"...too many cooks in the kitchen..."
"...too many chiefs and not enough indians..."
"...too many chefs spoil the soup..."
Well I am here to encourage you to turn over a new leaf. Instead of setting limits on who holds the title of "leader" on our campuses, why don't we work to build leadership capacity for everyone who desires to do so? When we work to create a climate on our campus where it is socially acceptable to work beyond the status quo, we tell students that it is socially acceptable to do the same.
Students are innately aware of those adults on campus who set the standard for others. They naturally gravitate to these adults and look up to them as mentors and "keepers of the knowledge" on campus. These adults may or may not be anymore equipped with the knowledge to helps students, but the more important things is that they are equipped with the desire to help students and will search out ways to helps students be more successful. The more adults we have on our campus that students look up to as "leaders" the better we build a campus of collaboration that ultimately leads to student success, in school and beyond as they become leaders.
We build leadership capacity on our campus in many ways. Some are direct professional development opportunities and others are woven into the everyday actions of students and adults on our campus. Overtime, this becomes the culture that students and adults aspire to be a part of.
Model by doing:
The most fundamental way of growing leadership capacity is to be a leader that others want to follow. Those leaders who are willing to do anything they are asking others to do model servant leadership and set the example for others as they grow into leadership positions.
Give autonomy to complete assigned tasks:
Allow students and adults to think of creative ways to complete tasks that you have assigned. Support by listening to ideas, actions, and updates, but avoid micromanagement of these tasks. When you give others autonomy to make decisions regarding assigned tasks, you gain trust and an understanding of mutual professionalism.
Get excited about other ideas:
We can get caught up in our own vision that we have for our students, staff, and community and inadvertently stifle others from adding their voice to the collective vision of the campus. Be there in the moment when someone brings an idea to you and come with a spirit of "how can I make this happen?" Too often we start poking holes in ideas too quickly or start with the filter of "how does this affect me" as opposed to "how can this help our learning community?" The idea that someone is bringing to you may not fit exactly into your plan, but if you listen and get excited about it, this will open the dialogue for you to offer a modification to the idea that will help better align with the campus goals.
Provide meaningful professional development:
Professional development in the area of growing as a leader is certainly important, but providing meaningful professional development in all growth areas within the learning community models what you see as important on your campus and as a leader. Provide professional development that is in line with the vision your campus has for student success. Ask adults on your campus, and I mean all adults, what areas of growth interest them. You may do this in the form of a survey or in face-to-face conferences, but be sure every voice is heard on campus. Then find the trends to guide what you offer for professional growth opportunities.
Provide opportunities for others to present professional development:
There is no better way to grow leadership capacity than by jumping in and sharing with others. Give adults on campus opportunities to share as the expert. For some this may be intimidating, but encouraging those to move past their comfort zone, and supporting them along the way, will help them grow as leaders and learners.
Find ways for leaders to practice the craft:
We can all probably remember coming out of college and thinking we had it figured out only to start day one, quickly to find out the only thing we had figured out is that we didn't know very much. I still feel sorry for that first set of band kids that had me as a director. We learn by doing and growing in our craft. Find ways to allow others on campus to practice the craft of being a leader. If you have aspiring principals, ask them to sub in the office when other administrators are off campus or shadow you as you work throughout the day. Give opportunities for teachers to lead PLC meetings, maybe rotating through all teachers within that PLC. Also, consider giving campus projects to those who may have advanced experience in a given field.
Celebrate advancement:
Whether its a promotion on your campus, selection on a state board, or an assistant principal moving to their first building principal-ship, celebrate these successes in a public way. When we get in the habit of celebrating the successes of others, we create a climate of mutual respect and excitement. We also encourage others to work towards their own professional goals. Besides, who doesn't like to hear their name on the P.A., see their name in the newsletter, or be celebrated on Twitter?
Building leadership capacity helps to create a culture where mutual respect for each others ideas and being a life-long learner is celebrated. I can think of no better accomplishment as a leader than to see students and other adults move on to be leaders in their fields and their careers because of the opportunities that I may have provided for them. I do not believe "too many chefs spoil the soup." I believe the more chefs, the better the gumbo. The better the gumbo, the more that will get to enjoy it. Don't kick out the cooks; build a bigger kitchen!
