My View
‘Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed’
BY JIM HATTABAUGH/School Administrator, February 2021

YOU HAVE HEARD the saying, “They are not the sharpest tool in the shed.” The comment usually is followed by a chuckle and an assumption that the speaker is one of the sharper tools.

What does this have to do with school leadership? A great deal actually. If we look at leadership in an organization through the lens of the hand tools used to get the job done, then we want and need the sharpest tools in our shed to succeed.

Where do you find these sharp tools? You can buy them at a hardware store or you can sharpen the existing ones yourself. If you are going to buy them through hiring, you want the sharpest you can find. Otherwise, what’s the point if you must sharpen them again to fit your needs.

Do you want tools that are sharper than you are? Yes, if you want to be successful. One person cannot be the sharpest tool in the shed for every job. It takes a toolbox full of sharp tools to be successful in our global economy.

Product Outcomes

My hobby of turning wood on a lathe has taught me this simple fact: You need all kinds of tools to get the job done, and each has a specific role and an ability to complete a certain job. All must be kept finely tuned and require periodic sharpening for me, as a woodworker, to be successful. I could limit myself to the use of only one tool, but the finished product would not be well done. My capacity to use the different tools for their specific purposes will determine whether the finished product will be something I can show with pride.

In regard to organizational leadership, what if you believe buying sharper tools falls beyond your budget? You have to sharpen the existing tools to bring them up to standards so they can perform a specific task at the highest level. With actual tools, this is a fairly easy and uniform task, but if your tools are people, the task is more complex.

One easy example of my need for a sharper tool exists in the area of personal technology. While I may be able to find my way around, I certainly need a much sharper tool to be in charge of my IT department.

Personal Sharpness

If you are a current or aspiring leader, look into your equipment shed and identify where you might need sharper tools. How are you going to get them to where you need them? What sharpening tools do you have at your disposal? Sharpening takes time, and where are you going to find this most valuable resource? Do your tools know that they need sharpening, and will they willingly submit to being sharpened?

How about you? Where do you need to sharpen your own tools? Are you comfortable having tools in your organization who are sharper than you? If not, your organization will only move forward to your level of sharpness. Prepare your own tools first, then attend to fine-tuning the skills of your leadership team.