When I first began considering a move from teaching to administration, I had lofty dreams. It looked easy to lead a group of people. My naive self "knew" what we needed to do better and what that should look like. If only I had the opportunity to make that change. I was sure it could ALL be done.
At her recent ASCD presentation, Brenda Vatthauer shared the following slide:
This vulnerability is, in fact, not a weakness but a strength. That's the part of our work that requires bravery.
Once I became an administrator, I quickly found out that leadership looked much easier than it really was. Just like teaching, the needs of and for the position are always changing. It's a balancing act to make sure priorities are being met and our focus remains on all things important to students.
Managers manage. And most of that work is controlled work. But the work of real leadership, that isn't controlled. It's about creating vision, communicating purpose and inspiring adults and students to do the very best they can. That can get messy.
When you work with people on topics like vision, purpose and inspiration, there is emotion tied to all of it. When you're able to celebrate the success of an event tied to any of the areas, you feel it deeply. The same is true when a conflict exists. Or you've made a mistake tied to vision, purpose or inspiration. The repair required to rebound is still felt deeply. Perhaps, even more so.
At her recent ASCD presentation, Brenda Vatthauer shared the following slide:
This vulnerability is, in fact, not a weakness but a strength. That's the part of our work that requires bravery.
"Vulnerability is, I think, the cornerstone of confidence. Allow yourself to take the risk, to be open...and that gives you the confidence to be yourself. Be able to say, I can't (always) fix this, but I will walk through it with you."
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