Bravely Leading From Within
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We asked three school leaders to participate in this exercise and include their reflections in the following examples. As you read their stories, think about how these leaders’ actions contribute to building braver, more courageous cultures.
Three Brave Leaders The first leader, Christina Meister, principal of Grace Hill Elementary School in Rogers, Arkansas, shares the following about her reflection. As I reflect about the moments that have and continue to define my leadership, there are so many, and you are right—they are everyschool. For instance, do I spend my time behind my desk or out in the building? It is defined by the moments I interact with teachers, with students, with parents. My leadership is defined by how I demonstrate my core values and address beliefs and behaviors by both adults and students not aligned with those values. Artifacts such as our master schedule, professional development agendas, and the meeting notes about our conversations show evidence of my leadership. The moments I must make quick yes or no decisions or just decisions, in general, contribute as well. The good thing is that I also have the opportunity to continue to shape and define my leadership so that the times I make mistakes, the times I say “no” when maybe I should have said “yes,” or the times I got more passionately heated than I should have, can be molded and shaped through a lens of more experiences and clearer focus. The moments that define who I am as a leader take place over time. While some of these moments might be pivotal and memorable, most are the ordinary, day-to-day moments that just begin to slowly shape, mold, and define me and what type of leader I will ultimately be known as. I hope that my core values are at the heart of each of those moments and that when I retire, those that worked alongside me know what it is I stood for, what it is I passionately was committed to, and they can say she made a positive difference in the lives of kids. (C. Meister, personal communication, January 18, 2021)
See figure 1.2 (page 16) for a summary of her three interactions.
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where. My leadership is defined by how I choose to spend my time at
