One of my favorite moments from the summer was during my last week working with a school district in Maine, where a singular superintendent’s vulnerability could spark the growth of an entire community.
The superintendent was a genuinely positive person, and it was clear that he loved the people in his district deeply. As an aside, a common observation I noticed this summer was that the more the superintendent demonstrated care for the community, the more the community seemed to excel.
Kind of makes sense 🙂
While sharing some of his hopes for the year, he highlighted a piece of feedback he had received. He had shared that people had said he needed to be more visible in the community, and that, based on their feedback, this was something he would be very intentional about. To watch him share a specific criticism of his work and his humble dedication to improve in front of his community might make people think he looked weak, while I thought he was incredibly courageous and strong.
If you are going to ask people to grow, they need to see that you are willing to do the same.
In my upcoming book, “Forward, Together,” one of the first principles I share on moving from conflict to community is by pointing at yourself first. In that initial chapter, I share the following:
When you make a mistake, it is better to admit it first and show how you have improved. Sharing your own mistakes,missteps, and areas for growth, allows others to learn from their own, and it provides an opportunity to find a new path forward.
Often, when I am working with others, I will hear something to the effect of, “This is really challenging my thinking!” and my first thought is, “What a wonderful opportunity!?”
If you attend a professional learning opportunity, and you are struggling with something, this would be a great chance to share your learning with your staff and students to say, “Hey…I attended a workshop last week and I am really struggling with ________. I am going to try to improve at it, because I know that there are things in class that you struggle with as well. It is important that we all grow, including myself.”
What type of tone does that set for a classroom? When the person leading the learning is still immersed in their own development, it creates a space where people are more likely to grow.
The predecessor to “leading by example” is “learning by example.”
When we are vulnerable enough to share where we need to grow and how we plan to get there, others are more likely to do the same.
I did a short video reflection on this idea and you can see it in this TikTok video below:
@georgecouros If you want others to try new things and improve in their practice, make sure they see that you are willing to do the same. It is easier to encourage others to take steps forward when they already see footprints on the ground. #Teaching #Learning #Education #Leadership ♬ original sound – George Couros
