Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

Lessons from the lead dog-#3

Do you hold your staff to the “do no harm rule?”

“If you ain’t the lead dog, the scenery never changes”.  (Lewis Grizzard)

If you can’t help, at least don’t hurt.  Boy, that sounds like a real simple rule.  A rule that is easy to understand and easy to follow.  But if that is true, why does the order of things seem to break down so often?  I think one reason is simple, people do not know when they are doing harm.  And for the sake of this article, let’s agree to view harm as negatively impacting the teaching / learning process.

The lead sled dog would not allow this to happen.  Sled dogs love to run and they possess the mental attitude for this task.  They love to pull things.  They are bred for this.  The lead sled dog has the uncanny ability to use his or her senses to avoid trouble.  The lead dog can sense bad weather.  The lead dog can sense an upcoming change of direction.  The lead dog can sense predators and the lead sled dog can sense open waters or thin ice.  They are remarkable workers.  They love their jobs.  Perhaps, more importantly, the lead dog, by virtue of his or her knowledge and experience will hold the other dogs accountable. Perhaps more importantly, they will never hurt the team.

Now let’s re-write the paragraph above substituting principal or organizational leader for the lead dog.  Teachers should love to teach and they have been taught how to do this.  They should come to the table with the right frame of mind for this work.  Some will argue, that teachers are born, not made. Personally, I believe it is some combination of nature and nurture.  Perhaps working hard with a good attitude is part of one’s DNA.  The principal (lead dog) should be able to sense trouble.  The principal better be able to see the predators coming.  And yes principals, there are predators for you around every corner.  The principal must be able to sense when he or she is going on to thin ice.  You get my point. And teachers and members of your staff can never do any harm to the team.

Now let’s get to the meat of this article.  Lead sled dogs hold other dogs accountable, in part, by his or her effort and attitude.  DO YOU HOLD YOUR STAFF ACCOUNTABLE?  For some reason, I think if you are honest, you will answer that question by saying you hold people accountable some of the time or perhaps it may depend on who you need to hold accountable. 

And if that is your answer, you are mixing up a recipe for disaster.  It may have taken us a long way to get back to the question of the day.  By you failing to hold people accountable, you are clearly violating any “do no harm” rule.  Let’s face it, you know what person, through their actions or inactions harm students.  It could be in the manner in which he or she teaches his or her class, controls his or her class, unfairly disciplines students, the manner in which he or she talks to students (or yells at students) or his or her overall lack of effort.

You as the lead dog can do something about it.  But do you?  Ah, now that is the question.  Think about it and then lead like you are supposed to.  And if you don’t, I guarantee that you will encounter rough weather around the next corner.