A day may be a long time in politics, but not as long as a week in a school with a pandemic virus doing the rounds.
There’s a lot happening right now, and you as a leader, are right in the middle.
. . .
The adrenaline junkies among us are probably feeling excited, those with imagination feeling nervous, and everyone wondering just what the next day will bring.
So how do you lead?
With support is my recommendation.
The really big calls will be made by the Government and filtered to you through the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education. As a good public servant, you will follow the plan. So relax and be thankful that you’re not Jacinda right now.
The middle tier stuff – things like how much to tell your community and how often, or whether to run that camp, should be done together with your Board. There’s a need to ensure management (you!) and governance are seen to be working together – a united front is a confident front. Ring your Board Chair, listen to their opinion and together be visible to your community.
The smaller things such as planning a possible programme for students at home, are best done with your team at school. Re-purpose a staff meeting and nut things out together. (Just keep it simple though!)
At a time like this, your community is looking for strong leadership and you can best provide that by sharing the decision making with others, then fronting the plan with the groups effected.
You’ve got this!
Dave