I recently shared on Twitter an article that came to me from Runners World. The title spoke about how competitive runner Molly Huddle handles a bad race or workout (Click here for the article) She explains that when she was with two other famous runners in an elementary school, the kids kept asking questions about failure. This surprised her, and admittedly, probably would have surprised me. However as I was running this morning, I thought about this very idea. Kids were focused on what could be learned from failure. At that young age, they understood that it’s what can be taken from adversity or failure or a bad experience that might matter most. They get it. Maybe they don’t have the words to articulate what they are exploring, but they were seeking ideas for how to handle it. And when they face it, they may be a bit more equipped to respond.
And this now begs the question – where does that approach go as they get older? And how can we bring it back?
Later she contrasts excuses vs reasons and I found this compelling for educators. Too often I think we offer, or at least entertain, excuses because that is often the path of least resistance. It’s always easier to look for a culprit rather then to look for a path forward. The students she spoke with seemed to understand that stuff happens. And when you opt to ask questions then you can reflect. And when you commit to reflect you find a solution or a next step. It is the act of choosing – making a decision – that matters.
Which of your most recent mistakes did you choose to learn from? Did you start that process alone or with someone else? Which of those two options works best for you?
Each time I read this quote from Colin Powell, I find myself drawn to the idea of how a leader can hear many different ideas and narrow down the focus to a simple idea or two. I work hard on this trait as a campus leader myself – sometimes with a focus on a solution and other times only on finding common agreement.
I am drawn to the idea of Ambiguity being the same as inexactness. And the gray is where we often attribute the idea of being open to more than one interpretation. So much of what we do as leaders lies in the contrary. I understand the discomfort with not always knowing when so much is at stake. I get that it is hard and challenging, and you may not understand for a long time whether your choice was the best one. That small undefined area, that sliver of mystery, is where the strongest leaders have the chance to emerge. To thrive.
The challenges that kids face nowadays far exceeds my greatest dilemmas. I suspect that is true for most of us. I wrote about this in one of my first blog entries a couple years ago 
In the past I have challenged some new hires to help us continue to grow. I offered this charge to those coming in to leadership positions though they were primarily outside the classroom (administrator, counselor, coordinator, etc.). I would tell them, “I didn’t hire you to sit on the bench. I expect you to get your footing and then get to sharing. We need your talents, your ideas, and your passion. Can you commit to get in the game with us?” The most common response was a “You bet” or a “Yes, I can.” Upon further reflection, I realize that I was not challenging new teachers to do the same. I suppose I didn’t want to “saddle” them with the responsibility of improving our campus. Yet, at the very same time, I knew/know that the most powerful work for students happens as a result of what teachers do every day in their classroom. So I suppose, while maybe having a good intention, I was instead limiting the impact of these new members. Not cool.
My commitment is now to push ALL new members to our school community. I will lay this foundation during the interview process and continue it in to the fall semester. There is so much talent that can be leveraged for the betterment of our kids. And sometimes all you need is that one person to float a novel idea, see something in a fresh light, or simply ask an old question in a new way. Makes no matter how it begins – only that it does.
This year I have established the Mad Cool Awards. Focused on recognizing innovative work that is happening on campus, adults have the chance to recognize really cool stuff that is happening on their campus. Realizing that innovation is simply taking something that already exists and making it better, I ask them to complete a Google Form that asks just a few simple questions. And I consistently include the link to this form at the beginning of meetings and as an extra piece every so often within an email.
As a result of my PLN growing over the last several years, I have become convinced that investing in ourselves is paramount to growing stronger as leaders. If you are not pushing yourself to learn more – either through reading, writing, posting, or lurking – then you are robbing others of all you can offer. Don’t do that. Instead, get in the game. Personal or professional learning is now available 24/7 from the comfort of your couch. Will it come in spurts? Will it ebb and flow? Might it be hard and confusing at times? Yeah, probably. The most important stuff usually is.
Accepting that JFK was right and our learning is critical toward our leadership, how can you commit to be active now?
While the prestige I had placed on him and his open question to the neighborhood was not just that – I still walked away thinking about those three words.
Exploring Leadership 