Wednesday morning I have a wonderful opportunity. I get the chance to kick off a day of interviewing as one of three final superintendent candidates for Norris. I have no idea whether I’ll emerge from the battle as the candidate of choice, but I know that I am excited beyond belief and I am proud to be the internal candidate who represents the legacy and tradition of Norris leadership. It may sound audacious, but I believe I’ve been reared by the best.
I say that because I worked just down the hall from our retiring superintendent Roy Baker for four years as the high school principal and for the last year and half+ now, I have had the chance to work right next door to him as an assistant superintendent. Heck, by process of osmosis alone I have learned quite a bit about leadership. Some of my learning has been just through that exposure to the Sup day in and day out, as things come up. And some of that learning has been very intentional – wherein Roy has deliberately conveyed an important lesson or understanding to me.
So, I have learned a great deal from Roy Baker in the six years I’ve been working for him. I thought I’d put some of these things down in writing because the moment seemed right for it. In this calmer moment of reflection before the stress and excitement of an interview day, I offer educators some fundamentals I’ve acquired from a darned smart mentor:
1. There can be only one quarterback. [Translation: a leader knows the buck stops here. When the situation calls for it, no one should wonder who’s calling the shots. Whatever your position, you are probably the quarterback of something or some domain in your life…A true leader does not disavow or shirk, but accepts and in fact welcomes personal responsibility.]
2. Four words I hate most: “That’s not my job.” [Translation: it’s related to lesson #1. Marginal people look for ways to avoid doing things. Peak performers are always finding new ways to get involved and apply their talents. If something needs doing, see that it gets done.]
3. Sub-optimization will sink you. [Translation: sometimes schools have a tendency to get wild about programs and initiatives. While everyone going off in their own direction with their own pet program or instructional approach may sound creative, it’s just a recipe for chaos.]
4. In the absence of information, all people have is speculation. [Translation: don’t sit on valuable information. Communicate what is known in a timely and thorough manner to everyone.]
5. A school budget is just instructional priorities expressed in dollars. [When crunching the numbers, never forget that students and student learning is what we’re all about.]
6. Trust. It’s our most valuable commodity. [This one needs no translation; if it does, God help you and your district!]
7. Good is the enemy of great. [This one is lifted from the Collins Good To Great classic. Roy has repeatedly pointed out that it’s an important reminder for systems like Norris, where we can sometimes get very comfortable just being good – when we should be striving for greatness in everything.]
8. Spirited disagreement is a key characteristic of great teams. [It may seem counter-intuitive, but really tight teams have a high enough level of trust that they are able to challenge one another’s viewpoints and offer different perspectives – with the outcome ultimately being a stronger, unified decision.]
9. Wishing and hoping and TGI (‘the gut instinct’) is not the same as seeing the evidence. [Translation: everything should be linked to data. There need to be identifiable, measurable outcomes in place to evaluate individual, program, and district performance.]
10. Job-embedded learning is essential. [Translation: regardless of how great we think Teachers College prep programs are or how gifted someone is to begin with, we all need to be lifelong learners who evolve in our understanding of best practice.]
That’s certainly not all there is to it. One thing about life, you keep learning new lessons and sometimes learning more about the ones you thought you’d mastered. But, those noted above are 10 of what I believe to be the most important leadership and life lessons Roy has taught me. They’ve already served me well – and will continue to do so regardless of my job title. Hope you can get something from them, too.
I say that because I worked just down the hall from our retiring superintendent Roy Baker for four years as the high school principal and for the last year and half+ now, I have had the chance to work right next door to him as an assistant superintendent. Heck, by process of osmosis alone I have learned quite a bit about leadership. Some of my learning has been just through that exposure to the Sup day in and day out, as things come up. And some of that learning has been very intentional – wherein Roy has deliberately conveyed an important lesson or understanding to me.
