What do you do if you encounter resistance from your team during an educational leadership interview?

When listening to resistance on the team, follow these tips: 1. Empathize: Try to understand the perspective of your team members to understand the root cause of their resistance. 2. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Follow up and ask for more info. 3. Acknowledge Feelings: Even if you don't agree, name and validate feelings to let them know they've been heard. 4. Avoid Defensive Responses: It's natural to want to defend your position when faced with resistance, but this can often escalate the situation. 5. Provide Clear Information: Sometimes, resistance is due to a lack of understanding or misinformation. Ensure that your team members have all the necessary information to understand the situation.

Involving my team in the decision-making process has been a powerful strategy in overcoming resistance. By actively seeking their ideas and solutions, I not only show that I value their contributions but also foster a sense of ownership over the outcomes. When individuals feel included and heard, they are more likely to support changes and become advocates rather than adversaries. This approach not only strengthens teamwork but also leads to more successful and sustainable results.

I’ve never experienced this scenario because I’ve been fortunate or careful enough to have only professionals on board who realize we are representing our school or district and the ramifications of being misaligned in the wrong setting. But should that happen I would probably hear flip the script! I’d recognize the member’s input, stop that line of questioning, move to the next question, and then come back to it later. Respecting every person in that meeting by avoiding unnecessary distractions, and not confusing the process, candidate or team, while subtly and thoughtfully giving that team member a chance to exit a misstep, shows leadership, compassion, and flexibility. I’d be happy to work in that dynamic and so might the candidate.