Years ago, I was blessed to be in a position to hold seminars with groups of educators designed to discuss and build leadership skills both informally and formally, internally – for the individual and externally for the school. As we discussed leadership skills and qualities, we would talk about new tools being put in our toolboxes as leaders. This year in Teach & Serve, I have decided to talk about many of those tools.
VISION
The term “tool” implies use and practicality and the majority of the tools that are in the “Leader’s Toolbox” are utilitarian. A leader encounters a problem. A leader grabs and uses the correct tool.
Vision is different.
A tool that is just as important as the more practical ones, vision is employed by good leaders to connect and inspire those they lead. Leaders with a clear and legitimate vision for their schools are, in my experience, few-and-far between. And that is a shame because schools need vision. They need to see what is coming next, what is over the horizon, what needs to change.
Vision anticipates what is to come and clearly articulated vision asks people to be a part of the journey to get there.
A strong vision is inclusive of the past, the present and the future. It validates what has come before and points to where a school needs to be. It engages. It unifies. It inspires.
I strive to be a better visionary for my school…