Reposted from LeaderTalk.org

“Duck, dodge, and hide” leadership is contradictory. It implies that a leader can be someone who ducks problems, dodges inquiry about those, and hides from the truth. If I hide from criticism, I set myself up for failure. If I listen only to criticism, or, alternatively, compliments, I still set myself up for failure. Balance has to be struck between the two, an understanding of the ying and yang.

In response to Stephanie Sandifer’s recent entry explaining leadership strategies, including “DUCK” which stands for “Dependent Upon Criticizing and Killing Success,” Lorne (Education and its Discontents) writes:

…I couldn’t help but feel there is something quite condescending and essentially manipulative in the suggestions you list. As a retired teacher, I can tell you that those measures would only work if they came from the heart, not as a strategy to win over the staff. Teachers have a tremendousw capacity for detecting b.s., and you can be certain that if administrative gestures are forced or insincere, they will be seen through by the majority of staff. Teacher goodwill can only be achieved by genuine respect.
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The last comment rings true, especially as we consider that genuine respect is often lacking in the political commentaries. On the one hand, some focus on the negative rather than the positive. On the other, some ignore the negative, afraid that it will derail their efforts at improvement. Whether you’re ducking positive or negative comments, you’re still practicing “Duck,dodge, and hide.”

Pete Reilly (EdTech Solutions) shares an observation that I have found true no matter what job I have worked:

As educational leaders we often encounter people who are not aligned with our vision. They can surprise us by the tenacity of their negative energy. They have already “been there and done that” and know, that whatever we’re trying to do; it will never work. They see every place in the organization where things are not working and, for them, this confirms their negative outlook on their jobs, and in many cases, their lives.

When I began working as an administrator 7 years ago, I felt a powerful drive to get the job done, to make it happen. I would have perceived the people Pete describes above as roadblocks, people that fit into Will Rogers famous quote (poorly paraphrased by me here), “You may be on the right road but if you’re not moving, get out of the way.” Like my superintendent in an East Texas small town district (13,000 population for the town) said once about a teacher on the techology committee, “We need to pave right over him and smooth out the bumps” likening the teacher to a bump in the road that had to be pushed down.

I had a visceral, negative reaction to that statement and, corrected him. “I want to hear the other point of view” and I kept that teacher on the Committee. True to form, he always offered insights into what we hadn’t thought of. I’m grateful to him for teaching me the value of oppositional thinking. What’s the point in having people who only agree with you?

Of course, as I liked to say it–which now reminds me of Collins’ Good to Great or is it Built to Last–“The bus is moving, whether you’re on it or not.” As I recall Collins says that even more important about knowing where to go with the bus is getting the right people on the bus–and the implication for me is kicking the wrong people off!, which I disagree with–and then getting them to decide where the right direction is. As an educator, I find this reprehensible, especially for public school educators. The bus–as is with people of differing perspectives–is a jigsaw puzzle, a blood and muscle game of Tetris, but where the pieces fit themselves to the puzzle to ensure maximum gain.

I like to think I’ve gotten more mellow these days. Although I still see the value of make it happen, I like to imagine that “let it happen” works better. Let it happen means letting things take shape, evolve…as the situation develops. Although I know I want the bus to move, I’m more inclined to trust folks…where I disagree with Collins is that you have to get the right people on the bus. I have found in my “small” organizations that the right people are on the bus, they just haven’t been allowed to build on their strengths and share their wisdom. My role is to tap into that wisdom, and encourage them to use their strengths for the benefit of the organization.

My first insights into dealing with those caught up in “victimhood” was simply to help us (that person and I) surrender to several important ideas:

1) Even though the world is difficult, that does not mean we are released from our obligations.

2) Since education environments are dependent on so many variables (e.g. politics, people, funding, legislation, etc.), just because something DID NOT work when you tried it, doesn’t mean it won’t work when we try it again. And, when I say “work” I don’t mean that the initiative was unsuccessful (“didn’t work”) because the person doing it was incompetent or didn’t think things through, but rather, that it was not approved or that it failed to catch on. That the time wasn’t right then, but you never know the time is wrong until afterwards.

3) Surrender to whatever may happen. We are all called to serve passionately…while we may never surrender our passion, we must certainly surrender to the fact that our passion may not move things in the direction we want. It’s this last idea that reminds me of an adaptation of something Dick Westley wrote in Redemptive Intimacy…

Having faith doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen and God will protect you from them, but rather, that bad things may happen but they won’t matter as much because God has faith in you

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So, with that last point in mind, I’m not the kind that believes in smiling to keep a happy face. I believe people can be joyful even as tears run down their face. I believe that negative energy is an essential part of the Ying-Yang, a spur that encourages one to be grateful…accepting…of the realities we face even as we challenge that reality and seek to transform it. I’d like to think negative/positive energy forms the nascent synergy that can transform who we are, what we do, and how we serve.

As Lorne writes in her blog, one of our obligations as administrators is to “Recognize that one of…[our]…most important functions is to provide a positive climate for both staff and students. Lead the school with moral conviction, not craven career ambition.”

The craven are those who fail to acknowledge their fears, to share them openly. They instead act to protect themselves rather than do what is right. You want moral conviction as an administrator, as a leader? Then acknowledge your fear, share it…and welcome oppositional thinking for what it is. . .the power to transform the positive/negative energy into fuel for forward movement.

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Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin’s blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure