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While it has never been easy to lead a school or nonprofit organization, it is harder now than ever before. We are currently facing, or recovering from, the COVID-19 pandemic, the unsettling and resetting of society after George Floyd’s murder, and now October 7, the loss of unity in our polarized society, gun violence, the rise of AI, deep fakes and misinformation, the human and societal toll around refugees and border issues. And here comes the next hurricane, drought, heat wave, deep freeze, or atmospheric river headed your way. (I could list ten more, and they trouble me just as much.)
Most leaders aren’t experts in these topics, but those they lead are demanding, more and more, that they take a stand of some sort around the hottest topics of the day. There are times when a stand is unquestionably needed, even though it may inevitably mean lost support from those in opposition or intolerant of opinions other than their own. Thoughtful, well-meaning attempts by leaders can often be branded as “too little,” “too much,” or “wrong” by these community members. A lot of people haven’t outgrown the narcissism behind the belief that their idea is the only right idea.
I watch this tension unfold for the candidates and organizations I support in my work, wondering if we can help make progress as we place leaders into new roles. I learn more as I ask leaders how they have addressed challenges.
So, as a start, I attempt to:
- Focus communities, through presentations and questions I ask on surveys, on how they can support their incoming leader. Starting with this rather than immediately diving into what an organization seeks in its next leader can set a useful tone.
- Promote forgiveness when leaders make, or have made, forgivable mistakes. A good leader is often stronger after a mistake, thanks to the lessons learned.
- Educate about the universality of the problems faced by organizations. When a community knows that most other similar communities are struggling with the same issues, they are less prone to attribute problems solely to their leaders.
- Elevate mission when tensions arise: “What does an organization with our mission need to do amidst this challenge?” Successfully framing things around a mission encourages anxious or angry community members to step back and assess whether they believe in the overall mission rather than whether they agree with a particular decision or stance. And if “caring for others” is part of the mission, it is pretty hard to argue against it.
- Encourage a reset in communities unkind to their previous leaders. When I hear things like, “We could have done better” or “We might have been the problem” it gives me hope.
- Urge optimism in leaders who have endured “slings and arrows” as they courageously attempted to hold their previous communities together in tough times but were subsequently let go. A fresh start in a new community often works.
Wise communities find a way to appoint thoughtful and sensible leaders to their boards, people with a sense of perspective and a generosity of spirit. Wise communities are patient—and though they can’t control less-sensible community members or external threats, they can find leaders who will do their best for those they serve. I once read that schools and organizations can be better than their communities, but not much better, and not for long. I think about this while assisting clients, hearing about their challenges, and meeting leaders willing to take on these challenges.
To paraphrase the first president I knew as a child, “Ask not what your school/organization can do for you; ask what you can do for your school/organization.” I think we can make things better.
