How to be a Visionary Leader

When interviewing parents, faculty & staff, and Boards during the Head search process, I always ask “what qualities are you looking for in your next Head of School?” One of the top answers is consistently some version of: “a visionary leader.” (Another top response is: “a sense of humor”- more on that later!). When ask what a visionary leader looks and sounds like, I hear that people want the Head of their small school to be able to describe the future of the school and what it will be like to be a part of the community into the future. Yet many of the Heads of small schools with whom I communicate struggle to be able to focus on vision; they are so busy managing what flies at them day to day. How can Heads become more visionary?  

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming “visionary,” here are some steps that have worked for me and for many of my colleagues.

1. Make time in your week to think and plan. I remember so clearly from my days as the Head of a small school being bombarded by the life of the school from the moment I walked in early in the morning to the time I closed the front door late at night. I barely had time for bathroom breaks much less time for reading, reflection, and planning! Yet it wasn’t until I kept a schedule that included regular planning times with my administrators and regular reflection and thinking times by myself that I was able to move into the leadership role of setting a course for my school. The Head’s most important responsibility is to lead- not to plunge toilets (although as “servant-leaders” we sometimes have to do that as well!). Some specific suggestions for how to do this:
   1. Set your calendar each week and each day. While you will always need to be flexible, do your best to schedule and protect thinking and planning times. Identify your most important role (leader) and ensure you have time to focus on that role.
   2. Schedule time to learn. In order to support lifelong learners, you must be a lifelong learner. This is not a luxury. It is critical to your ability to effectively set a vision and lead your school.
   3. Be creative with duty coverage. We pulled in an assistant teacher during nap-time to cover the phones while we had our administrator’s meeting. With small staffs, you need to creatively find uninterrupted times- both alone and together.
   4. Use “Please do not disturb” signs. Find times each day to put this sign on your door. You may need to train your community regarding what constitutes an emergency (and therefore you may be disturbed). They will eventually learn that you need the time alone to be your best.
2. Within the context of your school’s mission and strategic goals, craft and articulate your “vision.” The vision that you craft and articulate will provide focus and clarity for your community. This is different from your school’s vision (if you have one), yet it is linked; your Head’s vision may be a step towards enabling your school to realize its stated vision. For your vision, the focus may be on anything- parent participation, curriculum, student engagement, etc. Describe what the school will look like, sound like, feel like in in the future. Think about what is important to your community and how you would like to move forward. Then put that into words. Some specific suggestions for how to do this:
   1. Think about what is impacting your community right now. Enrollment? Helicopter parents? Lower than desired academic achievement? Unhappy faculty? Facilities? What is most pressing?
   2. Look at your mission, vision, and strategic goals to find wording that states the opposite of your current issues. State your vision positively- for example: fully engaged, happy students; fully engaged, satisfied parents; a sense of agency and lifelong-learning among faculty, a safe, welcoming building that supports learning, etc.
   3. Make sure you stay with your vision until it is realized. When a leader bounces from vision to vision without completing any, is confusing and frustrating for followers.
3. Articulate all of the ways your vision might be realized. Think creatively about steps to reach your vision. Look beyond the obvious to find ways to include all of your community. Some specific suggestions for how to do this:
   1. List all the steps, actions, ways you can think that your vision might be realized.
   2. Ask others for their input (administration, parents, students, Board, etc).
   3. Identify areas where your vision is already being realized in your community.
4. Refer to your vision as frequently as possible. Make reference to the outcomes you envision in your newsletter, presentations, conversations, etc. This keeps the vision alive. Also, highlight your community’s achievements in taking steps to realize the vision as frequently as possible!

When leaders of small schools are able to articulate a clear, achievable, and meaningful vision that is aligned with the school’s mission and strategic goals, they convey confidence in, and control over, the direction and future of the school. This, in turn, results in a sense of trust and hope within their community. Parents, faculty & staff, and Board members want to know that the Head of their school is leading them in the “right” direction. Articulating and working towards a strong vision will let them know you've got this.

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