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.
SEEK OUT OPINIONS
People are not simply going to offer their opinions when decisions are to be made or when the school is at a crossroads. Yes, leaders can send surveys and convene meetings and call focus groups together, but in a healthy school culture, those approaches are out of the ordinary.
What is ordinary in healthy cultures is that the leader seeks out the opinions of others and that people know their opinions count. Those being led know that the leader wants to hear from them and wants to engage them because the leader is practiced at saying things like “what do you think would happen if…?” The leader is practiced at asking questions and listening for answers. The leader wants others’ opinions.
Paramount in a culture that seeks out opinion is the understanding that not all opinions are equal and not opinions can be acted upon. A leader who illustrates that she values opinions sets the correct context around them and everyone understands what that context is.
Valuing others’ opinions is another tool a leader uses to show that she or he is not a ruler, but a collaborator.