The winter break is a great time for educators and leaders to relax, unwind and spend time with family and friends. At some point everyone will return to work as we start the new calendar year. Prior to that return, it is inevitable for many to think about their work and where they are at in their journey. This reflection can be helpful but it may also be discouraging and frustrating for others. The important part of reflection is finding ways to move forward with a purpose and in a positive way. All professionals have a desire to excel in their roles, be valued for their efforts and supported in their work. What many do not see is how those individuals who do excel and are congratulated for their work go through periods of doubt, frustrations and even maybe regret. But they found a way to continue to push forward till they found people that would support their work and helped them find excellence within their job roles. This blog post takes a look at some action steps for any educator or leader to consider and apply to their job role so that they can find fulfillment, joy and success within their work.
Let’s start with the truth about your job role: You either control your fate or someone else will do that for you. It is most important that every educator continues to grow in their skills, connect with others and improve as that will allow for you to control your professional journey. We must be courageous because sometimes the hardest thing you have to do will often lead to the best thing you ever do. You must be willing to take risks for a pursuit of an unknown better. The small daily steps you take in the right direction can turn out to be the turning point into feeling more empowered, finding joy and happiness within your role. In this next calendar year, each of us will have challenges and opportunities in our careers. In those moments, we each have 2 options: we can step forward into growth or to step back into safety. We must continue to focus on continual improvement and be willing to learn new skills and face new challenges – that is how we will improve and grow over time. There will be moments this next year when you cannot control what is happening in your job role and these decisions or moments may be frustrating. It is important to remember that you need to challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what is happening and that is where your power lies. Focus on what you can control.
Here are some action steps to consider for you and how you can move forward in your path.
Define your current reality
It may feel like your path is more difficult than others and perhaps it is. But remember that your purpose is bigger than you probably think and that anything worthwhile takes time and great effort. Being a leader is not defined by your clothes or title but the standard of behavior you uphold. You must strive for excellence in your actions and grace in your interactions with others. You should not worry about how others may perceive you in your work role or effectiveness. It is your character that will define you as it tells who you are and it will develop your reputation by others. It is important for each person to reflect and identify your effectiveness, know your strengths and also areas to improve. This sets the foundation for improvement.
Know who you are and your core values
Core values help drive your behavior, influence your attitude and over time define who you are. Invest your time, effort and energy into creating and living a positive life. Human nature is that we are hard on ourselves and we are in many cases our own worst critics. Give up doubting yourself, having negative thoughts, fear of failing or trying to please others. Instead, know who you are, what you stand for and do your best to bring your best version of yourself into the work daily. Your best evidence of your work value is your own personal example of how you treat others, the excellence of your work, how you spend your time and how you make others feel.
Invest in Others
Remember that even though you desire to improve and be your best, you must remember that great leaders believe they work for their team, average leaders believe the team works for them. So you must first focus on your growth and once you have defined your core values and are consistent in your daily habits focused on growth, you must then shift your focus on your people and improving your team. Great schools and organizations don’t exist because of their buildings or programs, they exist because of their people. It is always about people. It is essential that you spend time getting to know your people and supporting them in their work. As John Maxwell has said, “To add value to others, one must first value others.” You will have different roles and titles in your career but each part of your journey gives you a chance to help others improve. I encourage you to consider how you can invest in others. This quote is a powerful example of this mindset: “BE the type of person that no matter where you go or where you are, you always add value to the lives of those around you.” In many cases, this starts with simply getting to know the people you work with and learning about their strengths and how you can support them in their work. The little moments or actions (ex. greeting someone by name, writing a note of gratitude, getting their feedback and ideas) are often what matters most to others and is what galvanizes others to give their best for the team.
Attitude
We have a choice each day on the type of attitude we bring. We cannot change the past or how others view us or how people behave. The only option we have is to define how we will approach each day. As the common phrase by Charles Swindoll goes, “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” At the end of the day, it is about who you have lifted up, who you have made better and about what you have given back to others.
People will probably not remember how busy you were, the hours you worked or professional development you led. What they will remember is how you made them feel, the time you spent with them and if they could count on you. At the end of the day, do not have regrets about the interactions you had with others as we are in the human business – focus your time and attention on how we interact and treat others. No one is perfect and each of us will have bad moments or times where there is miscommunication. Each day we have an opportunity to reset and “win the day”. How we approach that day is up to us – regardless of our circumstances and stressors upon our plates.
Focus on your growth
It is important to continue to learn from others and seek ways to improve. Keep in mind that the # of books you read, # podcasts you listen to or conferences you attend is helpful. However, the most important concept you must ask yourself is “what are you applying to your job role and your work”? Keep in mind that the ideas you implement are more important than the ideas you collect or learn about. Leaders put things into action so you need to not only learn but then implement relevant ideas into your work and reflect upon its impact. That is where your growth and learning will occur. To help foster your growth, I listed some reflective questions below that allows a person to identify their daily habits and work role more closely.
- If everyone in your school/organization had your attitude, what type of place would it be?
- Are you genuine or authentic with others in your interactions?
- Do you approach each day with excitement?
- How do you spend your day – do you control your calendar or does your calendar control your time?
- When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone to learn something new?
- What are you learning and how are you applying that to your work?
- If you continue to do what you are doing every day – where will you be in 1 year? 5 years?
- What are you grateful for?
- What mistake did I make recently and what did I learn from it?
- Are you creating a stronger resume or a legacy?
Leaders must remember that creating positive change requires that we must be intentional with our efforts. This includes each person recognizing their pathway within their work and then understanding how to move forward in their roles. I hope this blog allows leaders to remember our purpose and perhaps, reflect and adjust our focus so we can be our best for others. It is never too late to change or adapt to create something better. We owe that to our students and staff that we serve. I encourage you to reflect and better understand how we each have opportunities to strive to get better and that includes learning from others but also supporting others. Comment below or reach out to me at leadlearnerperspectives@gmail.com
Learn
Engage
Adapt
Delegate
Empower
Reflect
Serve
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Lead Learner Perspectives 