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by Beth Houf and Shelley Burgess
From time to time, we get questions about what it really means to be a PIRATE leader. People wonder if it is JUST about being positive and enthusiastic and making people feel good all the time. They wonder if we work in perfect schools with perfect teachers, staff, students, and community, and they want to know if anything ever goes wrong.
Well, the short answer is… yes, things do go wrong. Bad things happen. People mess up, sometimes they mess up big! We mess up – also sometimes in a big way. Once in awhile teachers and staff don’t do their jobs well, students get in trouble and parents cause a ruckus. In every setting where we have had the privilege to serve as leaders, it has been in real schools, in real districts with real issues that have to be tackled.
But just because we choose to exude positivity and demonstrate daily enthusiasm for our work, it does not mean we ignore the challenges and negativity that exist in our schools. In fact, we would argue that maintaining a positive environment in our schools actually requires that we face challenges head-on and confront negativity when it rears its ugly head – it is an essential part of being a leader.
So how do we do this?
First, it’s about our mindset. We may not have a choice in all that comes our way each day, but we definitely have a choice in how we handle it. We choose to handle the situation when it comes up. We don’t put it off and give it time to grow into something even bigger. So as hard as it is sometimes, we just step up and do it. We are committed, though, to handling every situation with grace, and no matter the circumstances, we choose to treat people with dignity and respect.
To get through it all, we also take care of our own personal wellness. The stress of education can be overbearing. We both have experienced this and from time to time, we re-evaluate and adjust our own wellness routines. Pouring from an empty cup is a recipe for disaster. Taking care of ourselves, physically and emotionally, is a critical step in our being able to maintain our positivity at work. We also make sure we lead for a culture of wellness in our schools so our students and staff feel this as well.
Creating a culture of high trust is another key component. When we have established that kind of culture, our staff, students and families feel comfortable sharing concerns regularly so that needed change is an ongoing occurrence as opposed to something that festers and blows up later. We work hard to make sure people feel heard and know their opinions are valued. We take time to build commitment together. We presume positive intentions and listen to understand, not just be understood. It takes intentional focus to ensure this happens.
Take some time to reflect on the questions below.
How do you handle negative situations when they arise in your school?
When things get hard, what do you do to take care of yourself and to help those you serve take care of themselves?
How do you earn trust with those that you serve?
Do you get feedback on your leadership? What are some intentional ways you have for students, staff, and families to give feedback on the effectiveness of the practices and procedures of your school? Of you as a leader? How do you respond to this feedback?
A staff member has an idea to try out and comes to you…what happens next? How do you respond? What do you do to make them feel valued, even if the idea isn’t something you can support?
How do you ensure that your staff feels supported daily?
We hope you will share your thoughts with us throughout the week on #LeadLAP
P.S. We hope to see you at DBC Pirate Con June 12th-14th, 2020 in San Diego, CA. We are looking forward to sharing the Lead Like a PIRATE message and getting to know all of YOU. There is an incredible line-up of speakers in the Leadership and School Culture strand of the conference. It will be an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and connect. Hope to see you there!