Leadership Coaching

Peter Dewitt, who I think is one of the best educational leaders in the consulting business, came on Principal Center Radio earlier this week to discuss his book and work on coaching leaders and principals.

I thought there were two salient points (transcribed as best as I can do when I'm listening at 2x speed):

I want to get better, therefore I need to be coached...if teachers can ask for help, why not leaders?

And later on...

Leaders can't possibly do everything well...that's where leadership coaching can help... Leadership is doing it with others, making everyone better, and even letting ourselves get better.

As leaders, one of the most important virtues (and even most paradoxical) is the virtue of humility. We need to recognize what we don't know or can't do and bring together a team that covers those weaknesses. We can only do that if we reflect on our practice by ourselves and with others in order to succeed and discover those weaknesses.

Both DeWitt and Baeder discuss this aspect of growth mindset. If we are applying these best practices to student learning and teacher development, why not principal/leadership growth? If we recognize the need for self-care in teachers, we need to ensure that we don't tax our leaders emotionally and we need to ensure that our students get breaks/recess. If we want our students to have grit, perseverance, and a growth mindset, we need to allow our teachers and leaders to fail and to grow.

Ultimately, I think what separates coaching from professional development is the locus of growth. In PD, information is presented by a speaker or expert and the onus of growth is on the audience - what they take away and apply. This can be helpful. This can be great. BUT it is limited, non-personalized, and not truly effective.

Coaching is personalized. The onus is on the coach-coached relationship to discover weaknesses and cause growth. By working with an outside individual, a positive and direct relationship can be formed. Unlike PD, it requires more resources (both in time and effort) to form this basis of trust and growth. Unlike PD, the effects can be greater and longer-lasting.

Of course, this method of personalized coaching is also what we encourage our teachers to do - have standards-focused small groups that work on the specific concepts and skills they need.

So I'll just end with the prayer that I should pray more often:

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved...Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being extolled ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being honored ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being praised ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being preferred to others...Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being consulted ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being approved ...Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being despised...Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of suffering rebukes ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being calumniated ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being forgotten ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being ridiculed ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being wronged ...Deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being suspected ...Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease ...Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be chosen and I set aside ...Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be preferred to me in everything...Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.