Gordon Livingston writes in Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart: “Good intentions aren’t a substitute for good acts.” But how do you move from good intentions to good actions?
Part of it is respecting process, understanding the human condition and the complexities of change
Change is an unsettling and difficult experience. And, the older you get, the harder it is. For many, change is threatening. We love our routines; we are creatures of habit.
“Change takes time,” said Dr. John E. Ingram, affiliate associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of MissourinSt. Louis. “Change is a process, not an event.”
Ingram said too many leaders go into new situations insufficiently mindful of company culture. Corporate turnaround artists such as Chainsaw Al Dunlap, the former chief executive of the now-bankrupt Sunbeam Corporation, come to mind. Rather than take the time to learn the company culture n its history and customs, its strengths and weaknesses n Chainsaw Al would slash staff and close operations, then boast about saving millions of dollars.
Ingram, former associate superintendent for elementary, middle and secondary education and later associate superintendent for professional development of St. Louis Public Schools, teaches a course at UMSL called “Organizational Change in Education.” He also mentors principals and aspiring principals, coaching them how best to lead a school.
He said when principals go into a new setting, they should first “get a read on the prevailing culture.” However, they should not sacrifice “teaching and learning.”
“Students are not a typical product,” Ingram said. “It’s not a tire or a shirt.”
Change also involves building relationships and consensus, particularly with influencing major constituents. In a school setting, they are your teachers, staff, students and parents.
Change calls for having the courage of convictions. Ingram said at one school a 14-year-old male student became verbally abusive to teachers and staff. Instead of throwing the rulebook at him and putting the kid out of school, the principal and others worked with the student.
They knew the parents were deeply concerned. They understood that males, in particular, face daunting challenges as teens and could easily go down a path of delinquency, crime and incarceration.
“Sometimes you have to break the rules to effect change,” Ingram said. “But, first, you must know the rules.”
Malaika Horne, Ph.D., is director of the Executive Leadership Institute in the College of Business Administration at UMSL.