Your Move Chief.

From Sinek to Socrates, Gardner to Gandhi, leaders in the field of learning have long been adored for their vision, for their thinking, for their ideas – for their ability to challenge a concept, and use evidence to advance their position on it – so that others may contemplate the relevance of it to their work, and make meaning.

I roll my eyes at LinkedIn most days, as it teeters on the precipice of becoming more Facebook than facilitator of fraternities, more personal stories than professional strategies – yet I remain loyal, for on the odd occasion there is a gem, someone who authentically provides insight into what real leadership is.

That being, an understanding of self.

Like we grow into ourselves, we grow into our roles – yet many of us adopt the pretence that we know it all from the outset – these leaders will at some point unravel, so heavy is the burden of expectation, so lost they will become in the work, in buying into the latest fad to make them a better leader.

We try to pile so many learnings, readings, ideas, innovations into our minds, so that we may drive our schools to success, yet what we fail to do, is take stock of the single most important factor that will determine that success.

Understanding self.

I was reminded as I sat on our old school bench, with our visiting Head, Archarya Lama Karma Sangbo, that leadership is not about the loudest voice, the longest tenure, or the largest ego. ?

“Lucy”, he said, “leadership is not about the school, the school will be better for the service you give it, if you understand what kind of leader you are. To do this, you need to really know yourself, what makes you strong and weak, vulnerable, and virtuous.? If you do not spend time on self, the school will only suffer.”

Understanding self.

I was reminded in this moment; of a bench I had sat on alone many years ago in Boston, the one made famous in Good Will Hunting.

I smiled. Sense made.

The chaos around us as leaders, the calamity of leading in the climates which we do, will calm if we step confidentially into ourselves, by removing the sounds around us, and spending time getting to know who we are as a person (this in fact, will take our lifetime) but begins with time spent in solitude, drowning out the superficial marketplaces trying to sell us our identities.

No mask. No magic. No misinformation.

Simply our fallible, vulnerable selves.

And knowing that we are, and having others hold a mirror up to both – serves only to make us stronger in that self, and that can only strengthen the schools we are so privileged to lead.

As I walked away, I smiled – remembering the powerful last words remarked on the now famous bench – Your move Chief.

And so it is.

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