Pursuing Leadership

When I was pursuing my leadership credentials, I brought the experiences and advice I’ve encountered over the years from my educator family, my own teachers, and leaders with me. I would sit in my classes and reflect on the following questions, “Lauren, are there specific leaders who have left a lasting impression on you? If so, what is it about those leaders that made their legacy endure?” The answer to that question is, yes. There are leaders I remember for different reasons. I can recall sitting in one particular course about school culture. My professor began naming a few of the types of leadership that exist. That’s when I first heard the words transactional and transformational, two distinct styles of educational leadership, each with its own focus and approach. Here’s a brief explanation of the difference between the two:

Transactional leadership in education revolves around a system of exchanging rewards and consequences between leaders and followers. This leadership style may emphasize maintaining order and accomplishing established goals. 

Transformational leadership in education emphasizes inspiring and motivating followers to go beyond their own self-interests and achieve higher levels of performance. This leadership style is characterized by the leader’s ability to transform the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals and organizations.

Category	Transactional	Transformational
Focus	Maintains existing systems and processes	Inspires change and innovation
Goal	Achieving specifics targets and outcomes	Developing a shared vision and long term goals
Leadership Style	Directive and task oriented	Inspirational and relationship oriented
Communication	Clear instructions and expectations	Open dialogue and active listening
Motivation	Extrinsic rewards and consequences	Empowerment and intrinsic motivation
Impact	Short-term improvements and efficiency	Long-term growth and systems thinking

I believe that both transformational and transactional leadership styles are essential to the work we do as they serve different purposes. I have sought and received advice from both types. Leaders who are transactional, provide structure, and maintain the operations and management parts of the role, ensuring compliance and maintaining efficiency. For example, there are leaders I’ve worked with who are “masters” of the master schedule. They know exactly how to piece together the schedule puzzle so that all students and teachers could have the opportunity to innovate and create. They keep the ship afloat and moving.  On the other hand, the transformational leaders I have encountered  inspire and motivate their colleagues to reach their full potential, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and personal growth by bringing purpose to their meetings by integrating and modeling best instructional practices.

By combining these styles, educators can balance the need for stability and accountability with the promotion of innovation, empowerment, and meaningful learning experiences. What I know now is that as leaders, our work won’t matter if we don’t retain the human capital we need. The educational landscape is continuously changing. With technology and the new skills kids are bringing to us, we must emphasize the importance of creating environments where people see themselves serving. If you don’t move beyond the status quo, you can become irrelevant as an organization. Showing up with confidence and humility, creates spaces where people want to show and be their personal best. 

From Teacher to Leader

When I made the transition from teacher to administrator, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever be able to leave the same impact and legacy in the hearts and minds of those I serve and be the transformational leader I always needed. I have also come to realize that no matter what role you serve in, you have to show up to make a difference. You have been selected to be in spaces that can allow you to do so. In Adam Grant’s podcast, Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandment of the U.S. Coast Guard shared the following sentiment, “As a leader you have to break through insulation. Walls can start building around you if you are not intentional with the way in which we approach our work.”

Think back to your first years of teaching and leading. Were you ever handed a roadmap to transformational success? Have you thought about the advice you would give your first year teacher or administrator self? I remember thinking that I’d enter a school district on my very first day and be provided with a handbook that would include secret magical ingredients to the perfect recipe for becoming a successful educator and leader. Well, that never happened because it just doesn’t exist! Even after experiencing years of schooling, internships, teaching and leading internship adventures, a lot of reading and podcast listening, I know now that nothing really prepares educators and leaders who are stepping into a new role more than being thrown right into the trenches with some key people to guide you along the way. Since I view every person in an educational organization as a leader for kids, I am pretty sure that anyone who has ever led their own classroom of learners, a building, or district understands that it’s a tremendous responsibility that is both gratifying and overwhelming at the same time. After all, you have been selected to be in rooms with people to make a difference.

Whether you are a teacher or administrator, anyone who gets placed in a position to influence the lives of children must recognize that they have been given the unique opportunity to make an everlasting impact. Moments of influence and impact have the potential to live within learners for the rest of their lives. Those gifts live within great educators and are waiting to be unwrapped at the right place, at the right time, with the right people! Those moments cannot be prescribed in any handbook or roadmap to success because there is no winning in education and learning. According to Simon Sinek, author of The Infinite Game, education is not finite. There is no beginning, middle, and end because the players, curricula, policies and procedures, are continuously changing. Rather, education is an infinite game because there is no finish line or end. “Infinite games have infinite time horizons. And because there is no finish line, no practical end to the game, there is no such thing as “winning” an infinite game. In an infinite game, the primary objective is to keep playing to perpetuate the game” (p.4). So who is responsible for creating the invisible roadmap to success?

