Learning and Leading ‘from the Middle’

I am a teacher. I am a leader. Most likely you are too.

Being a learner and a leader carries a responsibility. A responsibility to help others to be the best they can be. Not just with our learners but with the people we work with.  In my case I want to be the best educator I can be. And just because one is a ‘leader ‘ it does not stop them from learning, getting feedback from others. It of course is not dependent on ‘admin’ or a top down approach.

What have I learned from being a leader in the past 12 months. I value the Big 4:

• People- Yes, this is a simple enough concept but as a leader do we listen to people. Are we good listeners?
• Respect – So you think respect should be earned. If you have respect so many others follow- trust, connection..
• Empathy. We are human. We make mistakes. We try to fix them and we help each other. A leader needs a whole lot of empathy when listening to issues form parents, students and especially staff. More importantly it need to be GENUINE.
• Feedback. How do I know if I am helping you (or myself – or the community) if you don’t tell me. This probably the most challenging of the Big 4. Feedback v criticism. Deal with it. Use it.

I could link about 12 blogs to the post but wont bother. Check out @gcouros blog The Principal of Change for cool stuff.