“Leadership isn’t a difference maker; it is the difference maker.” – Tim Kight

Leaders inspire people and energize teams to do things they wouldn’t do on their own. It is the leader who creates the culture and models the behavior required to get the desired results. Leaders are willing to make tough decisions and welcome accountability for their actions.

Covid-19 has challenged our culture; it has tested many leaders. This crisis requires more than management; it demands empathy, humility, and reflection. Covid has exposed some leaders and revealed some culture gaps. In crisis mode, we resort to our training and our core values. If the desire to lead isn’t happening in you, it can’t happen through you. Leaders want to lead.

Tim reminds me, “your culture is what leads when no one is watching.” What are people saying to their friends? How do we act when working from home? I aim to be consistent, true to my inner core and make disciplined-driven decisions. It’s easy to get caught-up in either fear-mongering or covid-denial. It’s natural for emotions to drive default-driven actions.

In the end, it’s not about me; it’s about our students. It’s my responsibility to exude calm and disciplined direction. Our district will perform at the level of my leadership. Leaders respond to the everyday challenge of leadership.