| September 2022 Dear Friend, In recent weeks, I’ve read several reports and articles about quiet quitting and teachers leaving the profession in droves. After initially asking myself, “What wisdom and encouragement might teachers need in this moment?” my mind moved to another, perhaps less obvious question: “What wisdom and encouragement might LEADERS need in this moment?” These questions led me to a short video about leadership from the author and leadership theorist, Simon Sinek. In the video, Sinek recounts an interaction with a barista named Noah in the lobby of the Four Season hotel in Las Vegas. Noah explained all of the reasons he loved his work at the Four Seasons but did not enjoy similar work at a rival hotel. For Noah, the varied experiences boiled down to the environment created by management in both hotels. Ultimately, Noah felt like the leadership in the Four Seasons supported him in his work and encouraged him to be himself. Thinking about Sinek’s story and teachers, I wondered: -
How can leaders help create the right environments for teachers to thrive? -
And, how can leaders do more to catch teachers doing good, not doing wrong? In truth, this isn’t just a message for school administrators. Whether we are parents, students, teachers, business executives, healthcare professionals, or anyone who functions within a community of other humans: We are all leaders. We all have moments when it is our responsibility to lift up others around us.
In a world that seems to have become increasingly unkind, we might consider taking the time to pause and ask ourselves: What are we doing to help others be their best? | |
