20
LEADING BEYOND INTENTION
How can you expect others to do what you are not demonstrating in your interactions with them? You must show courage if you want to be more than simply guardians or custodians of your school (Glanz, 2002). The following section will help you identify five key actions you can take toward brave leadership.
Actions Toward Braver Leadership As you read this section, personally reflect on your actions. Carefully consider how aligned your efforts are to what you truly believe and want to accomplish. Think about brave steps you might take to strengthen this alignment and become more intentional in your actions. For example, as you read the following first action step, define and protect values, you may conclude you are crystal clear on the values but not always consistent in preserving those values in your decision making. You may decide to pay close attention to this alignment in your work for several weeks. In our work, we find this type of reflective leadership essential to continued improvement. As leaders, we have both faced complicated decisions that required us to consider our values and use those values to determine the best way to proceed. Unfortunately, we did not always make decisions with our values in mind. It is easy to get caught up in the emotion and want to make a decision that will make most people happy, and we have both been there and regretted it. As you work through the following actions, be honest with yourself, celebrate your strengths, and decide what you will improve.
©️2022 by Solution Tree Press
As you consider their leadership stories, you can see a clear theme—a deep commitment to students, staff, and decision making that aligns to core values. Principals Meister, Sonju, and Arsenault are vulnerable enough to learn continuously and grow as leaders. They recognize the need to constantly ask themselves, “Could I have reacted differently or approached situations with a different mindset or perspective?” In your work as leaders in schools and districts, it is always best to slow down and think through decisions carefully. Don’t just react; take the time to think through your actions. Typically, when you structure your actions through your values, the right moves become clear. Principal Boone took the time to prepare the steps of his plan; he thought the postobservation conversation through carefully. Sometimes, a lack of preparation can cause you to fall back on behaviors not in alignment with your values.
