Do you ever feel like you want to quit your job? Do you find yourself daydreaming of days that do not involve challenges with the boys' bathroom, unrealistic parent expectations, financial pressures, or 6-7 other ways that seem to make leading a school more difficult than it should be? We have probably all been there. But there is hope!
My first question was maybe a little dramatic (still realistic) but I could have just as easily asked you more positive questions of how your leadership journey is going. For instance, how do you know you are spending time and energy on the right things? What evidence do you have that you are achieving the vision? How do you decide (and with whom) what is most important; and what is most important right now? How do you get renewed and filled up so that you can continue pouring into the lives of those around you? Those are good questions to ask yourself from time to time. The answers will be somewhat situational to the DNA of your school, but I would like to encourage you with a few throughlines on how to know if you are on the right track or not.
Let’s look at Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem for some truth about leadership:
There’s conviction - Nehemiah 1:4: “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” Do you have a conviction about what ought to happen at your school?
There’s courage - Nehemiah 2:2b-3a: “I was very much afraid, but I said to the king…” We all have fears about doing what we know we need to do, but leaders have to risk “talking to the king”. For Nehemiah, talking to the king (risking his life) opened up the opportunity to rebuild the wall. Are you willing to take a risk?
There’s strategy - Nehemiah 2:15 to Nehemiah 3: “So I went up the valley by night, examining the wall…then the rebuilding process.” When you are trying to “build” school culture, programming, staff skills, etc. leaders need to survey the situation their school is in, perhaps even in the cover of night, to make assessments on the current reality. Once the current reality is clearly acknowledged, then you can strategize and execute in order to improve upon it. Do you know where your school is struggling right now? Do you have a strategy to change that reality?
There’s opposition - Nehemiah 4b: “…they (the men) were very angry. They all plotted together…and to stir up trouble.” It may seem like a weird point of validation but when you are trying to build something there will be opposition. Try to view opposition as an opportunity for you to gain clarity and then project clarity. In the same breath, there are times where you will need to build with one hand and defend with the other. How do you respond when opposed?
There’s progress - Nehemiah 6:15: “So the wall was completed…in 52 days.” It took time to rebuild the wall, but there was consistent progress and then completion! Even through the ongoing challenges the wall was still rebuilt. Are you making progress, even with some setbacks, towards your goals within your school?
There’s joy - Nehemiah 8:10: “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those that have nothing prepared…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” When God has allowed your school to accomplish something then share that joy with your community. Party together, celebrate, and remind them how good God is to His people! Do you have joy to share with those around you?
Some days in school leadership are hard, but do not lose heart! God has you uniquely positioned to help move your school community forward. Take some counsel from Nehemiah’s experience and apply it to your own personal leadership journey so that God can be glorified in your school!
Ken VanMinnen is the Bluewater cohort leader for Edvance, and Principal at Chatham Christian School.