New Slide: Note to Principals

As I was poking through the Connected Principals hashtag (#cpchat) in Twitter last week, I came across a great message on school leadership posted by Chris Wejr (@mrwejr), who is an elementary school principal in British Columbia.

I turned it into a slide.  Here it is:

 

Download Slide_NotetoPrincipals

(Image Credit:  Icon by Kevin N. Murphy, licensed CC Attribution)

 

Chris's message is great, isn't it?  If principals have an honest desire to be the instructional leaders of their schools, they've got to spend as much time in classrooms, hallways and on playgrounds as possible. 

So the logical question is have we done enough to create the kinds of conditions to allow principals to spend more time leading and less time managing?  Do principal professional development programs put an emphasis on leadership instead of management? 

Or are principals so burdened by the tasks of management that leadership is impossible?

How do effective principals pull off this juggling act?

Comments

[Jason Ramsden]

Bill - Great slide and something all of us need to consider when talking about leadership. This reminds me of the difference between leaders and managers as outlined by Warren Bennis in his book "On Becoming a Leader: The Leadership Classic"

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0738208175?tag=thepracticeof-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0738208175&adid=1CC3R0CKHF5WFCGP20XR&

In it, Bennis offers the following differences between managers and leaders:

The manager administers; the leader innovates.

The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.

The manager maintains; the leader develops.

The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.

The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.

The manager accepts reality; the leader investigates it.

The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.

The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader has his or her eye on the horizon.

The manager imitates; the leader originates.

The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.

The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.

The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.

I keep this list on my bulletin board above my desk as a constant reminder of things for which I must strive daily in the hopes that I will continue to work towards becoming a leader worthy of my co-workers admiration - a tall order for anyone leading others.

Cheers,
Jason

[Akevy Greenblatt]

Thank you for sharing. I have read a number of leadership books as well as books on education. The bottom line is to prioritize. I put into my calendar times that I will be in the classes popping in. I also try to do the management after school after the students and teachers went home. Also if ones look at the management part some of it can be done by a good office administrator.
It is always a balancing act. Thank you for the slide
Akevy