Leadership Guilt: Why It’s So Hard to Prioritize Yourself
Whether it is a personal budget or the school’s finances, it’s tough to justify spending on yourself. After all, everything we do is for our students. And that’s a fantastic filter to put decisions through:
- How does this impact students?
- Will it make their experience better?
- Will it help my students achieve more?
- Will it open more doors for my kids?
Two assertions I’ll make about you and your leadership:
-
-
- What you do as a school leader is essential to student success.
- There is a real cost to not developing yourself continuously throughout the year.
-
I’m sure you are aware of Hattie’s research on effect size. This post highlights 252 influences on effect size and student achievement. Teacher efficacy is the most influential. And who creates and supports the conditions where educators believe in their ability to positively impact students? The principal. And who builds the environment for the rest of the influences that impact student achievement? The principal.
From the Wallace Foundation: “Education research shows that most school variables, considered separately, have at most small effects on learning. The real payoff comes when individual variables combine to reach critical mass. Creating the conditions under which that can occur is the job of the principal.” By now, it should be clear that your work as a school leader matters. That’s why at Better Leaders Better Schools we believe: Everyone wins when a leader gets better. Everyone wins when you get better. And the best way you can support your leadership development is by joining our mastermind. (read all about it and apply to our leadership community here)
https://vimeo.com/378591268/d8659ea76e
Apply to the mastermind here. “The Mastermind is hands down the best PD I’ve ever experienced.” -Gene, Principal, NJ
I’m a dreamer. I love to think in terms of opportunity and possibility ... What just might happen in your community if you:
- Made better decisions
- Communicated more effectively
- Inspired your staff regularly
- Lead with confidence (and put that imposter syndrome to rest)
- Built the school (and culture) of your dreams
- And more …
That’s what we do in the mastermind. I’m sure you’ve flown before. As the flight attendants do their safety presentation they always highlight the oxygen mask. And what do they say? Put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others. Why? Because if you can’t breathe, then you’re no help to anyone around you. I like to use this metaphor with leaders which also expresses the same idea: you can’t pour from an empty cup.
- Since 2016 we’ve served 100+ school leaders from around the world
- We help leaders solve their #1 challenge every week
- We meet virtually on Zoom (and yes you can wear sweat pants -- no one will know ?)
- Members consider this the best PD available to school leaders
