Many of us have someone who inspired us through their exceptional, transformative leadership: a principal, superintendent, dean of faculty, or even coteacher who helped us see our potential in the classroom and fulfill it. Many of us are lucky enough to have worked with one or two "multipliers" in our careers, the term coined by Liz Wiseman in her best-selling book by the same name. According to Wiseman, a multiplier is a leader who grows the intelligence of others, someone who liberates, challenges, and attracts talent under and around them. Working with a leader like this can make our workplace exhilarating, joyful, and purposeful because we feel that we matter.
But what about those times in our careers when multipliers are nowhere to be found? What happens when we are in a place where there is a total lack of leadership? Or a revolving door of principals who are too busy getting up to speed to be energizing or inspiring to anyone? What of those times in our careers when we work for "diminishers," Wiseman's word for the leaders who are tyrants, know-it-alls, or micromanagers?
Sadly, this is a reality for many of us in education. You may recall working for a diminishing leader like this at least once in your career; perhaps you are working with one right now.
Is it possible to feel passionate and motivated under those circumstances? How can you take control and create your own energy and enthusiasm—to lead from the bottom, rather than wait for the great, white whale of the perfect leader? How can you change the culture at your workplace—or at least work around a negative one so you and your students can thrive?
I have worked in ten different schools in six different countries around the world and have had the opportunity to witness all kinds of leadership and the myriad ways that faculty and staff adapt to different styles. What follows is a list of tips and tricks that trusted colleagues and I have used over the years to make the most out of less-than-ideal situations.
1. Find your locus of control.
In most cases, this is your work with students (if you are a teacher) and with faculty (if you are a coach or administrator). Even if difficult or feckless leadership is driving you mad and making work difficult at best, there is always a locus of control you can claim: the good work you do with the people in your charge. When we cannot control the chaos around us, let's focus on what we can control. Even if I'm upset by poor management decisions, I can always walk into class with a fantastic lesson plan that will engage and energize my students, the people that mean the most to me in this whole education equation. I find teaching an incredibly creative process—I'm always trying to reinvent new and better ways for the students to learn what they need to, and the creative act of finding better, more interesting texts to add to our readings keeps me engaged and excited.
2. Keep your work and private life as separate as possible.
I've worked in several boarding and overseas schools where all my next-door neighbors were my colleagues. In these types of settings, it can be really hard to find balance between work and play. When you spend a lot of social time with colleagues, it's easy to slip into "shop talk" and your negative work environment begins to seep into your personal life. Try to set clear boundaries between the two and maintain several relationships outside of work so you have other social circles to get energized from on evenings and weekends.
3. Keep complaining to a minimum and perspective to a maximum.
When there is a lack of good leadership, employees often get together a lot to kvetch about how bad things are. My first teaching job was at a boarding school in rural Connecticut. My husband and I were newlyweds in our mid-20s, and we taught four sections of classes, lived in a dorm with 20 high school girls, had dorm duty three nights a week and every third weekend, coached two seasons of sports, and had to teach on occasional Saturdays. After that job, we went to teach at an international school in Hong Kong. Our responsibilities there included teaching five classes and taking an international trip once a year with a group of students. For the first time in our careers, we did not have any weekend, dorm, or coaching requirements. We were also getting paid more at this new job, so we felt like we'd hit the jackpot.
So it was a surprise to us how often our colleagues complained about the amount of work they had and how much the school required them to do. It was a very busy place, for sure, but we felt that our perspective had given us a different view of the situation. We were grateful for how little we had to do in comparison, and it was an important reminder that it can always be worse. Focus on the positives you do see (great students, kind colleagues, a short commute) and complain less—to yourself and others—about the negatives. You'll be happier for it, and attract happier colleague friends in the process.
4. Start a Professional Learning Community.
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have been all the rage in the last decade. Many of us have probably experienced PLCs driven solely by the administrations' needs, or PLCs that are not particularly effective because they lack a clear goal. But don't let that stop you and your like-minded colleagues from starting your own effective PLC, either officially during school hours, or outside in a more social venue. You could start a PLC focused on a particular issue or challenge, such as supporting ESOL students, using technology effectively, or evaluating racial and social justice in education. Sometimes the collective good energy and action of a small group can draw more interested, curious colleagues to the conversation and enact real change.
I knew a high school history teacher that arrived at a new school and felt dismayed by the lack of leadership with regard to curriculum, teaching, and learning. She decided to start a monthly PLC for any interested colleagues. She invited everyone on the faculty to join her once a month at lunch to discuss current education articles and initiatives. They took turns choosing the articles and drafting discussion questions so that there was no single leader. She found many more advocates for change at her new workplace than she had realized, and together they tried out and shared new discoveries and practices with the whole faculty later in the year, generating further interest in their group.
