When I began my journey at Acacia University, I thought that I already had leadership figured out. I was in my third year of principalship at a Dropout Prevention and Recovery high school, and we had just earned our third consecutive Exceeds Standards rating on the Ohio School Report Card, an achievement reserved for only those schools that show student achievement, gap closing, consistent forward progress, and an adequate graduation rate. On the surface, everything pointed to success.
It was not long after learning about the importance of systems and processes that I came to a somber realization: Our success was the result of the extraordinary effort of many individuals within our school community. In other words, our success reflected more on the dedication and effort of individuals than it did on systems, or even my leadership.
I have always viewed relationships as the most integral component of team and organizational success. I believed that if I could continue to foster a positive culture and climate rooted in trust-based relationships, our success would inherently continue. What I didn’t account for was that a model built on individual effort and capacity is fragile, and even if just one person were to leave, much of what made us successful would leave with them.
That realization challenged me to make a deep, personal, transformative change. The change led me to see systems and processes not as bureaucratic formalities but rather instruments that can be used to facilitate continuous improvement through consistency and sustainability.
More importantly, I realized that building systems served as means for professional growth through collaboration and shared ownership. For example, through collaborative effort, two of our teachers helped design a new PBIS framework as well as formalize our standardized testing procedures. What resulted was not just greater efficiency but expanded leadership capacity as those teachers accepted expanded roles of Academic Coach and Dean of Students. Not only were individual leadership capacities increased, but our collective capacity as well.
When reflecting on those experiences, I am appreciative of Acacia University for challenging me to think beyond my preconceived idea of success as four components of a state report card. Success is more about sustainability than it is about outcomes. Without the tools for critical self-reflection that I gained from this program, I would have continued to view leadership as motivating individuals rather than building collective capacity; I would have continued celebrating outcomes rather than making outcomes sustainable.
What I have gained through Acacia University has not just changed the way that I lead, but how I define impact, success, and ultimately, the legacy that I leave.
