Dare To Be Great

I had breakfast with a former colleague the other day. Like many of us, we reflected on old times and shared stories of new adventures. Each time we get together, I discover a little more about the times when we worked together. There are layers of relationships, ones we share when first meet people, ones we share when we are in the trenches, ones we share when our roads part, and ones we share when time has past and the journey is but a distant memory. Time imparts wisdom, safety, and virtue. It makes our success all the brighter and our struggles all the dimmer.

The colleague's story was one of how slight changes make a big difference. In our past work together, we had developed systems to support student learning and promote interdependence for staff in order to facilitate student learning. Simply we found unique ways for teachers and support staff to team together in order to provide more specified instruction to meet children where they were at. Systems were developed to support both academic and social growth. The trick was, times had changed, students had changed, staff had changed, and leaders had changed. As a result, while the systems still existed, few understood the core values of why they were in place and what values were hoped to be derived from them. Thus, overtime, like any mechanism they were beginning to rust and decay. People were still doing because they were required to still do, but with out the vigor, value, and investment of previous generations, and as a result without the effectiveness.

In listening to my colleague's story, I began to understand that leaders don't just tell us how to do things, but rather help us buy into a vision or purpose. At each level, teacher, coach, principal, district leader, board member, our leaders invest us in a common purpose, drive their actions towards the purpose, and help give us the tools to accomplish that purpose. As individuals we seek out that dare to be great situation. We recognize that challenges are not easy, but within us we each strive to be vested in experiences that matter, experiences that make a differences, and experiences in which we can be vital towards the success. It is one of the leader's roles to put forth the opportunity for us to be in these dare to be great situations. When given the challenge, the mission, and the resources, we are all capable and willing to be contributors, leaders, and difference makers.

One can have the best resources in the land, the best materials to work with, the most staff available, and while these help, they are only part of the solution. Success is not simply about the tools we have but also the purpose for which we strive. As leaders, whether in the classroom or of the organization, it is our task to ignite our co-workers with the fire of challenge and purpose, the recognition that we can be part of something unique and innovative. That we, because of our unique tools and purpose, can be a vital contributor to the outcome. This is something my colleague and once felt and now missed. It is something I hope to help find again.

You need people of intelligence on this sort of ... mission... quest... thing. - Peregrin "Pippin" Took

Debating the Outcome for the Ring