Byron's Babbles

This morning as I was studying at The Kilns, my friend and great school leader, Bret Bailey, from Hamilton Heights School Corporation in Arcadia, Indiana and I were texting back and forth. I was telling him of some of the things I was doing this week while in Oxford England. In one of the texts I commented that I was “…SO out of my league!” He texted back: “I think you’re IN whatever league you find yourself. 🙂 It’s blessed to have you be part of it.” I loved that thought of us being in whatever league we find ourselves. One reason I love this is that this thinking is so much different that the thought of “being in a league of our own.” It also keeps us from the dreaded imposter syndrome or the awful trap that some fall into of trying to fake it till you make it – the worst thing to do, EVER. So let’s unpack a “league” as being any loose affiliation of individuals/groups that are united in a common goal or vision.

Bret had me considering how important it is to foster a sense of unity and teamwork among those we serve. In other words, bringing them into our leagues. Belonging is so important and it is our job as leaders to help all belong. We also need to have the courage to become parts of leagues. Just like me jumping into learning here at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. We need to be encouraging and encourage open communication, promote a culture of inclusiveness, and recognize and celebrate individual strengths so everyone can be brought together in the same league. By setting a positive example and creating a supportive environment, leaders can inspire their team members to work toward common goals and collaborate effectively. Thanks Bret for the inspiration to think deeply on this and reflect!

Bret and Hamilton Heights are modeling this as evidenced by the work I am honored to get to do with them facilitating their “THE Leadership Academy 4.0.” The 1.0 version of this was named “Teacher Leadership Academy.” The name alone made it a league of its own of just teachers. Remember, I believe everyone is a leader. It also is important to recognize that every person in a school is important to the success of our students. We have always included individuals from every position, not just teachers, but we have now explicitly changed the name to “THE Leadership Academy 4.0” to explicitly signal that everyone is invited to be a part of this league. I loved his email today from Bret to the new participants of the 2024-2025 cohort. “…The even better news is that YOU get to be part of it. This is the most “mixed” group from different buildings and departments we’ve had over the last three years…” I am so honored to be working with Hamilton Heights with this leadership development program. I love the fact that we are explicitly including all roles in the school. One thing that experience with all the schools that do it this way has taught me is that this “mixed” group, as Bret has called it, gives us the diversity of roles, diversity of experience and experiences, and diversity of points of view. Another great school corporation, Silver Creek School Corporation, has taken this same approach with their Focused Leader Academy that I facilitate for them. This coming year’s cohort has the first bus driver I’ve had go through a program. How exciting is that? I am so looking forward to it. Great leaders like Bret Bailey, Derek Arrowood (Hamilton Heights School Corporation Superintendent), and Chad Briggs (Silver Creek School Corporation Superintendent) get how important diversity is to successful leadership development. Taking an attitude of “being in whatever league we find ourselves” brings a wealth of knowledge and varying perspectives, which can help improve the way our leadership relates to those inside and outside of our schools and organizations. What league are you in?