When the “Leadership Bug” Bites!
I’ve often been asked, “How did you get into leadership?” I have to say that it would be best if the question was posed as, “How did leadership get into you?”.
I love the quote “Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex moral relationship between people based on trust, obligation, commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good.”
It is common for us to associate the word leadership with someone having a specific position in management of a company or ownership of a business or supervision of people. The reality is that leadership doesn’t start with a promotion, a raise, or a title. As I think back to a specific moment in my career, or in my lifetime where I was bitten by the “Leadership bug” it is not a pinpoint on a timeline. Rather, I think of experiences where a specific need arose, and somehow I was the one to perceive it as well as identify the strategy, resources, actions or process to meet that need.
One example was in my early years as a bilingual teacher in the Bronx, New York. I noticed of the 6 bilingual classes that comprised mostly Spanish-dominant students in 6th to 8th grades, none had access to the two technology labs in the building! They weren’t scheduled for technology. They were not part of the technology program- it was not even a consideration. I approached the principal of the school with this finding, and his reaction was in a “matter of fact” tone- “ Well, you know, they don’t speak English very well!” And so began my relentless leadership and advocacy for my students to have equitable access to resources and technology. I didn’t stand for long debates about bilingual education or language development. I courageously confronted the inequity by giving up my lunch periods and taking a class to the technology lab daily in the midst of criticism, and challenges from the teachers’ union for using my lunch period to teach.
My students produced the first bilingual newsletter for the school! Programs were changed so that technology was an integral part of students’ schedules and I became the first bilingual math and technology teacher. Criticism did not die down, but I forged ahead, eventually becoming the professional development coordinator for bilingual education at the school, and several years later, the assistant principal overseeing bilingual programs!
Leadership starts with courage! Engage others in valuing the need for the change and trusting that it will be for the greater good. You don’t need a promotion to care about the needs you observe. Advocacy for equity and relentless efforts to fill gaps propels you to another level. Look around - where is the void? Leadership is about spearheading data-informed initiatives, posing evidence-based questions and development of proposals for change. How are you equipped to respond? The leader in you wants to show up!
