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Colleagues, MVP: Simplicity facilitates clarity. On June 28, 2023 Pam and I finished our 270-mile hike by reaching The Border Hotel in Scotland. We were wet, dirty, tired, hungry, thirsty, and ecstatic. In the subsequent weeks, as we reflected on our journey, we both agreed that as spectacular as it had been, we would probably not tackle a trail as long again. However, a year out, I am reconsidering. I miss the simplicity, the presence, and even the community that brings people together. I am better at building some of those things into my daily life, but we live in a noisy, multi-tasking, disconnected society. How can we build practices to consistently help us implement all of these leadership lessons? I hope you have gathered some ideas already, because unpacking them will require another post.  Today’s intention: If you’ve enjoyed these PW posts, please email me and share what you are doing this summer to relax and recharge, even if it isn’t a grand adventure.
Cheers! Frederick
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Colleagues, MVP: Leadership is hard because you need to look everywhere at once. On the penultimate day of our hike, we were on a gentle descent into a gorgeous valley. I looked up to appreciate the view and felt my foot sink into something soft and squishy. If you have been reading, you will remember me noting how many sheep there are, and sheep leads to sheep poop. This is why leadership is so difficult. Leaders need to watch where they are going, but they also need to be able to look forward. Great leaders are also able to see the past by looking backwards. How can you do all those things at once? You can’t. How can you look up or back without stepping in the poop? You can’t. What’s the solution? Pause and stand still. Just long enough to appreciate where you have been and plan where you are going. Then continue on, watching where you step.  Today’s intention: How can you build in a moment to stand still and look around?
Cheers! Frederick Colleagues, MVP: Overcoming barriers to change can be more dangerous than one would think. I wrote on Monday about the plethora of fences along the PW. Another contrivance for crossing them was the step-style, seen below. It looks like a simple thing to climb up and down a little ladder but there are two variables that can make it a challenge:
It became a running joke that the first person over the ladder would call back “Mind the nettles!” They weren’t always there, but they seemed to have an uncanny knack for being more plentiful the higher our fatigue level. We learned to be vigilant and anticipate that there would be complications to navigating these fences. Just like navigating change. Overcoming a barrier may not be as simple as it appears and moving cautiously may save you hours of burning discomfort.  Today’s intention: Look around. Do you see any nettles?
Cheers! Frederick Colleagues, MVP: Evaluation, professional development, and growth should be aligned. Today is a rest day from the Pennine Way 🤣 No matter your sector or your role, think about this: What is the relationship between evaluation, professional development, and growth? It seems like these are three related things, but in much of my experience as a teacher and administrator, evaluation, PD, and teacher growth were disconnected from each other. What was it – or is it – like for you? Today, on The Assistant Principal Podcast, Jen Manly and I are going to play with this idea. It is a fun and informative conversation so I hope you tune in. Thanks again to IXL for sponsoring today’s episode.  Cheers!
Frederick Colleagues, MVP: What worked before may not work now. Continuing with another story from the Pennine Way… Almost the entirety of the PW runs through sheep country, and that means fences. Hundreds of fences. There are many ways to get over/around/through a sheep fence. For one particular kind of fence brought home the realization that just because a strategy worked before doesn’t mean it will work again. One form of gate was a narrow choke point of tall stones. The first time I encountered one of these I turned sideways to make myself thinner.  As I stepped into the gap, my backpack smashed into the side of the gate, spinning me back and around.  Turning sideways doesn’t make you thinner when you have a pack on 🤣 🤣 🤣
We had to reassess and change our tactics. Today’s intention: What are you doing that doesn’t work anymore? Cheers! Frederick |
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