Joyful Rewards
By Cindy Costa
Active insights to enrich the work you do from a 36-year veteran , who happily served as a middle school teacher , secondary administrator and district team member , retiring in December from Hesperia Unified School District ’ s Innovative Technology and Communication Department .
Always put children first Believe you are a difference maker Care when others forget Dare to go beyond Exercise balance often
Forgive always Grant another chance Highlight talents often Ignite the fire
Jump at opportunities even if uncomfortable
Keep the faith Let go to grow Mentor others often Navigate with kindness Organize via “ do , delegate , delete ” Praise without boundaries Question often Restore the mind , body , soul Servant leadership is a gift you give Take time for self often Understand first Vacation with family and friends often Wisdom seeks counsel
Xtraordinary acts of kindness kindles the flame
Yearn to stretch Zealous minds revive landscapes
Technology , gender identity and equity are recent examples .
Jerome T . Murphy , the former dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education , has written about the challenges of educational leadership . He reported that more than 80 percent of administrators he polled expressed feeling overwhelmed , stressed and self critical about their performance .
In an article called the “ Leadership Trap ,” he wrote : “ At its heart , the leadership trap is this : To shine as a leader , you seek to control your distressing thoughts and emotions in order to steer clear of feeling ( and looking ) weak . Running away , suppressing your feelings , and hiding are common methods of control . Yet the more you struggle to control your insides , it turns out the more you undermine your outsides – your ability to build trust and take charge as a leader . The more you bury your stress , for instance , the more stressed and reactive you become .”
Caryn Wells , writing in the September 2013 NASSP Bulletin , reported on the increasing stress that principals experience related to heightened expectations for student achievement . She recommended mindfulness practices as a way of managing the tension and related stress in school administration .
Just as parents manage and set the emotional tone in a family , the school administrator manages and influences the emotional tone or climate in their school . School leaders become the “ holding environment ” for upset , anxiety and frustration associated with challenging situations .
The task of responding to daily needs of students and staff while taking care of oneself requires skills that are not typically part of an administrative credentialing training program . Mindfulness offers strategies and practices to help administrators manage and care for themselves so they can manage and care for others .
Mindfulness and emotional intelligence
The importance of understanding relationships in organizations has long been recognized . The Tavistock Institute of Social Relations has been studying methods of improving human relations in organizations since 1947 . The group focuses on the oftenunconscious factors that affect how people react to factors such as authority , age or gender in the workplace .
Tavistock offers leadership training programs to assist individuals in gaining awareness and insight in order to improve work relations and effectiveness . One participant in a workshop reflected , “ I realize that the principle benefit of the support I receive is to provide me with thinking time and the discipline of treating that thinking time as a priority because of the leadership challenges I face in my role . “ These insights would be impossible to acquire without the benefit of skills , professional judgment and experience that is available through the coaching .
“ I sometimes wonder how often people find time in busy schedules to think about the strategic issues they face individually and organizationally . I suspect only a minority would answer affirmatively . At times , dealing with complex organizational choices on a daily basis makes me break into a sweat .”
The work of Daniel Goleman , author of “ Emotional Intelligence ,” has emphasized the importance of awareness in recognizing one ’ s own feelings and the feelings of others in order to manage emotions and relationships . Emotional intelligence is an important theme in the Leadership Coaching programs sponsored by ACSA , and referenced in “ Blended Coaching ,” by Gary Bloom , and “ Evocative Coaching ,” by Megan Tscahnnen Moran .
Bloom writes , “ As important as professional knowledge and skills are , it is no secret that school leaders often fail not because they lack brains , determination , knowledge or skills , but because of what is often characterized as ‘ style ’ or ‘ people skills .’” Tscahnnen Moran includes listening “ attentively , mindfully and openly ” as critical skills in building trust , expanding understanding and gaining insights in supporting school leaders .
An informal survey I conducted with leadership coaches showed 75 percent agreeing that although daily mindfulness practice is difficult it would be beneficial to school leaders and students . All surveyed felt that mindfulness practices would add to positive relationships between administrators and staff members .
In my work as a leadership coach , I often
30 Leadership