Is leadership a race?

This is my third Sam Strickland book, and once again, he delivers a powerful and empowering plan of action based on his own remarkable success story. But this is not about his school or his team – appropriately, in this context, they are barely mentioned. From start to finish, he pragmatically maps out the principles of being a good principal and leader.Where to start? He starts brilliantly by stressing the importance of being true to ourselves. In the words of Oscar Wilde, ‘Be yourself. Everyone else is taken’. What are the strengths, talents, and skills we bring to the table? Parker J Palmer insists that outstanding leadership and teaching emerge from honesty and integrity. When leaders pretend to be someone they aren’t, everyone sees through the pretence. A hateful, weak, or fretful boss can never be anything other than a destructive imposter. As a leader, you must be the most devout and caring champion of the school’s mission statement, which Strickland reminds us cannot be a mere statement gathering cobwebs on classroom walls. It has to be lived on a daily basis by all stakeholders. Are you clear about your direction and whether your leadership team is happily taking this same journey? How does what you do every day in classrooms impact the lives of the community?Once we know who we are and have an effective game plan, it’s time to identify how it can be carried out and in what timeframe. Be patient and positively move forward is the Aristotelian message underlined throughout the narrative. Rapid change can just as rapidly bring about a disastrous collapse. Leadership throughout the school matters, and every teacher must ensure they pursue authentic expertise and professionalism. It’s all well and good having a charismatic leader, but few leaders have the right answers to every complex problem that emerges. Our best schools are run by leaders who trust and respect the unique talents of those around them.Make no mistakes here, cautions Strickland, poor discipline will undermine everything we try to do. At the very least, we must create a culture and ethos that enables teachers to work in disruption-free classrooms. Get behaviour right and everything else will be much easier to implement. This is best achieved by understanding what our students are going through and devising supportive ways of helping them to make good choices. Allowing students to regard poor behaviour or failure as a pre-determined destiny is not an option. The best school leaders know that education significantly impacts the adults children will become. Truisms like this have to shape our thinking about the attitudes and behaviours we foster every day. We cannot look the other way when unhappy children are floundering: positive discipline (not punishment) is a gift, not a curse.Strickland provides a persuasive apologetic for the good schools can do for our communities when they have energised, reflective, and passionate leaders who believe in themselves, their team, and their students. What I liked most about this book is Strickland’s sharp eye for asking the right questions. No matter where you exercise your leadership skills, you will do well to address the issues he raises. They are all based on the real challenges modern leaders in education face. Play it again, Sam; you’re churning out intelligent answers to the questions every leader needs to address.

I’ve got all of Sam’s books and can honestly say this is another great read. Follow him on twitter and engage with real, honest discussions about school improvement. If you haven’t bought this book yet, get buying. Practical, common sense ideas.