Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

The dark side-What might Yoda say? (#9)

Jealousy leads to resentment; resentment leads to hate.  Pride leads to anger; anger leads to hate.  Always to the same place the dark side leads.

People on the dark side are just full of anger and hate.

Why can’t we celebrate each other’s success?

Generally, I think that we have a hard time celebrating each other’s professional success.  I find that odd, because educators have shown to be generally supportive of each other’s personal triumphs.  Teachers are quick to provide accolades for birthdays, marriage and births.  I have found that in some schools, teachers cannot celebrate these things enough.  And I think that is a good thing (for the most part). It builds that positive culture and climate that I have consistently written about.  And as you know by now, a positive culture and climate may just about be the two most important things in a school.  Everything, both good and bad, builds off of the foundational culture and climate of the school.

However, when a professional accomplishment occurs, it is seldom celebrated and sometimes ridiculed or mocked behind that teacher’s back. The bold staff members, who populate the dark side, will be brazen enough to scoff at you to your face.  And rarely if ever, someone on the light side of the Force will stand up to these hurtful bullies. I know that I have been asked by staff members not to publicly praise them.  It embarrasses them to their peers.  I am convinced that this embarrassment by one’s peers prevents people from going the extra mile.

I know from experience that most (that is right I said most) teachers are reticent to present to their peers.  They are literally afraid to get up and speak in front of them. People would regularly approach me and ask to leave the district for a professional development opportunity.  They came to see me with all of their forms properly filled out.  When I would seemingly like what they were proposing, I would enthusiastically embrace their request.  Everyone was happy.  Happy that is until I told them that I expected them to share with the faculty at the next meeting what they learned.  At the dropping of that bombshell, most withdrew their request.  Isn’t that sad.

What does that say about culture?  Not much! Perhaps the most important thing that determines the toxicity of a culture is how we acknowledge and celebrate professional accomplishments of our peers. 

This behavior stifles excellence.  It stifles professional growth.  And probably worst of all, it kills the spirit of those that are enthused about what they are doing. This behavior also nourishes those on the dark side. And always remember that our goal must be to disempower or eliminate the existence of the dark side. Let’s do the right thing as a profession and commit to abolishing this type of behavior.  I know that we can do it!