The sign that you are low on leadership skills
Rude or angry visitors to your school, unexpected changes, staff conflict, delays, complaints, or mistakes can cause harm to even the most positive Leaders. These interruptions can find you thinking (or mumbling), “If people would just leave me alone, I would get so much more done for everyone.”
Sound familiar? On those days, you probably wish you could hang up a sign that says “Do Not Disturb”, but even then, you know that phones will still ring, emails will still ping, and people will still ‘tap you on the shoulder’ and say “I know you’re busy….but”
Why can’t your ESS see and leave you alone when you are working on things that ultimately help them?
Why do you need to remain calm and professional when those around you ignore your needs?
Because an essential part of being a leader is to lead, part of the ‘job description’ is to be open to guiding others and to communicate professionally with co-workers and customers of your school. This doesn’t mean ignoring your own needs because they matter too, but how Leaders ask for what they need, say no to the demands of others, and make time for urgent tasks, sets a standard.
Like it or not – leaders are watched. They are the people that ESS look to for examples of how to behave.
Leaders who can self-assess and self-regulate negative thoughts and feelings are displaying a key component of Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and the impact of EQ on the leader and those they interact with is less stress, fewer mistakes, and an increase in respect.
Leaders with EQ know that when they’re not optimistic, their feelings can impact their behaviour. Negative behaviours will impact negatively on everyone they interact with – and that isn’t good for anyone.
Here are a couple of examples of the impact of leaders not using EQ:
- When approached by staff, a leader who ‘snaps’ or sighs may be considered rude or aggressive. Sure, this outcome may make the team think before interrupting in the future, but it can lead to staff ‘walking on eggshells’ and nervous staff making mistakes – that you will have to address.
- A leader who drops everything as soon as someone asks for help says, ‘Yes, no matter what you need or when, I am your person”. Nice sentiment, but it may lead to an overworked leader and a team who don’t use critical thinking skills – which can lead to bored staff who make mistakes – that you will have to address.
Leadership is a combination of skills, knowledge and action. The great news is that anyone can learn to be a respected leader. Just For Schools works with School Business Managers who want less stress and more time to celebrate and a team of ESS who work together to achieve a remarkable reputation for the school.
How do we help? Just For Schools designs and delivers customised Professional Development sessions for School Business Managers and ESS, and 1:1 coaching for leaders.
If you would like more information, please contact us today, so you can lose the “Do Not Disturb” sign.
By Cate Schreck – Director of Just For Schools & Author of “The A-Z of Service Excellence”