Mentors Are Everywhere

Although I was provided with a formal mentor when I was a new teacher and then again as a new administrator, I was fortunate to have many educators around me who I viewed as mentors. They too shared words of wisdom, resources, and new ideas that would impact the way I chose to approach transformational leadership and teaching and learning for the rest of my career. As a matter of fact, I perceive every single educator I have ever come into contact with since the beginning of my career as a mentor. Why is that? Some have gifted me with pieces of advice that I will indefinitely hold close, while others have modeled practices that I would never even consider employing. That being said, I have taken all of the wisdom that’s been shared with me over the years and created an open roadmap that includes 8 pieces of advice for new teachers and leaders!

Discover the How

I call this an “open road map” of advice because these are only suggestions, a framework, a guide. These are signposts that will point any new educator and leaders towards the right direction, but it will be ultimately up to them to choose their path and decide what kind of educator and leader they want to be. That’s the beautiful part about being an educator. Educators come with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Educators see the world from a unique lens and approach their practice with stories that push on their hearts. The open roadmap will provide the “what” and the “why” for those who plan to approach education with a transformational, infinite mindset. It is up to the educator and the mentors who are placed in their paths along the way to discover the “how”. My hope is that this open roadmap of advice can be placed into the hands of the mentors who are helping build strong foundations for educators and any new teachers who are committed to lifelong learning and view the process as a journey. Let this be advice to inspire you to imagine what the future could hold for yourself and the people you will continue to influence throughout your career.

Actionable Ideas for Educators and Leaders – an Open Roadmap of Advice to implement while navigating a long, meaningful career:

1. Keep Connections at the Core: Getting to know your students, colleagues, families, and communities by listening to their stories, passions, and interests; this intentional action will show them that you are human first and that you care. Be that person who wears an empathy lens. Be that person who will take the time to walk in the shoes of every student and colleague who crosses your path. By creating those connections and cultivating meaningful relationships, you are opening the pathways to deeper learning and exponential growth!

2. Embrace the Community: Make an effort to get to know the vision and mission at the community, district, and building levels. The people who make up the culture and climate of your organization are trying to row in the same direction to best serve the students! Every role in an organization is important and should be valued. You are now part of a team and it certainly takes a village to provide students with the right opportunities to thrive. You do not have to work in isolation. Observe and talk with the people around you; you will be surprised about how much you will learn from them. Those conversations will stretch your thinking and have an immediate impact on your role. You will also have a better understanding about who you can turn to for direction and advice when you need it! Also, for additional support, consider joining an online communities like the Innovator’s Mindset Book Study Group, The Teach Better Team or Rachelle Dene Poth’s Thrive in EDU Facebook Groups or follow inspirational people, leaders, and teachers on Twitter and Instagram such as George Couros, Adam Grant, Simon Sinek, Sean Gaillard, Dr. Katie Martin, Dr. Catlin Tucker, Dr. Katie Novak, Thomas Murray, Dr. Mary Hemphill, Allyson Apsey, Lainie Rowell, Dave Burgess, Meghan Lawson, Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, Adam Welcome, Joshua Stamper, Bethany Hill, Elisabeth Bostwick, Brené Brown, Stephanie Rothstein, and Natasha Nurse. I look to these visionary and innovative educators as sources of inspiration when I need new ideas and/or thought partners. The people in those spaces can become an important part of your Professional Learning Network (PLN).

3. Build a Network: Although having an outstanding formal mentor is crucial to the growth process, it is vital to connect and collaborate with other educators and staff members in your educational communities. Everyone has knowledge and gifts to share. We are truly better together. Try not to compare yourself to others. According to Theodore Roosevelt, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” We are not here to compete. We are here for kids! Just like we have different friends for various reasons (those who make us laugh, seek advice from, listen to understand, talk so we don’t have to), the same holds true for the educators we meet. Find those people in your organization who can make you better and help you see and learn other practices and perspectives. Also, consider expanding your network by using one or more social media platforms. Twitter has been a gamechanger for me. I have met some of the most impactful people to push my thinking in ways I never knew they could. Some have also become great friends! The #EduTwitter space can be overwhelming, but when you find the right network, it can be magical! Just remember, great minds don’t always think alike, they think differently too!

