3 Ways for New Administrators to Lead Effectively from the Start
After four years of teaching, I was hired to be an administrator for an elementary school.
Joyous thoughts about this opportunity quickly transitioned to worrisome doubts due to the challenges that accompanied being a new administrator. This worry led to mistakes, failure, and developing the appropriate mindset that has allowed me to become a more effective leader four years later. The following are three strategies that I would offer to any new or aspiring administrator in order to lead effectively from the start.
1. It’s okay to have no idea what you are doing.
As a new administrator, you will quickly realize that every second of your day is filled with quick decisions, answering unlimited questions, and handling various moving parts. One of the worst fears you will have throughout your first year is hoping that no one finds out that you do not know a lot of the right answers. To compensate for this, you will provide superficial answers and guidance. This leads to poor leadership habits that ultimately impact students. Masking the simple fact that you are afraid to admit you do not know what you are doing is a mistake we all make in our first year of administration.
Strategy: Reflect on how you were hired to be an administrator. Were you selected because you had every answer in your first year as a teacher? Probably not. Were you selected because you demonstrated the capability to seek out guidance and learn when presented with an opportunity for growth? Probably. As a new administrator, you want to demonstrate a growth mindset. When presented with a question or challenge, you always seek to learn. It is important to practice this quality because you will be providing quality guidance and exhibiting qualities that you would want others to emulate. In my fourth year, it is not uncommon for me to tell someone, “I honestly have no idea but let’s find out.” The more transparent you are about your vulnerabilities, the faster you will see your leadership being to make an impact.
2. Your journey has just begun.
There is a tendency to think that being an administrator equates to reaching a finish line. The journey to this point in your career can make you believe that your new goal is to help others move along faster in their path. This leads to a focus on others and not on ourselves. A mindset like this can develop stagnation. As a new administrator, you cannot allow yourself to stop growing because your journey has just begun.
Strategy: Here are two ways to grow as a leader and start your new journey.
- Reflection – It is important to reflect. This will allow you look at the big picture and not get bogged down in the daily grind of being an administrator. Challenge yourself to reflect on your daily practice. One way is write down mistakes you make and how you want to grow from them. Another way is start a blog about your experience as a new administrator and allow your PLN to offer feedback. Whatever way you reflect, make sure it is a priority to complete daily.
- Reading – Reading books on effective leadership can be one of the more productive ways to challenge yourself. Along with reflection, reading can challenge you to think about the type of leader you currently are and what you strive to become. There are a plethora of books you can read about leadership. Ask fellow administrators and mentors for recommendations.
3. Become An Effective Communicator
The most challenging aspect of being a new administrator is being an effective communicator. As a leader, it is vital that you not shy away from sharing forward feedback, addressing issues that impacts students, and having honest conversations. Throughout your first year, you will find a tendency to allow certain things to go unaddressed for the simple fact that it might result in having an uncomfortable conversation.
Strategy: There are going to be moments during your first year as an administrator where you will notice an issue and wonder whether or not you need to address it. More often than not, you will decide not to. This is a mistake. It is vital that you confront issues as they arise throughout the school year. It is uncomfortable, awkward, but necessary. The risk of not having these conversations is far greater than having them and feeling uncomfortable. As a leader, you need to do what is best for our students. Don’t allow insecurities to stop you from doing that. In these uncomfortable conversations, it takes honesty, transparency, and the ability to guide these conversations towards growth. One way to learn how to have these difficult conversations is by seeking out guidance and training. Along with a trusted colleague, I have found that the Adaptive Schools Training to be most beneficial.
Go to www.thinkingcollaborative.com to find out more about this fantastic resource.
Adam Brown K-12 Principal 2016 @ASCD Emerging Leader/Influence Leader/EL Reader Advisory Board. 2014 AERA Emerging Scholar. W&M Doctoral Student. Twitter: @AdamBrownEDU
