As my career in education continues, I prepare to embark upon a new journey. Starting in a couple weeks I will assume the role of the Director of Curriculum and Support Services in a district of 3,000 in the suburbs of St. Louis, MO. While I absolutely loved my previous position as a building level administrator in Poplar Bluff, MO, I am excited for not only what I can contribute, but also for what I will learn in this new position.
In preparation for this new role, I have begun to speak with district level administrators, as well as building level administrators on the vision and focus of the district. The more and more I speak with others about the direction of the district, the more unique and varied backgrounds and experiences I am coming across. One might think it would be wise to have a centralized group of administrators all with similar backgrounds and experiences, but I would argue that varied backgrounds and experiences will ultimately add more value.
While speaking with one of my new Assistant Superintendents, she made it quite clear that each individual recently appointed in the district (3 new principals, 1 new assistant principal & myself), each of us is to fill a particular piece of the puzzle so to speak. This puzzle has several different departments that at times overlap, and at other times have seemingly nothing to do with each other. This puzzle combines us as a centralized administrative team that must be diverse, nimble, and responsive to the needs of the students in the district.
I am a strong supporter of the theory of "strengths based leadership," and I believe that is what we are trying to achieve. By assembling a team of administrators all with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds, the district will be better positioned to respond to its needs, as well as be able to bring a richer learning environment to students. Additionally, the wide range of experiences brought to the table by each administrator provide a fantastic learning opportunity for other administrators to learn and grow from their experiences.
Great teams are few and far between, but I believe that's because the premise of building a great team might be flawed. It's so easy to build a team of educators who all think alike and have similar backgrounds and experiences. That is safe. That is comfortable. That is easy. That is too easy...
Great leaders assemble teams and tap into the strengths of the members of the team and openly seek out new members with vast and varied backgrounds. Great teams challenge and push each other while always questioning the status quo. Great leaders are able to build teams that believe and trust in one another, while also having high expectations for each and every member.
Building great teams is not easy, and that is exactly why it is so important...
While speaking with one of my new Assistant Superintendents, she made it quite clear that each individual recently appointed in the district (3 new principals, 1 new assistant principal & myself), each of us is to fill a particular piece of the puzzle so to speak. This puzzle has several different departments that at times overlap, and at other times have seemingly nothing to do with each other. This puzzle combines us as a centralized administrative team that must be diverse, nimble, and responsive to the needs of the students in the district.
I am a strong supporter of the theory of "strengths based leadership," and I believe that is what we are trying to achieve. By assembling a team of administrators all with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds, the district will be better positioned to respond to its needs, as well as be able to bring a richer learning environment to students. Additionally, the wide range of experiences brought to the table by each administrator provide a fantastic learning opportunity for other administrators to learn and grow from their experiences.
Great leaders assemble teams and tap into the strengths of the members of the team and openly seek out new members with vast and varied backgrounds. Great teams challenge and push each other while always questioning the status quo. Great leaders are able to build teams that believe and trust in one another, while also having high expectations for each and every member.
Building great teams is not easy, and that is exactly why it is so important...