An Open Letter to Newly Appointed School Leaders
Dear New School Leader,
Congratulations on your appointment! I remember the feeling. Excitement. Anxiety. Nervousness. Where do I start? Can I do it? Why me? Now I need to figure out moving and finding a home (Boarding school leaders are lucky!)
When I first began my first headship many years ago, I remember sitting at the Emory Conference Center listening to Patrick Bassett speak to my cohort of new heads. In his words, he spoke about the many hats a head wear; most of which are not in the job description.
As I reflect once again on his words, as well as what I have learned, I wanted to add some color to Pat’s commentary.
Congratulations on the roles you now hold:
You are the Pastor in Chief
You are the Academic in Chief
You are the Chief Executive
You are the Chief Financial Officer
You are the Chief Strategist
You are the Chief Moral Officer
You are the Cheerleader in Chief
You are the school’s biggest fan; you are the staff’s biggest fan!
You are also human, and will make mistakes
I’d like to share some of my advice as you navigate these next few days, weeks and months.
This first year will be a blur. It will be over before you know it, but it will equally seem long at times. Listen. Learn. Take notes. Find time to reflect. Find work-life balance.
Everyone is watching you. They are watching how you walk, where you park, what you carry, who you say hello to (or who you do not), what you eat for lunch, where you sit for lunch, what you wear, how you brush your hair, what sports teams you root for and every single other thing imaginable. This is not meant to be scary, but it is the honest truth. Everyone is watching you. Leverage it. Take advantage of it.
Laugh. Laugh. And, laugh more. Showing your human side is so important in your role.
Admit when you are wrong. Nothing earns respect from your team more than when you can admit you were wrong about something. I am wrong all the time. It is ok to admit it.
Find a confidant; someone not on the staff. One of the loneliest jobs is being the head of school. There are things you just cannot discuss with anyone, nor let people know about things. There will be times you feel like the weight of the school is on you--- it is! You need someone to talk to. Be it a mentor or coach. It might be your board chair. It might be your significant other. Either way, you need to talk to someone; it is not healthy to keep things in.
Find your happy place. It might be walking into a kindergarten class. It might be cheering on the lacrosse team. It might be an early morning walk around campus. Whatever it might be, find a place you can be yourself, at school.
Find time for yourself. You need a hobby. It may be golf, gardening, writing, or woodwork. Whatever it is, find time for you. A great board chair will understand this and support your need for time.
You will do great. Trust yourself. Trust your judgement. As long as you are doing things in the best interest of the school, you are doing the right thing.
Be well and best of luck,
-Tim