This goes out to all my fellow Superintendents and Principles out there who are trying to lead a school district during a pandemic. Trying to navigate the unchartered waters of managing COVID, which has turned extremely political, has put us in position to make numerous difficult decisions that will inevitably invite harsh criticism.
Since March 13 I have constantly referred to one of my favorite quotes by Theodore Roosevelt titled “Man in the Arena”, which I want to share with my fellow leaders now.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat.”
I have this saying hanging in my office on the wall opposite of my desk to remind me during the hard times that criticism is what comes with leadership, and although I feel all alone, I am actually a part of a great fraternity of individuals who had the courage to lead.
My college football coach, when times got tough or we faced adversity, would say to us “The tough is what makes it great.” So to all me fellow educational leaders out there I say keep fighting the good fight. Keep daring. Keep striving valiantly. During this season it’s going to suck. It’s going to be hard. But in the end you will get to experience the satisfaction and fulfillment of making it through, of leading your people through this, and that will makes it all worth it.
It always comes back to leadership 