How Strong Instructional Leaders Can Bring Out the Best in Educators

Great leaders and managers recognize the importance of maximizing their resources, including recruiting and retaining the right people for their organizations. In the book, First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently, authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman state, “Select a person, set expectations, motivate the person, and develop the person. These four activities are the manager’s most important responsibilities.” The authors speak to what great managers do and don’t do, including treating every employee as an individual, focusing on strengths instead of weaknesses, and finding ways to measure, count, and reward outcomes.

For instructional leaders in schools, dioceses, and districts, there are important points to consider and think about when selecting for talent, defining appropriate outcomes, focusing on strengths, and finding the right fit.

Find and Hire the Talent

The word talent is defined as “a recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied.” The emphasis is on the word “recurring.” Leaders need to pay attention to recurring patterns and habits that impact culture. Talents can be focused, recognized, and developed into performance by great managers. Hiring the right people and providing them with ongoing, differentiated opportunities for professional growth are critical.

Create a Safety Net for Growth

Establish a trial period where people can take risks and grow. Clearly define the trial period in terms of length, measurement criteria, frequency of assessment, and outcomes. This approach ensures accountability and transparency while benefiting both the organization and the employee.

Excel at Giving Feedback

Feedback tied directly to performance is critical. Provide opportunities to reflect on past practices, set future goals, and take actionable next steps. Teachers need and deserve feedback after every classroom observation to connect to their own goal-setting processes. Reflective feedback and ongoing coaching are essential for continuous improvement.

Create Heroes in Every Role

Encourage people to build expertise in their role. As Buckingham and Coffman state, “Every role, when performed at a level of excellence, is valuable.” Leaders should create meaningful performance criteria to help employees track progress and achieve world-class performance.

Focus on a Strengths-Based Approach

Building a strengths-based culture empowers individuals to try new ideas, reflect on current practices, and continuously improve. This approach fosters safety, empowerment, and reflection, creating an environment for ongoing growth.

Three Categories of Talents

• Striving: Explains the “why” of a person or their motivation.
• Thinking: Explains the “how” of a person or their decision-making process.
• Relating: Explains the “who” of a person or whom they trust and build relationships with.

“The power of skills and knowledge is that they are transferable from one person to another. In contrast, the power of talent is that it is transferable from one situation to another.” – Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

Provide Alternate Routes to Growth

Offer innovative ways to reward and recognize achievement. Allow people to discover and celebrate their existing talents while encouraging them to build expertise in their roles.

Conclusion

Strong instructional leaders understand the importance of finding and keeping talented, committed individuals. By building a strengths-based culture, creating heroes in every role, and providing ongoing feedback and growth opportunities, leaders can ensure their schools and districts thrive. For anyone in a leadership or management role, First, Break All the Rules is a must-read.