My View
Discovering My ‘True North’
BY BRIGETTE D. MATSON/School Administrator, May 2021

IN BILL GEORGE’S BOOK Discover Your True North, the author concludes with this notion: To prepare to lead, we must relentlessly pursue learning about ourselves and what motivates us.

After completing George’s book, I set out on a personal journey to identify my own “true north.” What is my true motivation?

As a child, I suffered the tragic loss of my only sibling and my father and was raised by a working single mother. While she was a loving mother and had an extended family, I struggled with grief and financial hardship throughout much of my formative years. How did I find motivation amid such circumstances to get to where I am today?

Finding Inspiration

At first, I thought this would be relatively easy. I am highly driven with many accomplishments both personally and professionally. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college and now serve as an assistant superintendent. For me, the bigger the challenge, the higher the motivation. I was surprised, however, to find no answer as to why I am inspired to do what I do. I realized if I was going to lead others to be inspired, I had to know what inspired me.

After some inward reflection and consultation with some of my closest friends and colleagues, I thought of times when I helped a student connect with a service they needed or helped them to identify what they wanted to do with their life after high school. Both were opportunities to improve someone else’s life. That was it: My true motivation comes from helping make other people’s lives better.

Upon deeper reflection, I realized this motivation was borne out of my own educational journey. Education made my life better because it brought positivity to a childhood filled with tragedy and misfortune. Education provided me a sense of control in my life and a chance to improve my situation. Having identified my true motivation, I now feel even more purpose-driven and prepared to engage in true leadership.

Supporting Others

My journey of self-discovery led me to consider how wonderful it would be if others on my team were able to experience this realization! I have come to believe that assisting others with their self-discovery is the quintessence of leadership itself.

Self and collective efficacy are best promoted by helping people identify their true motivation. I challenge all school leaders to find their inward motivation and guide the members of their teams by encouraging them to do the same. Identifying the truths behind our motivations unlocks a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Often, the biggest challenge associated with any leadership position is changing human behavior. If leaders take the time to listen and ask probing questions to help their followers find their true north, they can reinforce them or help modify behavior toward shared values and common goals within the organization.

Imagine the schools we could have if all teachers, support staff and administrators knew their true north and were reinforced in feeling confident they were working at what they were meant to do. The feeling is as stimulating as it is contagious. Who wouldn’t want to feel that way about their life’s work?

Perhaps helping individuals identify their inner motivation and reinforcing them in the manner associated with their true north is the very essence of emotional intelligence in action. Once leaders are able to act in emotionally intelligent ways and cultivate a sense of collective efficacy among team members, they may be able to maximize the outcomes of the entire organization.

BRIGETTE MATSON is assistant superintendent of the DuBois Area School District in DuBois, Pa.