Tag: Leading Yourself

  • Leading Yourself: The Importance of Staring Out of the Window

    Leading Yourself: The Importance of Staring Out of the Window

    As we enter week 5 of Distance Learning I can feel my energy wane and my momentum slow. It is now, at this time, that I revisit my routine. Searching for more efficient or effective ways to maintain my productivity. Emails, meetings and to-do lists have spiralled out of control whilst we pivot and learn how to respond to ever-changing government prevention regulations. The increased workload is felt by all, teachers, students and parents. Add the stresses of social isolation, forced online collaboration and dodgy internet and you have a recipe for burnout.

    During my mornings, I make it a point to read. If only for 20 minutes. This is essential for my growth as a leader, but also for maintaining my own well-being.  This week I am reading Alain De Botton’s ‘The School of Life: An Emotional Education.’ Within the pages of this book, De Botton discusses the importance of art, nature and kindness in contributing to a well-rounded and healthy life. He also discussed the importance and necessity of taking a time-out. During a busy day, we can often feel guilty for staring out of the window or randomly vacuuming the floor. We should not, however, feel guilty at all. It can serve as an essential part of the thinking process by offering a pressure-free moment to let our thoughts run wild and maybe, subside.

    “I had a great day. The high point was staring out of the window.”

    Alain De Botton

    De Botton claims that the point of staring out of the window is not to find out what is going on outside. It is more of an exercise in discovering and making sense of what is already going on in our own minds. Starting out of the window offers us an opportunity to experience a sense of ‘purpose-free calm’. To be able to observe the scene and yet not be part of the scene. No need to respond. A form of strategic procrastination. 

    “Procrastination may be the enemy of productivity, but it can be a resource for creativity.”

    Adam M. Grant

    Adam Grant discussed the power of procrastination in his book ‘Originals: How Non-Conformists Move The World.’ The best ideas can often be developed and improved upon if left a while to sit after being formed. During this period of Distance Learning, I am finding that staring out of the window and removing myself from the online environment, if only for a few minutes is of the utmost importance when cultivating ideas, and essential for maintaining my overall sense of well-being.

    After furiously replying to emails and back-to-back meetings with parents. I close the laptop and look into the distance. I am lucky that I have a view of Shenzhen Bay outside my window. The water is calming and I can ignore the frantic goings-on in the foreground. Twenty minutes later I often return to my project calmer than before with a newfound creative approach or solution. It is working for me. I encourage you to give it a try. Find a window near you, stare into the distance and take notice of your emotions afterwards. Encourage your students to do the same. I am sure they will feel and perform better for it.

    Journeying

    Image: Tumisu on Pixaby

    Originals: How Non-Conformists Move The World by Adam Grant

    The School of Life: An Emotional Education by Alain De Botton

    TedTalk: Adam Grant- The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers

    Alain De Botton- It’s OK to feel Not OK right now

  • Leading Yourself: 5 Leadership Lessons From The Stoics – Part 1

    Leading Yourself: 5 Leadership Lessons From The Stoics – Part 1

    Over the years, I have attended and completed many leadership training programs. Some good, some not so good. “Good”, however, is subjective. To me, “good’ is when I have learned a lot, I am energised by the experience and I am able to use the ideas right away. “Good” has never been about the certificate gained, or the status of the awarding institution.

    “Good” has involved collaborating with and learning from other experienced educators. Often these people are a lot more experienced than me and I am intrigued by their accounts of leading their school and moving it forward.

    Formal Education: Leadership Training Programs

    My Master’s Degree was good. I enrolled with Endicott College, in Beverly, Massachusetts. The course covered many topics from the world of leadership and they were all set within the context of International Education. The Professors are all experienced School Leaders who were able to share both leadership theory and their personal experience. These courses were fun and useful. They are designed to be practical rather than overly academic. This served me well and provided a solid foundation upon which to build my leadership journey.

    My Certificate in International School Leadership from The Principal Training Center was good. In fact, it was excellent. A series of interactive workshops again, led by seasoned School Leaders provided me with an excellent professional network as a reward for my efforts. I am still in contact with many leaders from this experience today.

    Most recently, due to COVID-19, I pursued leadership development online. The Harvard Graduate School of Education was recommended to me, and I enrolled upon The Certificate of School Management and Leadership. This was also, good. There was a network of eager and experienced professionals ready to discuss hot topics from the world of education. The course contains real-life case studies and research from Harvard University and required you to reflect upon your current practice at every turn. 

    Informal Education: Reading To Lead

    As is the case with most educators, I am a learner and a reader. It is not surprising then that many of my most personal leadership lessons came from books. I have other posts on lessons learned from specific titles and so I will not review these here. I would like to focus on the leadership lessons that I have learned from The Stoics. 

