Learning to Lead

How does one learn to lead?

This question has been on my mind over the past few days. A conversation with my Principal and a chance meeting with the former director of my School Board have me thinking about learning to lead.

As a child I listened to and watched my father in a variety of situations. When I take the time to really consider leadership and my interest in it, I think of my father. He had an entrepreneurial spirit and seemed to enjoy problem solving. He was also charismatic and had a great sense of humor. People seemed to like him. I watched him navigate all kinds of situations and even had a backstage pass to what he looked like outside of the public eye.

As I got older and entered my teens he provided me with advice regarding relationships and how the world works. When I was finishing up my Masters degree I got my first "real" job and he continued to offer me advice around leadership and relationships and how the two intersect. Sadly, he passed away before he could see me become a teacher and act as a sounding board for the journey I would experience over the last 17 years.

Since then, I have relied on the art of observation to get a better idea of what leadership is and means. Early on in my career it meant watching the leaders around me (great teachers, principals, and consultants) - listening to what they said, watched them as they dealt with people and situations, and paying attention to what came after they made a decision or helped in solving a problem.

With time came opportunities to work in different schools, participate in Board and Provincial committees/initiatives, formal leadership training, readings, and mentorship. All of which have provided me with the chance to learn - about myself, leadership, and how the two come together in an organic way to make me the leader that I am today.

The power of the internet has allowed me to observe from afar. Email, YouTube, and Twitter are examples of platforms and modes of communication that allow me to learn from people and situations that I would never be able to connect with in a face to face fashion.

So what have I learned? Connection and mindset are key ingredients to learning anything. With respect to my leadership journey, I use my experiences and make connections to the Catholic Leadership Framework in Ontario. The expectations of what leadership looks like are outlined in the framework. This leaves the ball in my court. It is up to me to seek out and/or create opportunities that will allow me to learn about and practice leadership and to connect my experiences to the expectations in the framework.

With an open, curious, and creative mindset, I am able to have some fun with the work I do and the connections I make to the framework. At the end of the day, the learning is mine so I try to make the best of it. My mindset has not always been this way. It has evolved over time and experiences - both good and bad. There is room for new knowledge and growth all around me.

This is how I am learning to lead.