Leadership and Ladders

 

I’ve always had a penchant for self-reflection.  While feedback from others is important, I believe it is only when we take a good, hard look at ourselves that we create the opportunity to become the best version of ourselves.  And ever since I have occupied a seat of leadership – as a teacher, coach, administrator and now executive director, I have tried to examine the kind of leader I am and the kind of leader I want to become.  I think about leadership.  I read about leadership.  I seek out those who can teach me more about leadership.

As school administrators, we are faced daily with the challenge of being great leaders.  We are called to lead students, faculty, coach/directors, other administrators, and often those in our community.  Let’s be clear – it is not a job.  It is a calling.  We don’t do it solely for a paycheck. We don’t “clock in” and “clock out.”  We do it because of the difference we can make and the impact we can have.  We are called to take those we lead to levels even they don’t know they are capable of.  Not everyone is willing to accept the calling and take on the challenge.  Not everyone is wired for it.  It takes energy.  It takes selflessness.  It takes courage.  It takes responsibility.  It takes a bit of a rare breed.  As the saying goes, “Everyone wants to be captain, until it’s time to do captain stuff.”

In order to be accepted as leaders, we have to reach a certain level of expertise and credibility with those we attempt to lead.  We need experience and we need to show success in our position in order to earn that credibility.  We must, so to speak, “climb the ladder of success.”  Consequently, we spend much of our early careers, climbing ladders.  It’s not that we don’t care about others but we are focused on proving to ourselves and to others that we have what it takes.  Whether it was teaching, coaching, directing, or serving in administration, we are trying to “advance” in our careers, to “move up.”

Author John Maxwell, in his book Leader Shift, uses this concept of ladders to illustrate the journey we take through our development in leadership.  As mentioned above, early in our careers, we spend our time and energy on advancing ourselves.  We are climbing the ladder.  Most of us, however, could point to people in our lives who built the ladder for us and/or held the ladder while we climbed.  Maybe it was an administrator or a colleague who saw something in us that led them to believe we had the potential to lead.  They encouraged us to take the first step, then the next, and the next, etc.  I had several people in my life who served that role.  One was Rick Sullivan, my first principal when I taught at Maxwell High School fresh out of college.  Another was Father Joe Herard who hired me and mentored me at Wahlert High School.  I can still hear his voice as he reminded me, “Tom – if everyone waited until they were ready to take on the challenge, nothing would ever get done.”  He shared with me his favorite song from the Man of La Mancha, “The Impossible Dream.”  But that’s for another post.  The point is, Rick, Fr. Joe and many others pushed me to become the best I could be.  Without them, I’d still be on the ground looking up.  Thanks to them, I have the opportunity lead.

There is no doubt advancing is important because it gives us the opportunity to become leaders. However, once we have earned a position of leadership, our focus needs to shift.  We need to become those who build ladders and hold ladders for others, helping them, “be all they can be.”  In short, part of our responsibility is to develop other leaders.  We all have experience with this.  We’ve built and held ladders for students, athletes, performers, teachers, coaches, and other administrators.  We build the ladder to show opportunity.  We hold the ladder to ensure success.  We extend the ladder to challenge those we lead even more.

So this week, let’s reflect on those who guided us to our “calling.”  Those who believed in us enough to set the rungs before us.  The encouragers.  The cheerleaders.  The advisors.  Let’s also reflect on who we have guided toward that same calling and those yet to be called. 

And let’s be intentional about creating the next generation of leaders.  Those who are selfless.  Those who have the energy.  Those who have the courage.  Those who will take on responsibility.  The impact our leadership has will be how we are remembered.  The leaders we give the world will be our legacy.