My View
What I’m Learning About the Personal and the Practical
BY PATRICIA KINSELLA/School Administrator, February 2022

LATE LAST SUMMER, an unexpected blessing came into my life — the opportunity to serve my rural school district as their interim superintendent.

Of the million reasons why this blessing was unexpected, perhaps most important is that I had left the life of a full-time administrator behind. Not long before the pandemic, I quit my job in K-12 education, moved to the country and started a small farm in the Connecticut River valley of Massachusetts. My family needed me to make major changes, and I had.

I bought sheep. We started a chicken flock and began renovating buildings. It was exhilarating, hard and frequently scary, as I left security far behind for the uncertainties of life as a small-business owner — in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

Before leaving education, I had developed some expertise in supporting the leadership development of educators and fellow administrators. With Gene Thompson-Grove, an incredible teacher of facilitation and co-founder of the School Reform Initiative, I co-facilitated workshops and learning groups about leadership. It was powerful work, built from social science research and theory and grounded in the day-to-day experiences that provide never-ending opportunities for improving professional practice.

Credibility Factors

What I’m learning as I jump back into the fray is that several leadership behaviors have emerged as fundamental to establishing my credibility in a new environment. None of these three ideas is new. None is surprising. But as a small collection of actions, they are helping me step into my role quickly and, I hope, effectively.

»No. 1: Make time, from day one, to listen to people. I tend to move quickly, which can be great for getting things done, but it also can get in the way of really hearing what people have to say. So I am making a point of sitting still and letting staff, in all kinds of roles, just talk with me.

I don’t need to say much. I need only to listen. Staff are teaching me about the district, and I am letting them know their perspectives as workers, at all levels of the organization, matter to me.

»No. 2: Document and follow up. A former colleague used to say that trust is built through repeated experiences over time. Amen to that! I am building the groundwork for trust and credibility in part by following up on conversations quickly.

I write brief emails that use bullet points (not long paragraphs) to memorialize the most important ideas or decisions. I also include reminders of any tasks identified, which helps build purposeful momentum and group accountability.

»No. 3: Stay calm and acknowledge the feelings. My district has been through its share of turbulence, with administrative turnover, financial challenges and the closure of two beloved elementary schools. It’s understandable that there are lots of feelings floating around. Ignoring them isn’t an option — nor should it be.

When feelings start to enter conversations, I consciously try to maintain my own internal equanimity so that I am available as an authentic, empathetic listener. My role as leader is, in a sense, to witness emotion while remaining calm and gently focused on the future. If I am steadfast, it gives others the space to discharge whatever they need to turn their attention to the positive changes we will make together.

Unexpected Journey

While good leadership obviously depends on many more behaviors than the three I’ve mentioned, these are ones that seem to be having the strongest impact on staff as I begin my new role.

What I’m relearning, and this sounds almost ridiculously simple, is that leadership needs to address both the personal and the practical. I need to hold the humanity of those I lead at the center of all I do. And, at the same time, I need to use management strategies that promote efficient, collaborative practices that move our work forward apace.

I hadn’t expected to leave full-time administration when I did, and I certainly hadn’t expected to land in a rural community or start a farm with 130 chickens in a big red barn. But that was where my family’s journey took me. Now that the journey has taken me right back into public school, I am eager to see what it will teach me next.

PATRICIA KINSELLA is the interim superintendent of the Pioneer Valley Regional School District in Northfield, Mass. Twitter: @InterimSuptPV