Servant Leadership Versus High Accountability

   

  Principals bossing around teachers and trying to control everything is archaic. Developing people, treating them with respect, encouraging their talents and input - these are trends that research has proven build strong schools and organizations. I believe if principals will really listen to their teachers and figure out how to get them what they need, teachers will perform at a higher level, which will improve the classroom environment and increase student achievement. The work required for schools to succeed is more knowledge-based and depends on employees being creative and making good judgments. It's also important for a principal to keep in mind that their younger and often most creative teachers no longer hesitate to quit an unsatisfying job. Research says that today's younger workforce will hold 14-18 jobs by the age of 38.
    How can a principal lead through servant leadership and sleep at night when they have all the pressure of being accountable for the results their school yields to the superintendent, board of education, and community as a whole? The essence of servant leadership is to serve the employees first, and success will follow. This might appear to be the opposite of modern business strategy. Servant leadership doesn't mean that the principal doesn't cast vision for the school and set strategy. It doesn't mean he or she doesn't hold their people to a standard of teaching excellence. In fact, I will argue that your staff wants you to do those things. They want you to lead. But they also want you to include them in developing the path forward for the school. I want to offer some everyday habits principals can incorporate in their daily routines that can have powerful results.

1. Listen. Pay attention to how you interact in face-to-face conversations, large groups, and meetings. How do you communicate with other administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and vendors? How much do you really hear what they're saying? Do you understand what they need? Find meaningful ways to invite feedback and suggestions.
2. Appreciate. Instead of trying to catch people doing things wrong, shift your attitude to look for people doing things right. Tell them about the right things they are doing both informally in conversations and formally in their annual reviews.
3. Respect. Do you offer your employees the tools to become the best they can be? The emphasis should be on coaching as opposed to controlling. The test of true leadership is whether your teachers leave the school better than when they got there. The only thing worse than growing your employees and losing them is not growing them and keeping them. You want everyone growing and changing and improving. This also includes you! That is the only way your school will grow and change and improve. 
4. Unleash. Your people already have power and energy. They can use it or not use it. How can you give them opportunities to use it? Everyone is already showing up and getting paid. Why wouldn't you want each one to make the biggest contribution he or she can make?

This post was adapted from an article in the January 2012 edition of Success Magazine by Emma Johnson entitled, Become a Servant Leader.