This is going to be another year full of opportunities for those of us who believe we can continue to make a difference, continue to deliver brilliant outcomes and continue to change the world. It is important that we all understand that this begins with leadership. We can’t be great at what we do unless we feel great about ourselves. We can’t be the source of positivity and support unless we are positive and optimistic about ourselves and the future. We must enjoy ourselves while we chase success; we must look after ourselves; we must read good books and be inspired; we must continue to learn and continue to improve and develop our talents, our abilities and our skills.
We must be optimistic and remember these key messages so that we nurture the magic, develop the creative edge, foster imagination and keep all our colleagues happy, healthy, safe and successful… whatever it takes.
- In case you’ve forgotten the key messages:
- focus and work hard;
- take personal responsibility;
- read lots and learn from everything you do;
- celebrate other people’s achievements and always say thank you;
- share your experiences, your learning and your successes;
- reduce the paper and clean up the clutter;
- always think about how you can make a difference;
- be positive, don’t put up with negative people or dwell on the negatives; and
- never lie about anything important.
And when the going gets tough and the challenges seem impossible:
- look after yourself and your colleagues;
- spend time with positive and optimistic colleagues;
- smile, laugh at life and search for ways to have fun;
- breathe deeply, stretch and exercise regularly;
- get enough sleep and take regular breaks;
- appreciate what you have; and
- celebrate everything that goes well.
Happy New Year
Chris
2 comments:
Hi Chris. Very interested and pleased to see your comments re leadership and looking after yourself and colleagues. As a Governor of 6 years I have viewed supporting the Head and SMT as one of the major parts of my role. However, I was disappointed to learn today of the lack of support from Education Leeds for a Head of 15 years who is retiring from the role. The transition from working what must amount to more than 12 hours a day to potentially nothing is a very difficult one, particularly for a dedicated individual such as the person I have in mind. Perhaps you could look into putting a programme in place which offeres practical guidance, (e.g. part-time opportunities) and reassures staff who have given their all to the education of the children of Leeds, that they are not abandoned as soon as they indicate their intention to take a well earned rest.
Yours,
Jacqui Straker
Dear Jacqui, I am pleased that you have raised this with me because we do not intentionally abandon anyone who works with us and for us and if this is your perception of the way we work with colleagues coming to the end of their school career we need to do something about it. We have extensive programmes in place which I thought offered advice, practical guidance and support for colleagues and I would welcome knowing whether this lack of support is a more common perception rather than a single individual experience.
Chris
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