One of the difficulties that new principals face is that they must lead while they are learning to lead. After carefully studying the literature on effective leaders, examining state and national leadership standards, and intensively interacting with exemplary leaders, we have identified some essential themes to guide new principals in growing into their leadership role. These themes can also serve as a framework for designing professional learning experiences for new principals or as talking points for newcomers and their mentors.
Keep Students at the Heart
Although it seems obvious that principals should first consider student interests when making important decisions, new administrators may fail to keep this priority in mind when bogged down in myriad responsibilities. As a result, novices must get in the habit of asking themselves student-centered questions whenever they make decisions or take action concerning school policy, district initiatives, or the everyday activities of the school. They must ask, Will this action help or hurt students? What message will my action send to the staff concerning the importance of student learning? Is my action supporting a professional learning community?
The school faculty will quickly notice if the new principal focuses on student success by engaging teachers in discussing student achievement data, celebrating exemplary student presentations, and displaying high-quality student work in the school office. And community members will notice if, during public speaking opportunities, the principal emphasizes that student success is the centerpiece of the school.
To create a broader vision of student success, one new high school principal introduced an academic showcase of student work to supplement the existing athletic display cases that lined the main hallway. Working with department chairpersons, the principal helped the faculty craft standards to ensure that the displays would feature creative and engaging student work exemplifying the best products in each department. The departments shared collective responsibility for rotating the displays each month. The displays sent a message to all who walked by: Student work is at the heart of this school's success.
Be a Learning Leader
In their classic treatise Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge, Bennis and Nanus (1985) stress that effective leaders are lifetime learners and great questioners. One principal new to a school made a profound and positive impression on the staff during the first faculty meeting of the year. He opened by stating that he wanted to learn about the school's culture from its teachers, that teachers were the key to the school, and that he defined his role in terms of serving teachers, students, and community members. In his closing remarks, the principal indicated that in his efforts to learn about the culture, he would be visible around the school and would be asking many questions about curriculum, instructional resources, and other issues to get up to speed. “Please be patient with all of my questions,” he requested.
A principal's admission that he or she does not have all the answers encourages risk taking, sharing, constructive criticism, and thinking outside the box among staff. In such a culture, teachers can comfortably say in the faculty room, “Ouch, I presented a lesson that just didn't work! Jane, let me tell you about the strategies I used; maybe you'll have some ideas that can help me next time.”
Act Ethically
Principals who are committed to ethical leadership make an unwavering moral commitment to behave justly, promote student success, support teacher growth, and foster quality relationships in the school community. Beyond acting on clear-cut issues of right versus wrong (such as releasing accurate and complete information to the media or enforcing discipline policies even-handedly), ethical school leaders also have a responsibility to make a positive difference in the life of each student in the school. This moral imperative is what makes school leadership a calling rather than just a profession.
To act ethically and with integrity, some principals need to make the bold and sometimes agonizing decisions necessary to relieve a school of the few teachers who do not serve the needs of students. In Trust in Schools, Bryk and Schneider (2002) highlight the integrity of one school principal who experienced several difficult years counseling out teachers from the school who were unwilling to give 100 percent to students. Eventually, the staff and community supported the principal's decisions, and student achievement rose.
Principals also have an ethical responsibility to help the school and the district examine thoughtfully which initiatives are in the best interest of students and teachers. The new principal (and even the veteran) may feel overwhelmed by the multitude of educational initiatives and “sure-to-succeed” innovations available. The ethical principal, however, considers it part of the job to defend staff members against fads that do not help students and that waste valuable learning time.
Put Instructional Leadership First
During the last 30 to 40 years, school leadership textbooks and university classes have emphasized instructional leadership as central to school administration. It is a tough balancing act, however, to keep improvement of classroom instruction as the center of the job while being barraged with administrative tasks. Successful principals must lead bifocally—taking care of both learning and business as they move through the day.
New principals' success with and acceptance by the faculty depends to some extent on their competence as instructional leaders—their understanding of curriculum, instruction, and assessment (Bryk & Schneider, 2002). Teachers take pride in serving with a principal who knows his or her stuff, and they will follow the cues of such a leader.
