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LEADING BEYOND INTENTION
struggling with classroom management and instruction. I was spending quite a bit of time in her classroom, and I was feeling anxious that I wasn’t able to change her practice as quickly as I would like. One day as I was going by her classroom, I could tell things were not going well. I was tired and frustrated, so I kept walking. Halfway down the hall, I stopped. I realized that I was taking the easy way out; to be a courageous leader focused on my purpose I needed to go back and work with that teacher immediately, so that is what I did. (S. Stobaugh, personal communication, January 11, 2021)
Reflection Consider a personal situation when you responded bravely. How did it make you feel? How did it help others?
Brave Leadership and Courageous Cultures Let’s consider the following scenario from a fictional high school. While this account is imagined, it is based on conversations we both had with principals in our coaching work. As Principal Boone prepares for a postobservation conference with a teacher, he contemplates the best way to approach the conversation. The teacher struggles with management, resulting in a disorderly and chaotic classroom environment, and data indicate students are not making sufficient progress. Furthermore, the teacher is often resistant to feedback and support. Principal Boone reflects on previous conversations with this teacher, recognizing he has not expressed his concerns and expectations. He remembers measuring his words carefully so as not to upset the teacher. He felt it was essential to preserve the relationship and worried he would never make progress with this teacher if she didn’t like him. As he contemplated the upcoming conversation, he realized if he wanted outcomes to change for students, he had to approach the conversation differently than he had in the past. So, Principal Boone made a plan. As he constructed the plan, he felt that familiar
©️2022 by Solution Tree Press
These two principals’ stories are powerful because they demonstrate brave leadership embedded in the simple, everyday decisions they make as leaders. This can sometimes be the significant, bold steps; however, it is often the small interactions with others. How you face daily conflicting opinions, challenge yourself beyond your comfort zone, or take on a task or project can pull you far from your comfort zone.
