ever before. It has forced me to change my schedule abruptly, move meetings without warning, and lean on my team in ways that I never thought would be necessary. Not only have they been able to rise to the occasion, they have excelled!

I have been able to distribute responsibility, enabling my team to act--and to be comfortable doing so. Why is this? Because of the tremendous amount of trust I have in their abilities, and the understanding that as a team we are able to debate very difficult problems and solve them through consensus. Just like Abraham Lincoln, our administrators are individuals of high integrity. They are honest brokers. We are very lucky to have them at Hudson, and I am thankful for the way we work together daily to make one another, and this school district better.