Thinking Like a Leader

I had the privilege of participating in the study group discussion about administrative decision-making and problem-solving skills.  Not only did the discussion present excellent insights, I think that the simple occurrence of the discussion reveals a vital component of administrative skill set development:  the ability and desire to collaborate.  Last week the lecture discussed some paradigm shifts that must occur in 21^st century principals, and one of those shifts called for a recognition of staff as colleagues.  In doing this, an administrator has now created a pool of knowledge, experience, and perspectives to utilize in their decision-making process.  Then, the principal must have the strength of conviction and the personal integrity to take all of that information and move forward with confidence.  Because, while many can be part of the decision-making process, in the final analysis the administrator stands as the face of accountability for those decisions.  Our study group shares, discusses, argues, and supports; then, in the end, we each put forth our own product and stand behind it.

So the question then becomes, “Is it nature or nurture?”  As many have stated eloquently before me, the ability to make effective decisions and solve complex problems requires both an innate skill set and an adequate body of experiences.  I have been a teacher for about 15 years, and during that time I have seen great teachers become outstanding administrators, I have seen great teachers die on the vine at the administrative level, and I have seen good, but not stand-out, teachers become truly exceptional administrators.  What were those great teachers lacking that kept them from excelling at the next level?   To my mind, this is where experience takes the fore in determining success.  A study group colleague mentioned in her discussion board post that administrators emerging from only a short tenure in the classroom must “learn everything on the fly”:  this sharply steeper learning curve can prove costly for a young administrator, as their choices have abruptly become much more high-profile and weighty.   In the same vein, a classroom teacher who spent years in growth and development in the classroom comes to administration with a true sense of how to work through a problem in order to find solutions.

I have what I hope is a healthy respect for the consequences of decisions.  In my post regarding ethics, I discussed the need for transparency, accountability, and trust in making ethical decisions.  Using this frame of reference, I consider myself a strong, ethical decision-maker.  I am constantly humbled by the vast amount of knowledge and experience that surrounds me on my campus, and I call on those resources as I make professional decisions.  I believe that my colleagues would consider me a person of significant knowledge and experience in my own right, and that they would tout my communication skills with all manner of stakeholders in all manner of situations.  I have a strong sense of conviction, and this gives me the ability to make a final decision and stand accountable to it.   This conviction might, in fact, also reveal my greatest challenge to decision-making:  the sense of meta-cognition that is required to assess to results of decisions and adjust them if necessary.  I tend to make a decision and move on; the spirit of ‘Continuous Improvement’ is one where I am still working to hone my skill.