Congratulations…you are a school leader. You are now leading a building or a district (or helping to do one of these). As you think about all of the possibilities of potential actions you can take as you grab the reigns, may I suggest something?
Reaction Mode
How will you build the necessary momentum within your school or school district to accomplish what is in the best interest of the children? You could concentrate on reaction. Reaction is when you (and your organization) are constantly reacting to your environment. The State Department wants us to do this, the Board says we have to do that, the union is demanding something else, the Feds are “helpfully suggesting” another thing entirely. You will find yourself on the proverbial hamster wheel at this point. You will certainly be busy, but not really accomplishing long-term change for your school or school district.
Creation Mode
I suggest you concentrate on a more important factor….creating the future. Creating the future is different than trying to predict the future. After all, if you can predict the future I suggest you go buy a lottery ticket! Creating the future utilizes your knowledge (and appreciation) of your local context, important lessons from the past, and your careful study of future trends. Put these all together and you start to create the future. Creating a future contrasts with reacting to the past and present. Creation empowers you to control the environment for future change. Reaction makes you feel powerless.
5 Questions to Start Building Your Future Vision
Creating the future starts with a few key questions:
- What future do you want to create for your school or school district?
- What is the perspective of important stakeholders of the future you want to create?
- What do you need to learn to assure success for the implementation of your future vision?
- Who needs to have input to help co-create your future vision?
- How will you know you have reached your future vision?
Answering these questions is a great way to start your journey of creating a positive future for your school or school district.