Lessons In Leadership

Leaders come in all shapes a sizes. 
In the first instance, we are all leaders of our own classrooms.
Many of us lead subjects or high profile projects.
Some of us lead phases or key stages.
A few of us lead teams or departments.
And the list goes on...

I'm really fortunate to have worked for a variety of different leaders, with a range of different styles and strengths. Each one has taught me an element of leadership, at every level of leadership. Regardless of whether it necessarily fits your job specification, I believe the toolkit for leadership remains relatively similar for everyone. So here are the Top 5 Lessons in Leadership, that I have learnt so far:

Be visible.
In order to build any kind of following, you need to be seen. The simple fact being that no-one can follow someone they don't know. Get out and about, speak to people, build relationships, use humour, get to know things (and low-key collect the information you need to help find your route towards the vision you have). In the long term, it's your following that carry out the vision, so put the work in and smooth out the road you're going to take. Be visible on the playground, greet people at the gate, be present in classrooms and assemblies.

Be brave.
Leading anything takes courage because of the many varied situations it puts you in. You will be dealing with wider issues than before, with a likely wider impact too; that's the whole point of leadership (in my opinion), broadening your impact. You'll be a mediator, a presenter, a point of safety, a critical friend; all of which involve complex emotions. Leaders must take calculated risks, with as much considered as possible. Bravery and innovation are paramount to promoting positive change.
 
Be empathetic.
I find emotional intelligence is a dying language these days. In a world fuelled by self-centred excuses stemming from too much enjoyment of playing the victim, often we forget that relationships in life are interlinked and that there are other feelings involved. Part of being visible (above) is to gather the sensitive data to find the most empathetic way to move forward. Having said that, part of being brave is understanding that there will be barriers, but it's the relationship built over time that will help you overcome them. Have a human side that ultimately makes the deciding call, but also calls out the snowflakes when needs be.

Be realistic.
These lessons further interlink when you consider that absolute clarity - formed from how much you see and engage with - coupled with bravery and an understanding of likely human reactions, all combine to help create a route towards your vision. Knowing what you have, and knowing where you want to go are 2 completely different entities, but one very much relies on the other. Create a plan that gets you moving, but be realistic about the time scale and patience required. Your own communication skills are tested here. Don't forget to put yourself in other people's shoes, consider your own reaction to what you're asking for. Don't turn it into payback for what you may have gone through.  

Be resilient.
The journey towards, on onwards, to leadership can be tricky. You'll face undesirable reactions, misplaced fear and simple playground jealousy. Work hard to keep a level head and find strategies to deal with all eventualities. As part of a comprehensive wellbeing-centred approach, seek out supportive friends and colleagues that you trust. You need honest feedback to move forwards, comments from the ground on things you implement or want carried out. Make good judgements, understanding your definition of good may differ. Be prepared to be wrong, be prepared to be argued with. Count on all the lessons you learn to support you in making the best progress for your school.