Growing Leadership

BLOG POST # 3 Growing Leadership

“Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves” –Stephen R. Covey.

I have always loved this quote, because I truly feel that I am in the leadership role I am in today, because I had a leader see potential in me that at the time I didn’t see in myself.  I believe that good leaders build leadership in those within whom they work and interact with.

As I think about the position I hold and the future role as a principal. I think and reflect on this quote and the role I will now be taking in building leadership in those around me. I feel that it is important to a school for the school leader to know their faculty so well that you can see your faculties’ potential and begin to inspire and grow leadership within your organization.

This past week I was able to do some teacher observations. I observed new teachers and veteran teachers. I had to remember to put on my administrative eyes and observe these teachers with their effectiveness and delivery. This was interesting to me as I was no longer watching them for ideas for my own classroom. I had to make sure that I wasn’t being critical of how they spoke or delivered the lesson with my own ideas of how I would change or use things for my own teaching. As I went through my notes and comments on my observation forms. I began to think about my position as a leader and how am I supporting and growing leadership with the faculty in my school. I have an amazing leader who has been a great mentor and friend and I can truly say that because of her leadership strengths she is able to see the potential of her staff members and really takes the time to reflect on what it is she can be doing to help grow her teachers as leaders. She then takes those reflections and incorporates them into her post-conference observation discussions.

I know that this is an area that I need to develop. It is so easy during observations to be so critical of what teachers are doing or not doing. We may not be viewing the potential that our teachers have, or be providing support or opportunities for them to grow and develop them. It was really an eye opening experience for me.

-Alisha