Leading is learning

Key points:

There was a time when we believed that once you knew how to do something, that was it. Mission accomplished. The skill set was learned and the only thing left was to put it into practice. It could be improved or mastered through repetition and habit, but the general consensus was that skills were finite.

This was (perhaps still is) true for our students when reviewing content charts for historical facts, algebraic formulas, and the periodic table. And it was true for our school leaders, too. Once they learned the skill set and content knowledge necessary to be a principal (let's call it school leader 101), that was it. Completed and let's move on. Learning came first and then leadership began.

We could title this understanding Learning so Major. They were separate entities and sequential activities.

More recently, both learning and leadership are considered important in the role of school leadership. They are not always sequential, and sometimes, especially if a leader lacks some new content knowledge or a particular skill set, they relearn or upskill her as needed. This was most common when new technologies or new methods of instruction, assessment, or accountability appeared. Changes imposed from outside often required new skills for leaders.

We could call this Lead and learn.

What we are beginning to see and understand – especially with the rapid pace of change – is that school leaders must do both simultaneously. Leading effectively now requires leaders to learn at the same time. There are new ways of doing things, new skills and knowledge that leaders must know, understand and adapt. It is no longer enough to rely on knowledge or skills from a couple of years ago. The context in which we lead is constantly changing, requiring leaders to grow and evolve.

This can be defined as Lead as learning.

But do we really need to see these two things as separate entities or activities? Shouldn't leading be learning? Learn to improve. Learn to adapt and adjust. Learn to make decisions, unite teams and challenge the ways things have been done before. All educators want students to be lifelong learners, so shouldn't educators, including leaders, expect the same of themselves? Being good at something means continuous learning and adaptation because our situation, our community, and our world are constantly changing. And these changes are occurring at an increasing pace.

Maybe we should break it down to say that Leading is learning. It is an everyday learning process in which skills are not mastered but developed, improved and perfected over time.

In order for us to be the best leaders, educators, and people we can be, we must accept that we must constantly and consistently learn. Our contexts are changing rapidly. The five-year strategy and even the annual school improvement plan can change several times to the point that they are more intentions than confirmed destinations. And so they should be.

It's not just that our worlds are changing so quickly (who knew ChatGPT 12 months ago), but also the realization that learning is an integral part of who we are and what we do. Leaders must now be full-time students. Learning through self-reflection. Learn by asking. Learn by being vulnerable. Learn while feeling uncomfortable. Learn by challenging the status quo.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by adding yet another thing to our to-do list, let's see it as an opportunity. An opportunity to model and share what we expect from everyone in our schools. As leaders in the business of learning, we become the Lead Trainee and that's a pretty exciting role.