The Uncomfortable Truth About Leadership Failure (A)

When one or two teachers are not successful, that generally represents a personnel issue.  Personnel issues are best solved through coaching. A leader will coach the teacher to success or coach the teacher out of the organization.

But when lots of teachers are unsuccessful, that generally represents leadership failure.   The mere suggestion of leadership failure is a scary proposition.  The immediate and invariable responses are either anger, “How dare YOU,” or defensiveness, “What YOU don’t understand is...”

Recognizing this, a brief explanation of why this is the case is warranted.  When teachers are not successful, at scale, the ‘system’ is failing. School ‘systems’ often fail due to the lack of provided and/or implemented instructional infrastructure.  And the provision and implementation of instructional infrastructure is a function of leadership.  So in spite of the excuses, we must recognize that when the system isn’t working, the blame isn’t on the shoulders of the teachers or the students.  The blame rests on the shoulders of those responsible for the “big picture.”

Something to chew on.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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