Krista M. Stith & Rachel L. Geesa; Infinite Capacity, LLC
Brian Dinkins; Center for Empowering Education, Inc.
Serving as an educational leader can be a lonely, stressful, and emotionally draining position for many. Evidence suggests that educational leaders, in times of occupational stress, perceive abandonment by superiors, alienation from school staff, burnout, and challenges of managing work-life balance including poor diet and decreased exercise (Delgado, 2016; Dor-Haim & Oplatka, 2021). DeWitt (2017) shares that “unfortunately, too many leaders feel they should know all the answers because they are leaders and have to do many of their tasks alone” (p. 30). One can imagine that these issues have been exacerbated with the global pandemic (i.e. COVID-19). Working in the silo and carrying a burden of responsibility is a public health issue that must be addressed.
A number of strategies to support leaders are suggested, such as hiring a personal coach, joining mentorships, engaging in restorative practices, finding allies within the school, and pursuing hobbies. In this article of the Community Partnership series, we also want to highlight the evidence that educational leaders who have a social network (personal relationships developed one on one over time) and/or participate in social communities (shared identity of many around a topic) with fellow educational leaders can be part of a solution toward navigating emotional health challenges.
Speaking to school leadership self-efficacy as collaborative leadership within a school, DeWitt (2017) shares that leaders have more confidence in their choices, are more proactive, and have greater job satisfaction, moral purpose, and motivation. Branching beyond the school, however, can lead to the phenomenon of collective principal efficacy where networks of educational leaders find trust in each other and continued engagement may lead to changes in personal, professional, and school practices (Lazenby et al., 2020). These practices may take place through working with other leaders of a district or collaborating with leaders beyond the district. Collective principal efficacy is the collective capacities of a cohort of leaders to confidently make decisions and take action. Mau (2020) adds, “It is important to note that collective principal efficacy is not the sum of self-efficacy of the individuals within the group. Rather, it is the confidence group members have in their group’s collective capabilities” (p. 6).
These social networks and social communities can be an excellent source of colleagues for brainstorming solutions to challenges. During a recent leadership training led by the Center for Empowering Education, administrators expressed that they believed learning about emotional intelligence would help them manage workplace demands and stress. Dr. Brian Dinkins says, "self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management skills also contribute to the development of healthy self-efficacy for leaders."
We wanted to share some community-building opportunities for educational leaders to join cohorts with other school leaders in Indiana and throughout the Midwest. Obviously known to this reader base is the Indiana Association for School Principals (https://iasp.org/) and the Indiana Association for Public School Superintendents (https://www.iapss-in.org/). What some readers may not be aware of though is that IASP is organized into 12 geographic districts and each district holds meetings (face-to-face and virtual) with elementary, middle, and high school representatives. IASP is also an affiliate of a number of organizations such as the Ed Leaders Network (https://edleadersnetwork.org/) - a professional network of leadership organizations in 13 states. The website hosts a collaborative online community with group discussions and webinars. Another example is the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute (http://indianapli.org/) which also provides professional learning events. Additionally, another helpful resource for building a community is the Indiana Educational Service Centers (https://www.r8esc.k12.in.us/education-service-centers-of-indiana) which is organized into nine regions throughout Indiana. The service centers provide a variety of professional learning opportunities including webinars, forums, coaching, book clubs, trainings/workshops, and monthly gatherings.
Though not for everyone, socially-mediated communities also can provide a community of educational leaders to collaborate with and provide personal and professional support. Twitter, LinkedIN, Facebook, Google+, are some examples that host public and private groups of educational leaders that share information and resources. However, socially-mediated communities can obviously be a risky endeavor and so cybersafety should be taken into account. Avoid situations where confidential information is leaked, reputation to the school is harmed, and there is potential victimization or discrimination.
We are excited to share with you a new group that is forming on Facebook that you are welcome to join! Through iSTEM Leaders at www.facebook.com/groups/istemleaders/, we will serve as admin/moderators in facilitating conversations, expanding networks, and sharing resources for educators and leaders. The group is for educators that support innovation, inclusiveness, and integrativeness for collective principal efficacy.
Social connections amongst leaders have evidence of serving as a powerful catalyst for personal and professional support. Through professional organizations and socially-mediated communities, educational leaders may find allies as part of a solution to the complex issues of occupational loneliness and isolation. For other ways to support one another and provide best practices to a collaborative network, please contact us at contact@infinitecapacity.com! Infinite Capacity is dedicated to inclusively fostering personal and professional growth for educators, leaders, and community partners through innovative educational practices.
References:
Delgado, C. J. (2016). The impact of occupational stress on high school assistant principals (Doctoral dissertation, Oakland University).
DeWitt, P. (2017). Many hands make light work. Principal, 97(1), 29-33. https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/DeWitt_SO17.pdf
Dor-Haim, P., & Oplatka, I. (2021). Feelings of loneliness among school principals: experiences, causes, and coping strategies. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 20(2), 261-276.
Lazenby, S., McCulla, N., & Marks, W. (2020). The further professional development of experienced principals. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1-15.
Region 8 Education Service Center (2021). Indiana Educational Service Centers https://www.r8esc.k12.in.us/education-service-centers-of-indiana
Indiana Principal Leadership Institute (2021). Indiana Principal Leadership Institute.
Mau, P. J. (2020). Impact of Minnesota Principals Academy on Principal Self Efficacy (Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota).
This article was initially published in the October 2021 edition of the Indianagram. A publication disseminated by the Indiana Association of School Principals.
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