!HELP!
A Series for School Leaders
Being a School Leader is Like Being a Diplomat
The skills and professional personality traits required to be a successful school leader are the same as those needed to be a successful diplomat. Balancing good listening skills with strategic thinking, the ability to read people’s expressions, maintain a positive non-verbal posture, and be “otherness” sensitive is as important as any knowledge you may or may not have about the topic being discussed. You need to be able to:
*Negotiate and mediate by knowing when to demonstrate you understand the other person’s perspective, find the
common ground of agreement, and clarify the differences in positions and how those differences might be managed.
*Represent your organization by being professional and clear, explaining why your school, like your nation for a diplomat,
has certain expectations, needs and processes.
*Build positive relationships by being sincerely kind and considerate to everyone, even when confronted differently,
and by communicating follow up actions to those similarly situated.
*Maintain the dignity of your position in a tactful manner but at the same time take the first step
to move past a disagreement or hurt feelings by attempting to circle back and discuss straightforwardly
with the offended party that your intent was problem solving, not problem creating.
*Adapt to changing circumstances, shifts in needs and political realities in a way that maintains the values
incumbent to your position but communicates understanding and willingness to accept adjustments
to the way it’s always been done.
*Promote and support peaceful dialogue among various parties, reducing conflict and reminding parties
of a broader perspective on the issues.
Suggestions:
To be better at the above and prepared when complicated circumstances require us to muster our skills and positive professional personality traits, set up tabletop exercises that place you into scenarios you’re likely to encounter and practice appropriate responses. For example, have a more experienced school leader write out scenes or act out a telephone call from an angry parent that allow less experienced school leaders to ponder and then respond in front of other school leaders for constructive criticism. Pull video clips of a school board meeting encounter, stop the tape at the peak of the issue’s problematic stage, and discuss appropriate responses by school leaders. Then run the tape and critique how it was handled at that moment in contrast to the responses discussed.
The more you prepare yourself to be a successful diplomat, the more prepared you’ll be to be a successful school leader.
Jerry Brodsky has over 40 years of experience as a school administrator and educational consultant and a B.S.in Ed., M.Ed, J.D., and recently M.S. in International Affairs from Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations.
The skills and professional personality traits required to be a successful school leader are the same as those needed to be a successful diplomat. Balancing good listening skills with strategic thinking, the ability to read people’s expressions, maintain a positive non-verbal posture, and be “otherness” sensitive is as important as any knowledge you may or may not have about the topic being discussed. You need to be able to:
*Negotiate and mediate by knowing when to demonstrate you understand the other person’s perspective, find the
common ground of agreement, and clarify the differences in positions and how those differences might be managed.
*Represent your organization by being professional and clear, explaining why your school, like your nation for a diplomat,
has certain expectations, needs and processes.
*Build positive relationships by being sincerely kind and considerate to everyone, even when confronted differently,
and by communicating follow up actions to those similarly situated.
*Maintain the dignity of your position in a tactful manner but at the same time take the first step
to move past a disagreement or hurt feelings by attempting to circle back and discuss straightforwardly
with the offended party that your intent was problem solving, not problem creating.
*Adapt to changing circumstances, shifts in needs and political realities in a way that maintains the values
incumbent to your position but communicates understanding and willingness to accept adjustments
to the way it’s always been done.
*Promote and support peaceful dialogue among various parties, reducing conflict and reminding parties
of a broader perspective on the issues.
Suggestions:
To be better at the above and prepared when complicated circumstances require us to muster our skills and positive professional personality traits, set up tabletop exercises that place you into scenarios you’re likely to encounter and practice appropriate responses. For example, have a more experienced school leader write out scenes or act out a telephone call from an angry parent that allow less experienced school leaders to ponder and then respond in front of other school leaders for constructive criticism. Pull video clips of a school board meeting encounter, stop the tape at the peak of the issue’s problematic stage, and discuss appropriate responses by school leaders. Then run the tape and critique how it was handled at that moment in contrast to the responses discussed.
The more you prepare yourself to be a successful diplomat, the more prepared you’ll be to be a successful school leader.
Jerry Brodsky has over 40 years of experience as a school administrator and educational consultant and a B.S.in Ed., M.Ed, J.D., and recently M.S. in International Affairs from Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations.
!HELP! is a series of common scenarios that confront schools today and our attempt to help schools and administrators deal with them. We will add new scenarios periodically. If you have a suggestion of one you would like to see, please let us know.
Contact us for further and individualized assistance.
This provides only general information.
Contact us for further and individualized assistance.
This provides only general information.