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Principals first change themselves

Principals as leaders of learning
#2 in a series

By Dennis Sparks

Results, October 2004

Copyright, National Staff Development Council, 2004. All rights reserved.

"Others will choose to change more readily from the example set by our own transformation than by any demand we make of them." - Peter Block

What principals think, say, and do profoundly affects the quality of teaching and learning in their schools, the satisfaction they and the teachers with whom they interact derive from their work, and their ability to remain deeply engaged over many years in the demanding tasks of continuous improvement. Therefore, principals who desire significant changes in teaching, learning, and relationships within their schools begin by making significant changes in what they think, say, and do. As Gandhi expressed it, "We must become the change we seek in the world."

Principals have the capacity to make a tremendous difference in their organizations through the values they embody, the beliefs they hold, the intentions they express, the depth of their understanding of critical issues, the clarity of their thought and speech, and the ways in which they interact with others. Such attributes can have a substantial affect--for good or for ill--on the moods and performance of countless individuals within the school community.

Some values, beliefs, intentions, understandings, and actions establish trust and respect, focus and energize staff members, tap and develop talents, and stimulate creativity. Others can have the opposite effect. This subject is addressed by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwarz in the Power of Full Engagement (Free Press, 2003). "Every one of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors has an energy consequence, for better or for worse," they note. Jane Dutton adds another dimension in Energize Your Workplace (Jossey-Bass, 2003). "[L]eaders can make a profound difference in activating and renewing energy by building and sustaining high-quality connections ... ," she writes. "High-quality connections contribute substantially to individuals' well-being and work performance. They also contribute significantly to an organization's capacity for collaboration, coordination, learning, and adaptation, as well as its ability to keep people committed and loyal."

Energy is created and performance improved when principals think, speak, and act in ways that connect the school community to larger, compelling purposes and strengthen relationships among teachers and between teachers and students and the families of those students. Energy is dissipated when principals and teacher leaders hold beliefs and act in ways that express resignation ("There's nothing we can do" or "They won't let us") and dependency ("Tell us what to do"). Resignation and dependency undermine genuine collaboration, professional learning, and a school's ability to find innovative solutions to pressing problems.

I recommend that principals and teachers develop a detailed vision of the school which they wish to create that is consistent with their values and then adopt beliefs, intentions, understandings, speech forms, and behaviors that are consistent with that result. In that way, the creation of schools with higher levels of purpose, energy, and performance begins with principals first changing themselves.

By beginning with the end in mind and first changing themselves. Principals are far less likely to be interested in blaming or "fixing" others. Because they have experienced profound change themselves, they are far more likely to see possibility and opportunity in situations in which others may only see limitations. As they empower themselves, they empower everyone with whom they interact.