Leadership magazine May/June 2015 V 44 No 5 | Page 33

VIEW Point

Seven daily habits of effective school leaders
The actions that effective leaders take on a daily basis are driven by intentional,
deliberate processes aligned with the highest leverage areas of need.
By Devin Vodicka and Lisa Gonzales

N

umerous textbooks, research articles and online
resources seek to define and explain the abstract
concept of leadership. A Google scholar search
using the term “school leadership” generated 2.6
million links in less than one second. Less abundant and understood, perhaps, is what effective school leaders actually do on
a daily basis. Those daily actions become habits that form
our character and our destiny.
Every leader has a unique
style that is based on his or
her own personality. In our
experience, effective leaders are those who have a plan
that informs their schedule.
That plan should be ref lective of their priorities, taking
into account any urgent needs that evolve based on their own
individual context. In other words, the daily actions of effective
leaders are driven by intentional, deliberate processes that are
designed for alignment with the highest leverage, most critical
areas of need.

1.

Daily schedules. Daily schedules are typically organized
into some kind of “weekly review” that provides for ongoing adjustments. With an understanding that our schedules are
often impacted by events beyond our control, what follows are
the elements that are included in an optimal day from our own
perspectives.

2.

Time in classrooms. Spending time with students in
classrooms is an absolute imperative for effective leadership. Starting the day walking through classrooms and getting
a sense of what is actually happening in terms of teaching and
learning is time very well spent. As a site leader, this often provides opportunities to check in with students and staff regarding
ongoing concerns, and to help anticipate the rest of the day. As a
district leader, the visibility and symbolic value of a school visit

are absolutely beneficial. Frequent visits will also help to develop
relationships that may otherwise be difficult to establish from
within the context of a district office.

3.

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. In the
current digital age, communication often consists of responding to emails. We both suggest that strategic use of social
media will enhance a leader’s effectiveness. Having systems to
manage email and social media tools are imperative to maximize the use of time and enhance the effectiveness of the efforts.
Text messaging is becoming much more frequent and is an area
with great potential in terms of improving our communication
with various constituencies. Even sending simple reminders via
text appears to be an effective approach.

4.

Take care of you. The effective leader also makes time
in the day for self-care. This can include taking a quick
walking break to get some fresh air, drinking water, and dedicating time to eat a healthy lunch. Ultimately, leaders who have not
taken good care of themselves will do poorly in their attempts to
support others. Paradoxically, the best way to take care of others
is to ensure that the leader is well enough to do so.

5.

Exercise and sleep. Effective leaders take the time to
exercise, which not only fortifies the body but has also
been shown to sharpen the mind and improve our thinking. The
effective leader knows being well rested is vital to ensuring the
awareness and presence essential to making decisions throughout the day. Too often, leaders sacrifice their own well being for
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