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.
PERSEVERANCE
I can never settle on the following question: is February a longer month in a school year or is March. I know that March actually is longer, but March is typically broken up by Spring Break. The question is which month feels longer.
It’s a toss up.
Spring in a school can feel like it will go on forever, that there is no end, that it is a series of 17-day weeks.
Yet we all persevere.
One of the tools of a leader every day – every week, every month – is to model perseverance. Leaders get tired like everyone else. Leaders have a lot to do like everyone else. Leaders need a break like everyone else. But leaders are expected to be strong, tireless and persevering.
And they should be.
Processes can be long. Change can take forever to grab hold. Committees may meet ad nauseum. A leader must possess some stick-to-it-ness to guide the school forward.
Unfortunately, the leader is not allowed to throw up his hands in frustration. When that happens, everyone’s frustration is magnified exponentially.
Leaders should persevere and their experience should tell them that all things do come to an end.