Developing a culture of shared leadership has been my goal since becoming a school leader. I didn't realize how difficult an endeavor this would be or what barriers I would face. I also didn't realize how vastly rewarding it would prove to be. As I work along side my team, I can't help but be proud of where we are and how far we have come to get here. We still have work to do, but I can say that we are moving forward everyday. Even in the times of failure I am seeing an attitude of "fail forward"....learning from the not so successful events with a spirit of we are not going to let this beat us. This culture is so different than just a year ago. As we continue to grow and develop as a team, I believe we must work on the work every day, in every way through shared leadership.
What is shared leadership?
-Building the vision together It is important that the team have one vision, one voice and one process.
- Walk the talk. Believe the vision, speak it, walk it, talk it.
- Support your team and validate their ideas. Work to lift each other up. Team members want leaders who share responsibilities, resources and recognize results.
- Build Community Everyone wants to be apart. Communities are built on caring, communication and collaboration.
Leading from the back provides an amazing view. One that sheds light on those reaching goals, stretching their "comfort zones" and working for change. It is almost as good as my view from the sidewalk!
Until next time, enjoy the view from your own sidewalk.