I’ve given myself some leeway in how much I am writing. During the week I have found it a good last thing to close out my mind for the evening before bed, and on Sunday it is a good way to tune in for the week ahead. Friday and Saturday I am finding are necessary to disconnect as much as possible, be with my family and enjoy the time away from school. As always conversations about school and education are a constant part of conversation at home, but it is an enjoyable conversation, one that helps work through problems, identify paths and importantly as an avenue to vent when necessary.
I was able to get 2 good bike rides in this weekend, that time was invaluable to recharging for the week ahead. On the Saturday ride I was with a colleague who was kind enough to show me some local tricks to navigate the roads here. The ride today was on my own, listening to a very dense audiobook by Doris Kearns Goodwin about the leadership of Presidents, aptly titled “Leadership”. The first four chapters are fascinating, they are summaries of the early lives and leadership roles of Lincoln, Roosevelt (Teddy and FDR) and Johnson. As I listen I keep hearing these leaders described as ambitious. This word comes with a lot of baggage in education, I have been accused of being ambitious in my career, and I have always struggled to understand why it has such a negative association. In other careers it is a mark of pride, knowing and following a path that develops not only myself professionally, but our organization. I have worked with ambious people and enjoyed it, following a leader who is actively seeking to better themselves and their organization is hugely motivating. I am curious where the apprehension about it comes from?
This week should be good. Everyone is falling into a pattern and beginning to find a flow to their work as the challenges of the first week fade. I am hoping to use the next couple of weeks to begin connecting 1:1 with faculty to help further develop my understanding of the school and begin to develop a vision for where I might best fit into the plans and goals of everyone and the school. I am excited to start these conversations, I hope they are taken as I intend and folks are willing to take a leap and trust me enough, early on, to share what they need me to know.
Learning to Lead 