So, I have learned a great deal from Roy Baker in the six years I’ve been working for him. I thought I’d put some of these things down in writing because the moment seemed right for it. In this calmer moment of reflection before the stress and excitement of an interview day, I offer educators some fundamentals I’ve acquired from a darned smart mentor:
1. There can be only one quarterback. [Translation: a leader knows the buck stops here. When the situation calls for it, no one should wonder who’s calling the shots. Whatever your position, you are probably the quarterback of something or some domain in your life…A true leader does not disavow or shirk, but accepts and in fact welcomes personal responsibility.]
2. Four words I hate most: “That’s not my job.” [Translation: it’s related to lesson #1. Marginal people look for ways to avoid doing things. Peak performers are always finding new ways to get involved and apply their talents. If something needs doing, see that it gets done.]
3. Sub-optimization will sink you. [Translation: sometimes schools have a tendency to get wild about programs and initiatives. While everyone going off in their own direction with their own pet program or instructional approach may sound creative, it’s just a recipe for chaos.]
4. In the absence of information, all people have is speculation. [Translation: don’t sit on valuable information. Communicate what is known in a timely and thorough manner to everyone.]
5. A school budget is just instructional priorities expressed in dollars. [When crunching the numbers, never forget that students and student learning is what we’re all about.]
6. Trust. It’s our most valuable commodity. [This one needs no translation; if it does, God help you and your district!]
7. Good is the enemy of great. [This one is lifted from the Collins Good To Great classic. Roy has repeatedly pointed out that it’s an important reminder for systems like Norris, where we can sometimes get very comfortable just being good – when we should be striving for greatness in everything.]
8. Spirited disagreement is a key characteristic of great teams. [It may seem counter-intuitive, but really tight teams have a high enough level of trust that they are able to challenge one another’s viewpoints and offer different perspectives – with the outcome ultimately being a stronger, unified decision.]
9. Wishing and hoping and TGI (‘the gut instinct’) is not the same as seeing the evidence. [Translation: everything should be linked to data. There need to be identifiable, measurable outcomes in place to evaluate individual, program, and district performance.]
10. Job-embedded learning is essential. [Translation: regardless of how great we think Teachers College prep programs are or how gifted someone is to begin with, we all need to be lifelong learners who evolve in our understanding of best practice.]
That’s certainly not all there is to it. One thing about life, you keep learning new lessons and sometimes learning more about the ones you thought you’d mastered. But, those noted above are 10 of what I believe to be the most important leadership and life lessons Roy has taught me. They’ve already served me well – and will continue to do so regardless of my job title. Hope you can get something from them, too.
Thanks for sharing your reflections as you embark on yet another milestone in your career. The reminders on leadership are always a welcoming read.
ReplyDeleteOf course, your comments can be applied to a number of roles I have, but I they are especially timely with some of my recent reflections about yearbook as I work to develop student leaders. For instance, after the first deadline I told staff my new motto is "Don't Make Excuses...Make it Happen!" Now, whenever I get the "buts" about why they can't cover something I just give them "the look" and say "Make it Happen!" I am not sure which number on your list this refers to, unless perhaps, number two about "that's not my job."
We used the "make it happen" mantra a lot in the military to convey the idea that somehow, someway the work needed to get done, and sometimes it is not up to the leader to figure out how to make the work get done. To me part of being a good leader is delegating work and then letting the workers figure out how to carry out the plan to get to the end result. As a self-proclaimed "doer" I often have to remind myself to take a step back and let others share the burden of accomplishing the task.
Thanks again for sharing your insights. I hope the interview went well. I can't imagine being in your position, but I really admire your leadership.
I thought I had already commented but for some reason it didn't show up down here. Great thoughts about Roy's leadership. He really made an impact on Norris. He used a common sense method of leadership which is still applicable in today's schools.
ReplyDeleteBTW, congrats on the new position!
Congratulations! I feel good that my children will be under your leadership at Norris.
ReplyDeleteGreat lessons in your blog that apply to everyone, #2 is my favorite!!!
Nadean Spaulding
Congratulations!! Your common sense approach will be a great asset to you and Norris. With one son just starting school and one just a few years away, I know they will be in good hands.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
David