You have a lot on your plate as a school academic leader. You’re charged with supporting your faculty, doing what’s best for your students, and making decisions in line with your school’s mission moving forward.
All leaders have individual styles, and there is no single way to lead well. Your leadership style must be a unique blend of your personality and abilities in service to your school culture, values, and mission.
However, there are some mistakes that all private-independent school leaders should avoid. We recently read eSchool News’ article on common leadership missteps, and thought it presented great advice.
We have a few more leadership missteps for academic leaders that we’d like to add to the list.
Mistake #1: Not communicating the school’s vision. Don’t assume that every employee knows where the school is headed. The school’s vision is embodied in its mission. When faculty and staff understand how the mission should impact their day-to-day decisions, it can provide tangible and intangible benefits to performance, productivity, and morale. As an academic leader, it’s your duty to help establish that connection. If your faculty and staff have a clear sense of where your school is heading, they often advance in that direction much more confidently and with considerably less uncertainty.
Mistake #2: Not acting as a coach to your team. A top priority of your position is to help your teachers grow in their roles. Teachers must experience predictability and support from their school leaders. Your job is not only to evaluate their performance, but help them incorporate new tactics and strategies to empower their success. This should take shape through a professional growth and renewal plan that’s individual to every teacher’s unique strengths, challenges, and goals. This often results in not only more teacher retention and satisfaction, but also improved student performance.
Mistake #3: Not taking the time for your own professional development. It can be difficult to take time for your own professional development. Your first instinct might be to put your team first, giving them access to additional training and information. But your own personal growth is also essential. Learning new methods and understanding different perspectives makes you a better leader and helps you avoid burnout. Consider participating in one professional growth initiative each quarter, whether that’s a live workshop, webinar, or online training event.
Would you add any leadership missteps to our list? Let us know in a comment below.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for Academic Leadership Vol. 14 No. 5 19 Qualities of Superior Academic Leadership
The Source for Private School News Vol. 18 No. 1 Your Essential Duties as a Leadership Team Member
Additional ISM resources for members:
I&P Vol. 42 No. 14 Executive Leadership: The Relationships Between Predictability and Support, the School Head's Well-Being, and Faculty Culture