4. Discover and Document: One of the best things I was afforded the opportunity of doing was watching other great educators teach and great leaders lead! Inter-visitations, lab sites, and debriefing time will allow you to discover and embed new practices into your repertoire of teaching and learning tools! If this doesn’t happen in your school district, ask! Perhaps your administrators can arrange for it (even virtually). If you are lucky enough to have Instructional Coaches, ask them if they could organize this authentic learning experience, but also invite them to come in and offer you constructive feedback. I always loved when my coaches and peers gave me new ideas. They encouraged me to try new approaches and made me better! Also, you may want to consider creating a digital portfolio. A digital portfolio will allow you to document and think about your learning in the most intentional and meaningful ways. I am grateful to George Couros for encouraging me to start mine just a few years ago. Luckily I took his incredible Digital Portfolio Master Course where he walked me through the process of why I should create one and how I can use it. The experience has been reflective and allows me to create a digital footprint of my own learning. It’s never too late to start. Don’t think too hard about it. Just jump right in and make it happen… you won’t be sorry!

5. Pursue Professional Development: I am fortunate to have worked in school districts that provide professional development opportunities for all leaders and teachers. These leaders have seen the value in offering a wide range of courses that fit with the districts’ mission and vision and meet the needs of the staff and student population. To me, the most impactful leaders empower and elevate teachers and leaders within the district coupled with bringing in great educators and thought leaders from outside of the organization to facilitate targeted professional learning experiences. These experiences led me to ensuring that I can provide appropriate, relevant, and innovative PD for new teachers and leaders. I am also a big believer in not waiting for your school district to provide professional development for you. I REPEAT. Do not wait! If there is something out there that will help meet the needs of your learners and you, then pursue it and find it! Then, ask if you can attend it! Twitter has been a space to professionally grow and it’s FREE! Consider joining a Twitter chat that is rooted in a topic you are interested in! I personally enjoy #TLAP, #CultureEd, #FutureReady, #G2Great, #Empathetic_Educators, and #Read2Lead (just to name a few). Read professional books, articles, blog posts, and listen to podcasts. In an Edutopia article I co-wrote with Stephanie Rothstein, titled, Taking Control of Your Professional Growth, we mention some of our favorite professional learning resources. Also, If you are having difficulty finding a professional learning opportunity that meets your needs, then consider CREATING IT. You should always be in the driver’s seat of your learning!

6. Be a Mirror: Think about all of the educators and leaders who have influenced your practice. You may have not even met some of them yet! I know that some of the great educators who have made the most impact on me have only come into my life recently. The thought of meeting more people I don’t know yet is exciting! Think about why those people have been an important part of your journey. What did they say or do to influence the choices you make on a daily basis? Take the best qualities of all of those educators, mirror those attributes, and make them your own! If possible, reach out to those people and tell them exactly why and how they have inspired you. They will be happy to hear it! Sometimes, we don’t recognize the impact we are having when we are in the moment. Be the mirror and best versions of all of those people!

7. Celebrate Successes and Failures: It is crucial to give yourself recognition for all successes big and small. This is hard work and you should be able to share those amazing moments of growth and awe with those who support and cheer you on! There is nothing more gratifying than knowing you have made a difference in the lives of your students and colleagues alike. At the same time, you must consider that when you enter the field of education, be prepared to fail at things many times throughout your career. THIS IS A GOOD THING. I repeat. THIS IS A GOOD THING. When you aren’t failing, it means that you are not trying new things. It means that you are comfortable with the status quo. It means that you are not pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. So celebrate success AND failure. You earned it!

8. Pause and Reflect: Educators and leaders are working hard and exhausting all of the minutes in their precious days. Great educators and leaders also have servant hearts and are usually thinking about everyone else’s needs but their own. Take the time to pause and reflect. That means, take a break! Pursue your personal passions and interests, practice self-care in the best way it suits you. This will look different for everyone. Some will indulge in their favorite exercise routines or go on a shopping spree. Others will take a painting class, read for pleasure, and/or write a book like I am doing right now! The point is, whatever makes you happy on the inside, whatever pleasures your heart, do it! Taking that break to focus on YOU will actually make you a better educator than you were before!