Many teachers who become principals do so specifically for the opportunity to serve as instructional leaders—to make a difference in the lives of students and teachers beyond their own classroom. But because of the on-the-job demands that principals face each day, visiting classrooms to celebrate student learning and supporting teachers in improving their practice are often the first responsibilities that new principals forsake. The good news is that there are many possible activities through which principals can promote teaching and learning: meeting with teachers to set goals; coordinating mentoring programs for new teachers; celebrating the contributions of veteran staff; serving with teachers on curriculum mapping teams to align standards and assessment practices; facilitating book studies or article sharing among teachers; and encouraging collaborative activities, such as critical friends groups, lesson study teams, and action research projects.
One new principal, determined to establish her school's monthly faculty meetings as professional learning opportunities, initiated a practice of sharing articles at these meetings. To support a schoolwide goal to close the achievement gap, the principal devoted one meeting to articles on best practices in differentiating instruction. Following the meeting, teachers formed peer coaching groups to collaboratively work toward implementing differentiated instruction in their classrooms. The principal asked to play an active role as a peer coaching partner, and teachers welcomed her interest in the effort.
Practice Efficient Management
Often, conventional business and education literature separates leadership from management, implying that leadership is the higher calling. Successful new and veteran principals alike, however, view their managerial role as vital to their leadership responsibilities. They exert leadership by ensuring that the school building is safe, maintaining bathrooms that are sanitary and free from graffiti, providing comfortable desks and chairs for students and teachers, maintaining adequate student instructional resources and teacher supplies, and having a sound understanding of the school budget.
By viewing management responsibilities as instructional leadership opportunities, a principal can add a layer of meaning to the management role. For example, walking in the hallway to supervise students as they move between classes can become a wonderful opportunity to congratulate Orlando on his improved math score, to ask Monica how her science fair project is coming along, or to encourage Leah to check out the after-school technology club.
Given the frequent interruptions and tremendous task variety that often characterize the principal's day, combining leadership and management can be a challenge. Principals often use the management strategy of Leading and Learning By Wandering Around (LLBWA): using short time segments, some planned and some unplanned, to get out of the office and visit various areas of the school to interact with others in a purposeful manner. These observations can yield large payoffs. One new high school principal became aware through his LLBWA activity that the previous administration had assigned locker location according to grade level. Freshmen and sophomores were being teased as they passed the upperclassmen's enclave. Some were even hiding out to avoid the torment and coming to class late, after the seniors and juniors had made their way to class. The next semester, the new principal reassigned lockers, making sure not to segregate them by grade. This single act significantly reduced tardiness and increased learning time.
Build Strong Relationships
The people who make up a school—students, teachers, classified staff, families, and the greater community—will either unite around a common cause or function as independent components going in different directions. Principals who build trusting relationships go a long way toward establishing a healthy school culture in which everyone works together. Principals do not gain trust because of the title on their office door. They must earn trust. And to earn trust, they must give it—that is, they must demonstrate faith in the independent skills and decisions of others.
In one neighborhood school, a new principal demonstrated faith in the parents by reaching out to the community. The principal knew that traditionally, schools were closed systems in which all parent meetings were held in the school. He tossed out the traditional structure by asking parents to host informational meetings in their homes or in community centers. Many parents graciously agreed to open their homes to meetings of 10–15 other parents, who shared their views about the school's strengths and shortcomings with the principal and teachers. In a surprisingly short time, the principal's efforts established a foundation of community trust.
Relationships also depend on the emotional attitude of the principal. Especially in stressful times, the eyes of organization members turn to the leader (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002). Having the right knowledge and saying the right things are not enough: Staff, and often students, can tell what the principal truly feels. On difficult days, wise principals find inner balance by taking a moment to tie a kindergartner's shoelace or seeking out a high school student to compliment her on the fantastic violin solo she performed during the holiday concert. Principals need and enjoy these moments of celebration as much as students and teachers do.
Know What to Expect
When going through a defining professional experience, we all tend to ask, Am I having the same kinds of experiences and thoughts that others in similar positions do? The answer to this question can help new principals answer the underlying concern: How am I doing?
Fortunately, considerable research can assure new principals that others have been where they are. The classic literature on newcomers describes three important stages of development, which apply to the principalship: (1) the anticipatory socialization stage, in which the newcomer looks forward to the new job and plans a roadmap to success; (2) the encounter stage, when the newcomer begins the new job; and (3) the insider stage, when the individual feels comfortable and accepted in the new position (Louis, 1980; Schein, 1974).
