When I was looking for the image I used in yesterday’s blog about Talking Leadership I came across this post Whose Voice is in Your Leadership Circle by Amber Teamann on a blog called Connected Principals and I enjoyed reading it and would like to share it with you
When making decisions, having discussions, or troubleshooting topics on your campus, how many people are involved? How many voices have input? I think it’s important to have several…in fact, I can give you some perspective on 4 voices that I think NEED to be involved in practically all of your campus decisions. A quadrant of leadership, if you will.
First voice, the Boss. The head honcho. The one who knows district policy, inside and out. The one who sets the vision, inspires the direction of the campus, and helps empower every body on the campus to be the best they can be, from students to staff. The Boss is the instructional leader who recognizes their own limitations and chooses to surround themselves with a team that balances strengths and weaknesses.
Next, the Sunshine. The Sunshine is the calm, positive, supportive voice who adds different perspectives in every situation. Think of the sunshine as the devils advocate in reverse. They truly see situations without ulterior motives and is always looking at the whole “person”. The Sunshine never has a bad thing to say about anyone, and is so genuinely good, it’s impossible for situations to get volatile or hateful in their presence. Every team needs a lil’Sunshine.
The Bitty Bird. The Bitty Bird is the voice of all the babies on your campus who need an advocate for their rights. They look at the LAWS and the STATUTES in place within the system (district, state, national policy) and ensure that they are followed. Without a Bitty Bird, you can walk too close to the line of whats “right” for kids, but isn’t done the right way. Legal polices are black and white, and Bitty Birds keep you out of the grey.
Lastly, you need a Cheerleader. The Cheerleader cheers for what you do…they recognize that everyone needs to be encouraged. Days are long and days are draining. The Cheerleader is there to pep you up and remind you WHY you’re in this business in the first place! They’re always up for something new, to change something up…you can’t do the same cheer over & over! From a thank you to an “I noticed” statement, the Cheerleader is there for YOU.
Whilst agriculture does have a lot of people sitting in the stands talking about the team do we have enough people cheering them on? My experience tells me no
How do we change the culture?
