The Latest Arrival — Leadership 101

INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP

It was years ago. In a town far, far away. The principal had to be out of the district and he asked me to run a staff meeting. I was just a kid, barely 26, and serving the district as the athletic director. Of course, I was fired up to fill in and run a staff meeting.

BACK IN THE DAY OF THE GATEWAY 2000Source: https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/gateway-2000-p5-120/

Running Behind

A teacher walked in 10 minutes late just as I was finishing up relaying some really important information to the staff about an upcoming initiative. I could not believe that the teacher came in late. I was … I was … to put it bluntly — pissed! Of course, I never really paid attention to whom arrived late or left early because I never had to run the meetings.

I guess this was a slight introduction to educational leadership. As I thought about the brief interaction, it dawned on me that no one else cared that the teacher was late to the meeting. The only person it affected was me. As I pondered this, I realized that it really was irrelevant to the effective management of the school.

Why Does It Matter

The lesson I learned is that it's the leader's job to remind his or her staff repeatedly of upcoming meetings, events, happenings, etc. This will keep information in front of them, so they are more likely to remember and attend — even on time!

At different times during my career, usually based on position, I will share a variation of a calendar with my team. As a principal, it would be my staff, but as a superintendent, it may just be the leadership team. Always, though, it is important to keep people informed of upcoming events, meetings, etc. that are important.

The Reveal (Coda) 

To be totally honest and forthright, one of the things that made me so upset is that this was a teacher who complained loudest about students being late to class. I suppose the irony of the situation probably got the best of me. Not to mention, I was a teaching colleague as the AD position was combined with my teaching position.