The anticipatory socialization stage is usually a time of emotional ups and downs; the exhilaration of being selected as the principal is balanced by the difficulty of moving and anxiety about success in the new position. If the assignment is made far enough in advance and if cultural norms permit it, the soon-to-be principal can visit with the incumbent principal, speak with veteran staff, and attend a few school events before the school year ends. The principal-designate might review curriculum resources, budget plans, local and school newspapers, PTA flyers, and school policies and procedures; he or she might walk in the school neighborhood to get a feel for the community.
In the encounter stage, the rubber hits the road. The newcomer should carefully consider the significance of all first encounters, including the first faculty meeting and formal and informal meetings with each teacher, classified staff member, parent, community stakeholder, and student. This stage provides the opportunity for the new principal to establish new habits and long-term behavioral patterns. He or she can begin to communicate a time-management philosophy simply by letting the secretary know that visiting classes and interacting with the school community will be part of the daily schedule. When a principal is visible—greeting students in the morning as they exit from school buses, visiting classrooms to celebrate student work, and spending time to talk with students in the cafeteria—it conveys a powerful message.
Newcomers often ask, When will I become an insider? The new principal is unlikely to experience one dramatic moment that indicates “I am succeeding,” but gradually he or she may realize, “I feel comfortable with my job performance.” One principal felt like an insider when a veteran teacher introduced him at a social function by stating, “I'd like you to meet my principal—he's even putting up with me!”
As new principals move through the stages of transition, they will inevitably encounter surprises (the loneliness of the position, the difficulties of managing time) and crises (How does one calibrate the school bell system during a special testing day when the custodian is absent?). Many new principals feel overwhelmed by the sudden need to take a broad view on every issue. As teachers, they only needed to focus on their own class or department's priorities. They may become frustrated as they try to meet both the needs of the whole school and those of individual students, teachers, and parents.
To cope with these challenges, new principals should come to school each day with the attitude that nothing on the job will be a surprise and that they accept responsibility for all events. President Truman's maxim “The buck stops here!” is a good reminder for school leaders. Thus, when a parent calls to complain about a bus breakdown 10 miles from school, the principal must do his or her best to resolve the immediate crisis instead of blaming the transportation supervisor or district mechanics. Later, when time permits, the principal can assess all of the issues and determine what follow-up actions are needed.
Orchestrate School-Community Partnerships
Standard Four of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (1996) states,A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
Today, helping each student succeed is a shared school-community responsibility. Community stakeholder groups—including service agencies, public organizations, and private businesses—expect schools to ask for their support. Effective school leaders proactively seek community assistance.
Principals should visualize a continuum of partnership possibilities ranging from traditional to nontraditional. Traditional partnering includes parent participation in scheduled conferences with teachers, back-to-school nights, PTA fund-raising, and classroom volunteer activities. At the middle of the continuum, parents, senior citizens, and older students might mentor students, and businesses might offer partnerships that involve limited involvement in school decisions. Nontraditional school-community partnering is a two-way interaction in which business and service organizations work with the school in planning and implementing initiatives (McLaughlin, 2001). Possibilities include job shadowing and job training, social and health services, substance abuse and psychological services, assistance to pregnant teens, and family and child welfare services.
When the beginning principal reflects on the collective vision of what makes a good school, it is essential to view the school within the context of the community. Each school and community has different needs—even schools only three or four blocks apart. Thus, deciding how to use community resources and how the school can contribute to the community is a unique project for each school.
Lifelong Learners
Schools are like ecosystems in which each action of the principal, faculty members, students, and families affects the organization and its individuals and influences the culture (Alvy & Robbins, 1998). A disagreement between two students on the school bus or a positive meeting between a parent and a teacher can have a profound impact on relationships among individuals in the school community, and thus on classroom teaching and learning. This conceptualization differs from the traditional model of a school as a bureaucratic organization in which the components are compartmentalized and isolated from one another.
Just as the components of a school are intertwined, so are the themes described here. For example, principals who act in an ethical manner will find it easier to attract community partners. Principals who admit that they don't have all the answers take a positive step toward establishing trusting relationships with parents and teachers. Principals who ensure safe and comfortable facilities and adequate instructional materials contribute to a healthy, learning-centered culture.
Perhaps our overarching theme is that successful principals are lifelong learners. Effective principals energize the staff, students, and community by providing a personal example of leadership in a learning community. New principals should strive to embody a line from the speech that John F. Kennedy was scheduled to deliver in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963: “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
