Squared Away

This week we pay tribute to those who have worn the uniform in service to our country. On Friday we'll hold our annual Veterans Day Assembly and luncheon, which is planned and organized by Mr. Simmer's government class. If you are a veteran, I do hope you can join us. I'm always impressed with the thoughtful way our students go about planning and preparing for this event. It is wholly proper to thank our veterans for their service to the country. At one point in their lives, they put on the uniform and were willing to give the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation. There is honor in doing so. 

In a Veterans Day message a year ago, I alluded to a belief that my time in the military likely had a much larger impact on me than I ever did on [the Navy]. When my enlistment was up they tried to get me to re-enlist, but when I politely declined I'm sure they didn't lose much sleep over the fact. 

At the same time, I've always been clear that my time in uniform was quite different than those who are currently serving. While I am of the Desert Storm era, my enlistment was during a period of relative peace: The calm before the storm of September 11, 2001. As a reference point, I mustered out of the reserves fully and honorably in April of 2001. So to put me in the same category as those who truly were in harms way would not be appropriate.

As a young man, I was not very responsible and quite immature. In many respects, I was 'rudderless'. (You see what I did there, right? That was purposeful!) Joining the Navy was something I had considered from time to time in my adolescence, but even when finally enlisting I think it came as a bit of a surprise to everyone who knew me. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I was taught the value of teamwork; and that a time may come where we would have to rely on our shipmates as a matter of survival. I learned to respect those of greater rank, not just because of the insignia on their collar: but because they had wisdom, experience, and skill sets that far surpassed my own knowledge. 

Being a 'squared away' sailor was drilled into all of us constantly, repeatedly. When wearing a uniform, the boots were shined and the gig line never needed to be fixed. I can recall a shipmate with 'gear adrift' being told in very explicit terms that 'a mistake like that could get someone killed in the fleet'. It that particular case it was most certainly hyperbole, but the moral of the story was that attention to detail was a critical skill. Indeed, not being self-aware and paying attention to the little things could have, and did have, catastrophic consequences.  

Many of those skills I was taught were transferable. I still prescribe to the old adage, 'A place for everything and everything in its place'. (This really is important when you are underway. Think about it; in rough seas who wants to experience flying projectiles because someone forgot to stow their gear?) I suppose this is why to this day I have those little quirks that may seem obsessive to some, but provide a bit of comfort to me.

The reality though, is that all of these skills that were drilled into us really boiled down to respect. Respect for oneself. Respect for others. Respect for country.

So on this Veterans Day when we say thank you to the men and women who have and are currently serving in the armed forces, I am also one to be thankful for the privilege of serving. 

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.