    I stumbled across Stoic Philosophy after discovering Ryan Holiday online. Intrigued by this approach to life I journeyed and began reading the books that Ryan considers the core Stoic texts.

    The Core Stoic Texts:

    • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
    • Letters from a Stoic by Seneca
    • Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus 

    Since then, I have read their other works and regularly review these books for their guidance and wisdom. When times are challenging and the going gets tough, these books keep me grounded and focused on what is important. I have also learned that Barrack Obama and Abraham Lincoln also kept copies of Meditations to hand for inspiration.

    Ryan Holiday’s own work also provides guidance in a much more accessible format. Ryan’s book ‘Ego Is The Enemy’ is where I began my Stoic journey and one of my personal favourites. All of his books are both entertaining and insightful in their own way.

    Ryan Holiday’s Stoic Series:

    • The Obstacle Is The Way
    • Ego Is The Enemy
    • Stillness Is The Key
    • Courage Is Calling

    I recommend Ego Is The Enemy as a starting point for a few reasons. The main one is that as experienced educators we can often feel that we are entitled to the next promotion. Ryan reminds us that all achievements including promotion are earned through hard work. 

    This brings us to the first lesson…

    Lesson 1: Study

    “Leisure without study is death- a tomb for the living person.”

    Seneca. Moral Letters, 82.4

    The most inspirational and effective school leaders I have worked with, or have the pleasure to know, are both readers and learners. They did not stop trying to hone their craft upon recognition of a title. If anything, the study just got harder and more important. As a leader, it is essential that your knowledge of education and schooling remains current, that you are reading around leadership and that you are attending professional development. The process of learning in leadership is invaluable. You can never know everything. You can always improve. 

    A daily reading and reflection practice has proven critical to my leadership development as well as encouraging me to reflect upon my day and consider what I may have done better. Reading may not be leading, however, the knowledge gained from reading the work of experienced leaders has allowed me to apply strategies to my very own specific situation. In many ways, the book chooses you as we are drawn to content most relevant to our current situation. The lessons you take from it will depend on how open you are to learning and improving.

    Lesson 2: It Isn’t About You

    “That which isn’t good for the hive, isn’t good for the bee.”

    Marcus Aurelius. Meditations, 6.54

    Many leaders enter a new role with their own personal agenda. It pays to remember that your agenda is doing what is best for learning within the context of your current school. If all actions benefit the school community then it is of benefit to you.

    Implementing a new initiative because it worked well at your previous school may look good on your CV, however, it will not necessarily benefit the school. Consider how will it survive long after you are gone. Put your students, teachers and parents first and you will be leading well. If necessary nominate a critical friend to confide in and keep you in check.

    Lesson 3: Not Everyone Will Like or Agree With You, And That’s OK!

    “The Universe is change. Life is opinion.”

    Marcus Aurelius. Meditations, 4.3.4b

    As a leader, you will be required to do things that people may not like for the good of the school. Not everyone is privileged with possessing the big picture, and so you inevitably run into opposition or become the subject of gossip and rumour. This is OK. As long as you remain true to working in the best interests of the school, let them talk. 

    Lesson 4: Things Won’t Always Go As Planned

    “Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will- then your life will be serene. 

    Epictetus. Enchiridion, 8

    This lesson has never been more relevant to me than it is now. The best-laid plans often go wrong and we are often judged by how we respond to these shifts in fortune. Keep a level head and focus on the bigger picture. The road twists and turns but you will get there in the end.

    As a first-year leader, you will often make mistakes. This does not matter. Owning them and responding in the best interests of your students and teachers is what counts. In a culture of psychological safety, you will be free to take risks and learn from them. If a culture of psychological safety does not already exist, then it is part of your duty as a leader to help build it.

    Lesson 5: Set The Standards And Use Them

    “When the standards have been set, things are tested and weighed. And the work of philosophy is just this, to examine and uphold the standards, but the work of a truly good person is in using those standards when they know them.”

    Epictetus. Discourses, 2.11.223-25

    As a new leader, you will be tried and tested. Set the standard for yourself and others. A school with high standards will experience better behaviour, gain better grades and have a happier community. When everyone is aware of the expectation and how to meet them you can rely less on policy. Referring to policy can sometimes seem very punitive, but adhering to high standards relies more on character. Having a clear policy is essential, however, only use it when you really need to.

    There are many lessons within every page of the Stoic texts. Reading selected writings daily and reflecting on my practice as a leader has taught me more about myself than any formal leadership training. I highly recommend this daily meditation as one approach to improving your own leadership practice.

    Journeying

    Ryan Holiday’s Website

    Lives Of The Stoics by Ryan Holiday

    How To Be A Better Leader by Plutarch

    How To Think Like A Roman Emperor by Donald J. Robertson