During the Principals’ Institute Summer Conference, as I listened to phenomenal professional educators share the innovative processes taking place at their campuses, it reminded me that I am a part of a great community of people who care about the future. I watched the faces of those in the crowd as they absorbed the information and began to make plans to apply it to their unquie school communities. Everyone in attendance is actively working to make changes in education so that our future will be populated with life-long learners who can solve problems and grow in their knowledge of critical global competencies.
I believe leaders in education should learn constantly. They need to know if they have all the bases covered. Because we care about those who we lead, we want them to be fully prepared to be successful. I know leaders must be patient for results, but when we have the future of the world in our schools, we feel anxious to make a difference. We must, however, remain optimistic that whatever pace we set for changes in our approach for innovative learning experiences, those under our care will benefit. Compassion for those who we lead, while having high expectations for the quality work is a leadership combination that will allow all to progress in our journey to improve the future for the citizens of our world.
My greatest fear is that leaders will become overwhelmed with all that must be accomplished and give up. My personal remedy for this concern is to start small; do the very best you can with the knowledge you have, while being considerate to all those involved. Grow all those around you and continue to nudge them into being better leaders than when they started. I believe, as educational trailblazers, if we constantly strengthen those around us, we can achieve the goal of an improved future for all children.