Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

Message from the Lead Dog Principal #11

Does winning cure everything?

It sure does. For the sake of our discussion today, let’s substitute the word “success” for winning. You can draw your own parallels. If you read my work, you already know my affinity for sport metaphors. Today will be no different.

Try to visualize the locker room of a losing team where every week the team looks forward to merely chalking up another loss. People within that locker room count the days until the season is over. Every little ripple inside the locker room becomes a public catastrophe. Players quickly blame one another. The players who are incapable of bonding over any issue now seem to bond in the negative criticism of their coaches. Players question everything. Plays do not work because they are just ineffective. Players tend to easily forget about their own role in poorly executing the plays. Players quit. They either quit on themselves with a lack of effort or they actually physically quit. Injuries become more significant than they really are and some injuries are just made up. Players fight over every minor issue. Eventually, these oral disagreements become actual physical fights. Boys will be boys, right?

Does my portrait of this dysfunctional locker room look familiar? Does the picture painted look like your school or organization? If is does, you are doomed. And if your organization is like a professional or college football team, pack your bags because you, as the head coach, will be soon fired. Like it or not, you will accept all the blame and you will be the one seeking a new job. You can’t fire all the players, can you? And maybe when the school looks like that dysfunctional locker room, they should fire the principal. However, we just do not think that way.

Losing breeds more losing. On a losing team, minor issues become big issues. Apply this same principle to your school. Failure breeds more failure. Figure out a way to get that first win, that first success. And when you do, build upon it. You must build upon each small win.

Get your team chemistry right. You may have to get rid of someone, or several “someones.” That will send a message. Losing cannot be tolerated. Cultivate that sense of urgency to get a win, no matter how small it might be.

Your staff must believe that you, as the principal, can get the team to the promised land. Are you that person? Can you be that person?