Publication Sneak Peek

Instructional Leader

This segment features content from other AAEA publications. Instructional Leader is a quarterly publication available to subscribing districts. The following excerpt comes from the March 2023 issue.

Setting the Tone and Carrying the Load

Leadership Has Never Been More Critical to Our Student's Success

Contributor: Gary Williams, Superintendent, White Hall School District

Today more than ever, the leadership in our schools is critical to our student’s success. As professional educators, we opted for the challenge and privilege of working with students in the most important and rewarding profession. I say this because education is the pathway for all other professions and occupations, and we impact students at such an influential time in their lives.

When you search for the definition of leadership, you find “the action of leading a group of people or an organization” or “the state or position of being a leader.” You can also get a sense of leadership by reviewing its synonyms, which include directing, overseeing, coaching, supervision, and shepherding, to name a few. As I studied these, the one that caught my eye was shepherding. Of course, the term shepherding originates from the overseer and protector of sheep. Shepherding can also fit many other situations; the Bible contains many of these in its stories. As a person thinks about the responsibilities of overseeing and protecting those under their care, it can be somewhat overwhelming. So, how do we meet the responsibility of overseeing and protecting others through our leadership? I would argue that awareness and being intentional are two critical components.

The leaders in public education wear many hats, and they all play a big part in the success of a given school. Leadership roles include teachers, coaches, and building-level and district-level administration. As stated above, the components of awareness and being intentional are essential but can often get lost in the challenges of the day. Considering the importance of these two leadership traits, we must protect ourselves from not utilizing them as we serve others. With this in mind, we must realize awareness must come before intentionality to have a successful outcome. Awareness traits are not limited to but include self-awareness, how others respond to you, your physical surroundings, and the perception of your classroom, school, or district. A leader with a heightened awareness understands the tone in their classroom, school, and district. It is often said that you can feel the culture when you walk into the building, which is 100 percent true. The leadership sets the tone for their particular environment, whether or not the leader is aware of it. The critical aspect of this is our influence on our students and co-workers.

As a leader reflects on their awareness, they must consider the impact they have already had or will have on others. We all feel accomplished when a former student or co-worker tells us we made a positive difference in their lives. Their message may contain comments about our content knowledge, pedagogy, or other skills related to our particular job. However, they most always have comments about how we made them feel. You will hear words like; you always believed in me, you knew what to say to encourage me, or I knew you cared about me. This list can go on and on. Then there is the other side of the impact we can have on others, which is a negative one. On this side, those negatively impacted by us often do not share this with us. They just move on and carry the weight of the negative experiences. Our awareness of this must cause us to reflect on how we treat others, particularly those we have committed to protecting. When we positively impact the ones we lead, we will hear authentic feedback from them. If we hear little to nothing, we may need to consider why.

The question one should ask then is what all should we be aware of to be the best leader we can be so those under our leadership benefit. As stated above, selfawareness, how others respond to you, your physical surroundings, and the perception of your classroom, school, or district must be on the list. But other areas to be aware of must also be considered by us. One of these is the strength of your relationship with the other person or group. Another piece to be highly aware of is how your body language can impact an individual during an interaction. We must also consider the words we use and how and when we use them. Understanding the personal side of what we do in providing valued leadership is also essential. For example, if we interact with someone regarding the day's business and move directly into the interaction, the person or group will not see us as warm and caring. In these interactions, you will receive little to no feedback from the person or group you are interacting with, but they will leave that conversation less appreciated and respected.

On the other hand, we can enter conversations, even the difficult ones, with interest in the person or group and show we sincerely care. In most cases, engaging in a personal way, in the beginning, will build trust and grow the relationship, providing a sense of belonging. Moreover, when we connect with those under our leadership, they become more productive and value where they attend school or work.

Awareness is vital to successful leadership, but it alone is not enough. Once we develop a high understanding, we must use that knowledge to become better leaders. One does this by becoming intentional with their words and actions. Unfortunately, so often, what we do and say is random. When we interact with others in such a way, the outcomes may not be what we desire.

When we use strategies to achieve the desired result, we significantly increase the likelihood. These strategies are not secret and are available through various resources. As educators, we must study the process of positive human interaction, which is essential for good leadership. We have heard the cliche about students not caring about what you know until they know you care. Students and adults desire their leaders to care about them as individuals, which is what we do as leaders: care about those we serve. However, this is where being intentional allows those impactful relationships to flourish. Without deliberate, strategic actions and words, our care for others is often not realized by them. The intent is the secret sauce that makes the culture we desire to have possible.

As we look back at the title of this article, it is essential to remember that leaders will, by default, set the tone for their environment, whether it is the classroom, school, or district as a whole. This is simply accomplished by the role they have. On the other hand, a leader can “Set the tone and carry the load” by keeping a keen awareness of the areas mentioned earlier and using proven relationship strategies in an intentional process to be indeed the protectors to those who matter, our students and staff.