Leader of Leaders

Growing assistant principals or teacher leaders is one of the most important roles of a principal. As the principal of a school, it is impossible to meet the demands of every aspect of the job. To effectively lead a building, the principal must create a team of people to share in the responsibility of the teaching and learning continuum. So, how does a principal become a leader of leaders? Here are some ideas to consider:

1.  Get to know your leaders.

Understanding the staff's personal and professional goals will better equip the principal to position the team member for success. This takes two-way sharing.  Don't expect the person to open up to the principal if the principal hasn't shared personal and professional information with them.  Once the principal knows the strengths and weaknesses of the team members, it is the their responsibility to provide opportunities for reinforcing their strengths and refining their weaknesses.

Example:  Principal Martin scheduled drop-in meetings with every teacher in the 9th grade level. She met them in their classrooms--where they are most comfortable to talk freely and share openly. Martin made note of the pictures they had on their desks and wall space. She asked about the people in the pictures and shared similar experiences of her own. She filed this information away for future use. Additionally, Martin asked the person she was meeting with where they saw themselves in 5 years. Also, she asked them what PD they would like to receive if they could learn anything they wished. She didn't forget to share her aspirations and areas in which she would like to learn more.

2. Provide growth opportunities.

The assistant principals are the doers of the building. They get the work done in order for the mission and vision to be carried out by the principal. The principal must grow these leaders by providing opportunities to stretch their capacity for leadership. Whether it is leading a discussion at a departmental meeting or rolling out the new testing requirements to the staff, the assistant principals must have multiple opportunities to build their confidence. The principal doesn't need to manufacture these opportunities, but they must be willing to relinquish control.

Example:  Assistant Principal Jones is a good building manager. She understands operations, does a better than average job with student discipline, handles parents and the community well, but is still learning how curriculum is used to improve instruction.  Principal Martin knows AP Jones wants to climb the administrative ladder and needs to improve in teaching and learning to meet her goals. Martin decides to put AP Jones in charge of the Social Studies department and to attend all departmental meetings. Martin knows the department is strong and has a very competent departmental lead teacher. This is a way Martin sees Jones learning from an experienced teacher. Martin asks the tandem to share the current work and challenges of the department and possible solutions to remove barriers at the next building leadership team meeting.

3. Grow the team

Inevitably, the leaders will outgrow their roles and move up the ladder.  It is a mistake not expecting this to happen and not making efforts to expand the team of leaders. Every teacher interview, building professional development session, and parent-teacher conference are a few examples of the many opportunities to grow the team. While growing the assistant principals, it is equally important for the principal to be thinking about their successors and have an idea of the people within the ranks which have the abilities to fill the vacancies.

Example:  Principal Martin sees leadership potential for Mr. Blair, his 5th year math teacher. Martin knows the math department chair, Mrs. Pascal is retiring in two years and believes Blair could take that role--or move into administration after a few more years of teaching. Nevertheless, Martin needs to bring Blair onto the team of leaders. When working with his assistant principal and reviewing the master schedule for the upcoming school year, she asks them to include Blair into the planning process. In particular, Martin wants Blair to research and review the various ways to include time for collaboration within the schedule.

These ideas will help the principal flatten the leadership and provide capacity and voice into the decision-making process. To be a leader of leaders, it takes a great deal of effort to grow the people to their potential.