We are living in a historical moment and the call for purposeful leadership is the loudest I’ve heard in my lifetime.
It seems life is on PAUSE, and the world sits suspended after a cliffhanger episode.
But unlike television, we have something to say about how we spend our frozen period AND what are communities will look life once we hit the play button again.
This is why school and leaders are so critical; we tend to be among the first responders when it comes to answer the question “Now what do we do?”
One thing for sure, as a school principal, I owe it to my students, staff, and parents to be an example of a productive citizen with a growth mindset during this uncertain and genuinely scary time.
It requires us to constantly be in contact with our folks, and I recommend focusing on three important things:
First, learning must continue.
We need to be cheerleaders for our students and parents to stay engaged with their work.
I can only imagine how challenging it must be for parents who aren’t teachers to be thrust into that leadership role in a moment’s notice. Hopefully, by now, you have rolled out your plan for homeschooling, but that is only part of the solution.
As principal, be the face of accountability and achievement. Be a reliable shoulder for people to cry on if they feel overwhelmed.
Second, model the behavior you are trying to cultivate.
We need to create good habits in our people, so we need to create good habits for ourselves.
Make sure your community members see you exercising, reading, interacting with technology, and be active with your family.
Remember, we want to reprise the game of Show and Tell. When played correctly, the “Show” part is every bit as critical as the “Tell “ part.
Finally, eliminate the excuses of others.
When you have a model, listen to others, and model expectations, you earn your badges.
You give people HOPE that everything is going to be ok. And, you make them feel like part of the team. At its best, this is a great time to eliminate the excuses and replace them with a WINNER’S VOCABULARY.
LET'S DO THIS!