Walter H. Warfield is Scholar in Residence at the University of Illinois at Springfield. J. Gregory Reynolds is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
The first news of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was met with confusion by the American public. What happened? How many people were killed? How much oil was lost? How long would it take to clean up?
News that added details to initial reports seemed only to raise an endless list of additional questions. Answers and analysis of the situation came from a myriad of people with knowledge and skills in the oil business, both private sector and public sector, including elected and appointed governmental officials from a multitude of agencies.
Yet soon after the spill, the American public looked past the experts to the president for information and guidance. A common expectation was for him to visit the oil spill and affected areas in order to personally assess the situation and render assurances to the Gulf Shore and American people that all would be made well again.
Turning to a leader in times of crisis is a natural sociological phenomenon. So too is the belief that, in order to lead, the leader of any organization must be out and about acquiring and maintaining a full range of knowledge. Expert advice and counsel is needed to be sure, but it does not replace the need for a well-informed leader.
Every school district superintendent is faced with a daily list of routine yet critical duties to keep a district running efficiently and effectively. Add to that the daily list of unplanned and equally critical issues delivered via text messages, e-mails, phone calls and personal visits to the superintendent’s office by district constituents, employees and students. And the list goes on.
A natural inertia is at work here to keep the information and decisions from flowing. Small, trivial details for the district come before the superintendent in a relentless stream. Yet many are of great importance to individuals or groups, which collectively are of equal or greater importance to the organization and the end product of good leadership.
As such, it is far too easy to fall into a routine that turns the superintendent’s office from the command center to a holding cell. No matter the issue, it is incumbent on the superintendent to get out of the office on a regular (even systematic) basis to observe first-hand what is going on in the district and to interact with members of the leadership team, faculty, staff, students and other constituents.
New communication tools may enhance the speed, quality and quantity of information, but these same tools can easily contribute to an informational wall that prevents leaders from keeping in touch with the organization. In addition to looking at the big picture, a leader needs to keep in touch with organizational progress on a day-to-day basis with the intention of truly knowing what is going on.
Superintendents must communicate and listen to the people in the hallways. They must model the behavior they expect from others in their buildings, both staff and students.
Staying in touch involves walking around, being around, talking, sharing, observing and just plain listening. When done on a regular basis, the superintendent will gain insights that no communicated data could ever replace.
A natural byproduct of this interaction forms the building blocks of a trust relationship between the leader and those being led. Further, it helps answer the following simple but critical questions:
• Where are we succeeding?
• Where are we are struggling?
• Where do we need help?
• What do I as the leader need to do next?
Building trust
The superintendent, as well as board members, must engage the full spectrum of district constituents to achieve district goals. Artfully combining pressure and support to achieve district goals can best be achieved from a trusting relationship.
Trust, as a product of openness, also dictates that the superintendent needs to be clear about personal values and beliefs. The superintendent must understand the effects these values and beliefs have on others. Further, these values and beliefs must be practiced and not just spoken.
While these suggestions are common, they give us food for thought and reflection, as does the 2007 book The Leadership Challenge, by James Kouzes and Barry Posner. They tell leaders to “Model the Way,” by going first, living the behaviors you want others to adopt. They refer to this as “leading from the front.”
People are far less apt to believe what they hear leaders say than what they see leaders consistently do. Kouzes and Posner tell us: “Leaders’ deeds are far more important than their words. Exemplary leaders go first. They go first by setting the example through daily actions that demonstrate they are deeply committed to their beliefs.”
Amid the myriad of definitions and explanations of leadership, they state:
“Leaders establish principles concerning the way people should be treated and the way goals should be pursued. They create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow. Because the prospect of complex change can overwhelm people and stifle action, they set interim goals so that people can achieve small wins as they work toward larger objectives. They unravel bureaucracy when it impedes action; they put up signposts when people are unsure of where to go or how to get there; and they create opportunities for victory.”
A leader who models the way …
• sets a personal example of what is expected.
• makes certain that people adhere to agreed-on standards.
• follows through on promises and commitments.
• asks for feedback on how actions affect people’s performance.
• builds consensus around organizations values.
• is clear about personal leadership philosophy.
Balancing the demands of professional and personal life today is more difficult than ever. Certainly the demands on school superintendents continue to mount. There is a constant pressure of competing expectations and demands. How a superintendent spends time and expends effort in this environment is the clearest indicator of true priorities, and is certain to be observed by others.
When superintendents do not practice what they preach, when they do not walk the talk, their ability to lead is minimized. Leaders who say one thing and do another are destined to fail. When leaders do not lead, followers will not follow. Good leaders push followers forward with excitement, inspiration, trust and vision at the same time they pull with strength and conviction.
Leaders possess strength of character and a firm commitment to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. Leaders demonstrate personal integrity and credibility.
Leaders do more than lead from the office of central command. Leaders get out of the office and lead!