Start by involving teachers who are eager to engage in the process and don't force those who are reluctant or anxious. Over time, those teachers will come around because the interested teachers will be loud and cheerful advocates for the work.
5. Use social media to broaden your education interests and connections.
I first joined Twitter back in 2010, and didn't really know what to make of it until I decided to stop using it for personal reasons and start using it professionally. I began to follow education experts I admired, such as Jay McTighe, Larry Ferlazzo, and John Merrow. This led to more great connections with people such as Angela Watson, Jennifer Gonzalez, Heidi Hayes Jacobs, and Dan Meyer. I was introduced to Twitter Chats, a way to have real-time dialogues with pedagogy nerds like myself at designated times around the world.
Facebook groups are another great way for teachers and educators to connect. I am part of an IB Language and Literature Facebook group that is always sharing engaging and interesting texts with each other.
And in an effort to have a trusted group of people that I can share with and learn from all the time, regardless of where I work, I created The Cohort of Educators for Essential Learning. It's an organization that anyone can join, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Facebook group and an annual symposium where we share resources, network, and engage in thoughtful dialogue. There are hundreds of other organizations, workshops, and graduate programs out there to try if you need to find a support network outside of your workplace. Being a part of these kinds of groups can provide you with needed inspiration and collaboration when you are feeling stuck at work.
6. Keep your sense of humor.
This is a key to happiness. Make sure you have people at work that you can joke around with, and make a point to do something each day that will make you laugh. I had a colleague at one of my international schools who watched The Daily Show online, with headphones, every day while he ate his lunch at his desk. I could hear him laughing out loud periodically, and it always made me chuckle to see him there, enjoying himself so much during his lunch. Life can be serious, and work can be serious. Don't forget to invite in some levity from time to time to break up the feeling of monotony. There is less room for anxiety and stress in your day when you make room for lightheartedness and laughter.
7. Pay into your wellbeing fund.
Pick one thing that makes you feel indulgent and do it, without guilt. Finding time and money for quality "me-time" rituals can be especially important for those of us who work in a field like education, where we give so much to students, parents, and colleagues all day long. Whether it's a massage, facials, yoga, meditation, or reading before bed, make sure you take care of yourself with some indulgent rituals as a reward for the hard work you do every day.
8. Become the leader you wish you had.
I had a friend who was tired of working for a terrible leader who diminished her each step of the way. She decided to apply to be a principal herself, not because this had always been her plan or dream, but because she decided she wanted to be the leader she wanted. Sometimes being diminished can be a powerful motivator for becoming a good leader yourself.
9. Don't underestimate the power of food and celebration.
When I was teaching in Hong Kong, I had a wonderful department chair, Linda, who would bake our favorite kind of cake from scratch for each of our birthdays. I'll never forget the care with which she made these cakes—beautiful, handmade desserts for all of us to share at a meeting. While I am no baker myself, I find that teachers (and people in general) open up, relax, enjoy themselves, and bond more often when offered some food.
Many schools have a "sunshine fund" that teachers can voluntarily pay into for snacks at staff meetings and for birthdays, or to send flowers to colleagues who have had or adopted babies, been ill, or lost a loved one. If your school doesn't have a sunshine fund, consider starting one, as these simple gestures are a way to build a greater sense of community no matter what else you may agree or disagree on.
You and some colleagues might also organize a potluck lunch or faculty/staff meeting. Everyone can bring a favorite dish to share, which I find often leads to recipe swaps and conversation about culture and cooking. Food and celebration are usually very welcome additions to the workplace, and a fun way to build community.
10. Remember—it's not personal. It's strictly business.
This line from Coppola's movie The Godfather is good advice for the educator who wants to lead from the bottom. Let the small things go—the email from the angry parent, the new parking requirement, the early morning meeting time. And then let the big ones go, too. Life is too short to spend it angry or resentful.
I once knew a math teacher who received every new student in his class—no matter how much the class was bursting at the seams—with an excited grin and a "Welcome!" He could make it work with 15 students or 30, and he never let it show if he was annoyed that a new student was being added in the middle of the year to his biggest class. I learned from watching him that it isn't personal, it's just school. We are all trying to do the best we can, and if we can let go of the things we can't control and focus on what we can, our happiness and our health will be the better for it.
Managing Up
Despite wanting great leadership at the top of your school, the reality is that sometimes we may have to lead from the bottom. If your school culture isn't energetic or innovative—if you and your colleagues are stuck in a rut—don't feel helpless. Start small. Start with yourself, your classroom, your curriculum, and your habits of mind. Lead by example, and have faith that change will come.
