Early in my career, parents of children in my classroom encouraged me to go into administration. “We need you to run this place -- you’d be great at it!” they’d say. When our small district was in need of a superintendent, some suggested I apply. Comfortable with my well-received “Mr. Riviere” school persona, and being distracted by an all encompassing foray into building two homes, raising two daughters, sidestepping disaster in the Great Recession, honoring my marriage, and paying attention to my health, I could not fully envision myself as THE educational leader. As a matter of fact, there were times when I couldn’t quite tell which career was “on the side,” although I knew I had to stay teaching because the work felt so right. Habit #2, Begin With the End in Mind, is one I have long lived, and it is only recently that the “End” involves my yielding to leadership.
I believe that there is a certain degree of ego involved in thinking that you ought to be the one people follow. It’s an easy reach with children, because of the great disparity in experience between them and me. At this point in my career, however, I can see that there is a greater driving force that has less to do with how great people think you are for its own sake, and more to do with how they judge the merits of your beliefs. Do they think you are competent enough to coax those beliefs into results that matter? Stephen Covey (2006) considers competency an important element of trust -- an endearing personality may qualify someone for friendship and good times, however competency suggests leadership. Before I could consider this, my second masters program, I had to be able to see myself as an educational leader in a school other than the one I currently love, and the one in which I have worked these last eighteen years. I recognize that the way in which I can best serve education, and align my actions with what Jerry Patterson refers to as my True North, is to shift my role into one where I have a greater sphere of influence. In the same way as in chess where planning too many moves ahead is a waste of time, but ignoring what your opponent may do is equally unwise, I have to prepare myself to lead without limiting myself to one school, or even one type of job. The only thing I know with certainty is that I am here now, and I need to do this well; to pay attention to all that is being shown to me by changing my perspective. As Patterson teaches, from your beliefs come intentions that can further manifest as actions. Those actions reflect a degree of reliability upon which others will count, and will serve as the foundation of their trust in you. Do you follow through on the things you say? How is your character shaped by the consequences of your actions? Do you present as a person of integrity, as someone to listen to, believe in, and follow? To complete the line of logic, if your results are consistent with your beliefs, then congratulations, your authenticity is high! I’m a firm believer in the Pareto Principle, and try to practice it every day: the idea that 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort. I would think it smart to identify where that 20% lies, and let the important stuff of the remaining 80% rise to the surface. This can be applied to curriculum design, planning, behavior management, email, grading, and giving student feedback. Covey suggests in his See, Do, Get paradigm that after focusing on what is important, you act after prioritizing, and enjoy the results. This is consistent with Pareto, however, it does put additional significance on my choices. I can commit to being consistent and careful with communicating with parents. The first way by emailing a response “Got it!” if I don’t have time to respond more fully, but know that I have to follow up within a day. Secondly, I can send out a “good feeling” email weekly to one household regarding a celebratory moment involving their child. The end I have in mind is a parent body that feels connected to the classroom and school in a positive way. By following through on these small commitments, I not only build trust with myself, but also contribute in a positive way to school culture. References Covey, S. M., & Merrill, R. R. (2006). The speed of trust: The one thing that changes everything. New York: Free Press.
1 Comment
Alex Gonzalez
11/7/2016 06:33:05 pm
Great reflection Stephen, I enjoyed learning about your journey. In your habit 1 blog you identified a group that you would teach the habits to, how will you teach habit 2?
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWhy'd I do that? Archives
December 2016
Categories |