Brave Leadership and Courageous Cultures

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)

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.

Reflection

Consider a personal situation when you responded bravely. How did it make you feel? How did it help others?

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

pang of uneasiness, anticipating how taxing and uncomfortable the conversation might be. But then he thought about how this conversation and ongoing classroom improvements could change outcomes for the students in this teacher’s classroom and those who would become her students in the future, so he listed the elements of his plan on paper. 1. He would be extraordinarily clear about what the teacher needs to improve, provide explicit examples, and discuss the impact on students using student data. 2. He would ask the teacher how he could support her as she improves identified areas, and offer his suggestions for ongoing professional learning. 3. He would describe his expectations for improvement, including his plan to visit the teacher’s classroom every two weeks to check in on progress, review student data, and provide continuous feedback and support.

Principal Boone executed the plan as described, despite the numerous times he considered changing it to keep the peace. As he reflected on the meeting, he recalled that it went exceptionally well despite his initial apprehension. At first, the teacher was hesitant and slightly defensive, but she listened carefully to his feedback, revealing appreciation for his clarity and specific examples. She expressed that in the past, feedback was unclear and vague, making it difficult for her to know exactly how to improve. In addition, she commented that she typically received positive feedback. Hence, she presumed she was doing well until she noticed many of her students didn’t demonstrate proficiency on team common formative assessments, leading her to begin examining her classroom practices. She communicated that she was happy to have a partner to guide her in making improvements. Overall, Principal Boone acknowledged he had missed opportunities to help teachers improve their practices in his attempt to avoid conflict. He recognized when he offers support coupled with precise, honest, and straightforward feedback, there is more of a chance for teacher improvement and ultimately higher levels of student achievement.

This scenario demonstrates one reason brave, courageous cultures are vital. Had Principal Boone avoided addressing his concerns about the teacher to not upset her, it would be far less likely that the teacher would have improved her practice. Yet another year would pass with another group of students receiving less-than-ideal instruction, with the teacher believing since she had not heard differently, everything was fine. Moments like this one present themselves daily in the life of school leaders.

This one situation, this one conversation may seem insignificant, but each moment matters when building a courageous culture. “Brave unfolds one situation at a time” (Davis, 2018, p. 1). Every day, your staff pay attention to what you do, what you say, and what you don’t say and do (Davis, 2018). They will take their cues from you and believe it is OK to behave the same ways you do. You have great power and a heck of a lot of responsibility! If you want to build a brave, courageous culture where people are willing to take risks, you must demonstrate that behavior in your leadership. If you want staff to be direct and clear about what they need, you too must be explicit and transparent in your communications with them. This is true in school leadership, and honestly, in every aspect of life. Leaders model leading from within through the building of a courageous culture, one conversation at a time.

What are the moments that define your leadership? They are everything, and they are everywhere. Stop and think about it. Think about three recent interactions. What did your behavior demonstrate or not demonstrate? Use figure 1.1 to reflect on these moments and how they define your leadership.

List three interactions and reflect on what they demonstrate about your leadership and how they help define it.

Interaction one: What did this behavior demonstrate about my leadership?

Interaction two: What did this behavior demonstrate about my leadership?

Interaction three: What did this behavior demonstrate about my leadership?

FIGURE 1.1: Reflection—brave leadership interactions.

Visit go.SolutionTree.com/PLCbooks for a free reproducible version of this figure.