Forming Leaders

Trust Me

2010-05-19T18:04:00.000-04:00

The following article will be published in the Cardinal Gibbons High School Spring 2010 edition of "Voices" (our alumni publication):

Alumni will remember from their high school days that nothing heightens parental suspicion faster than a teenager saying, “trust me” as they leave the house on a Friday night. Parents who hear “trust me” can be pretty sure that their child is up to something.

Yet, “trust me” is exactly what we want to hear from our students. In March, when the SACS-CASI Accreditation Peer Review Team members were finishing their 5-year visit, the Team Chair told me that our students used the word “trust” repeatedly in describing their relationship with adults on campus. He found it so unusual that our students felt comfortable developing and leading new programs for adults such as our Board of Trustees orientation and the Family Association Retreat, and noted that the mutual trust between students and faculty was the foundation of the school’s culture.

In giving authentic leadership opportunities to students, we tell them explicitly that we trust them. What do we trust? We trust that students will do their best, using their gifts and skills to the fullest. We trust that they understand the mission of CGHS, and want to further that mission. Finally, we trust that they care deeply about the good for all members of our community.

Trust doesn’t eliminate mistakes, however. I once had a teacher at a leadership presentation raise her hand and ask me: “what if we trust students with responsibility and they mess up?” A perfectly legitimate question, and just as valid when I returned it to her: “what if you mess it up?” Students who are only given simple management tasks hear clearly that they aren’t trusted with anything more important, and certainly adults hear the same message. Even if a person has the skills and support system necessary for a leadership challenge, they are unable to act if they don’t feel trusted.

Mother Theresa once said “I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.” To be fully trusted is a simultaneously inspiring and challenging experience, and a formational opportunity that students must experience now if they are to be leaders in church and community.

Today, our alumni continue to reward the school’s trust, returning to serve and lead at Cardinal Gibbons. Your parents were right: when you say “trust me,” you are up to something. You’re leading on the CGHS Board of Trustees, Alumni Council, and as faculty and staff members; you’ve contributed your time and expertise in our Alumni Career Day, and in the planning of the 100th Anniversary celebrations; and you are even leading our efforts in social networking technology and website design. How fortunate our students today are to profit from your contributions and to learn by your example the benefits of trust.

Easy Solutions

2010-04-22T09:27:00.002-04:00

This is an interesting video from Dan Meyer, a math teacher from Santa Cruz, CA (It was forwarded to me by a CGHS parent who discovered it being used informally as a resource at their company for "Take Your Children to Work Day" - thank you!).

The application for math and science classes is obvious, however I also like employing his theories to the problem of jumping to solutions-based thinking in leadership challenges on campus. When we have a problem at school, students and adults want a formula where they can plug in established solutions ("the way we've always done it") in order to arrive at an easy solution. Invariably, we arrive at the creation of a new policy (usually a clarification of an existing policy) precisely because it's an easy solution, and difficult to oppose. Rarely do those groups ask important questions, sift out non-essential information, or (most frustratingly of all) use their collective or individual intuition about what works and doesn't work.

Perhaps when we present leadership challenges, we need to not only be much more careful about how we present the problem, but also spend much more time allowing/encouraging/pushing groups to establish their own process. My observations of group dynamics in leadership exercises reminds me that students and adults are much too willing to fall into already established processes, and we do them a disservice if continue to allow that thinking.

Changing School Culture: Cultivating Dynamic Leadership in Your School

2010-04-05T12:10:00.009-04:00

Thanks to all who attended the presentation at the 2010 National Catholic Educational Association Conference. The following are documents from the NCEA presentation and supporting documents from the Principal's Leadership Conference at Cardinal Gibbons High School (click Read more >> for all the docs). Please contact me if you'd like to see more from the presentation or PLC.

Presentation

NCEA Changing School Culture Presentation -

Bibliography

Changing School Culture Bibliography -

PLC Schedule

Principal's Leadership Conference Full Schedule -

PLC Leadership Skills Reflection

PLC Leadership Skills Reflection -

PLC Leadership Characteristics Reflection

PLC Leadership Characteristics Reflection -