Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

Message from the Lead Dog Principal #14

Do you know the political rules of your environment?

You might ask, what political rules? I work in a school. I am not a politician. Wake up and smell the coffee. Schools can be vicious political animals. And if you are looking for advancement, I encourage you to quickly figure out the dynamics and align yourself to the right group. There is only one big problem with that statement. The “in” group can change and it can change quickly. This blog is especially important today as we await the election results of next week. And although this is an “off” year for elections, many important local contests are on the ballot. These local contests, such as a school board election, can realistically affect you more than a presidential election.

Learn to politically work that room. Know what events to attend and who’s ring to kiss. I have been there and done this and yes; it turned my stomach, but in order to succeed and get promoted these are the distasteful job that must get done. But you must still have the personal line in the sand that you will not cross just to be in that political “in” crowd.

Sometimes in my career that I was afraid to be seen with someone. I had to clear the air quickly with my boss, telling him I was friends with this individual long before he came to town. The boss got my message. However, I always thought he maintained a certain level of concern about my relationship with that person. This is a sad indictment of small-town politics.

This can easily permeate to the day-to-day operation of your school. There are certain people that are always in “the know” and these are the same people that you do not want to annoy or anger. For if you do, it could come back and bite you squarely in the behind.

Please understand that one person can significantly upset the politics of your organization. I can attest to that. A one person change on a school board of nine elected officials can truly disrupt the entire apple cart. And yes, this one new apple can spoil the entire barrel. (See -Can the barrel spoil the apple?  10/22/21.)

So how can you navigate this minefield? I think the most important thing is to recognize that a certain political structure exists in your school or workplace. Next, I would make sure that the power players respected me. Be professional at all times. Don’t let your guard down. Be visible without being pretentious. Try not to pick sides. Stay neutral. And perhaps the most important thing I can tell you is to just keep your head down, your mouth shut, work hard and do your job. Never forget that every school district has its own set of unwritten political rules and players, so if you leave your district, you will walk into an entirely different political arena and do not forget, the environment that you are joining could be a lot worse than the one you are leaving.

Finally, remember that “you need to be a shark to swim with them.” The water is not for everyone. Good luck.