Traits of successful school superintendents
The superintendent of a school district sets the direction and tone of a school district, while responding to the often conflicting philosophy, values, views and demands of the school board and community. To a large extent the superintendent manages the school board.
Why is it that our democratic republic appears to thirst for leaders at all levels, including the school district? It may be because a leader is expected to “represent” in our republic.
When I ask people to come to the school board meeting and have their views be known, they say, “Hey Rajcic, that is why we elected you to represent us.” I do my best to not only represent those who voted for me but the community at large. I proudly represent the employees and above all the students.
Teaching is and should be a most honored profession. There is little I prefer doing in the twilight years of my life than to help a teacher make a positive difference in the education of students. Education is growth and an end in itself.
Leadership is an elusive concept to define. My view is that of Lao Tzu, 6th Century BC, who admired humility and religious piety. Tzu said “a leader is best when people barely know he (she) exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: ‘we did it ourselves.’” That was the leadership style of Superintendent Harold Kibby, who was at the Orange Unified School District forever. Kibby appeared to be a non-entity, in the background. People would say, “what the heck does Kibby do?” They did not know his first name.
Kibby was a patient listener. He seemed to use a pause and silence as a form of communication. It had a great impact and he added “silence” to a definition of communication. The entire staff seemed to do their own thing.
Kibby knew the secret of communications is to hear what is not said. Some did not relish what they called “Kibby’s stall and delaying action,” but things always appeared to work out in Kibby’s favor and invariably it was the right thing. There were many on and off his staff who knew they could do a better job than he. I think not.
Claire Hall, superintendent of the Ocean View Elementary School District, was super-smart. He had tons of charisma. He was in charge. He personally conducted the school board meetings and managed a divergent thinking bright school board. If the board was not discerning, he would have had a management problem. Every agenda item concluded, “the superintendent recommends...” The board accepted his recommendations.
This is not to say the board was a rubber stamp. They argued many issues. Hall had that vision thing. The board accepted his reasoning and could readily separate the chaff from the wheat. Huntington Beach basically had three school districts, Ocean View being one of them. Before Hall, Ocean View teachers had little pride in their school district. If asked where they taught, they would respond, “Huntington Beach.” During and after Hall’s reign, teachers proudly replied, “Ocean View.”
Hall was the ultimate communicator, sort of a one-way communicator — his way. People were eager to be in his presence. He was not the best listener and invariably appeared to have the best ideas. He took risks. Urgency seemed to be ever present. He made people feel good about themselves and they saw themselves as being on Claire’s Team. People just seemed to respond favorably to his direction and suggestions. He advanced to the State Department of Education and was smothered in the state’s bureaucracy that was not risk prone. His creativity and ability to innovate, his strong suit, were largely stifled.
A. Stanley “Stan” Corey was superintendent of the Irvine Unified School District for 15 years. He was very intelligent. He was a philosopher king. He saw the “action” as being in the classroom. He said, “Outrageous expectations must be the standard for all students. Beware of conformity. Conformity leads to mediocrity. Mediocrity leads to regression to the mean and therein lies the great abyss.”
Stan knew how to use people, in a positive sense, to work towards goal attainment. A principal or anyone would walk into his office or confront him when he was not in the office with a concern or problem. Stan invariably would answer a question or concern with a question, “What do you think?” or “I am not sure (even if he was). What would you do or have done?” When people left his presence, they solved their own problems. He said, “I do not know,” often.
Stan was the ultimate listener and communicator. He was a risk taker. He surrounded himself with action-oriented people who did not think alike or even like each other. He was a doer. He did not run to an attorney for advice. When questions arose he looked at the Education Code as an enabler, not disabler. Today, Irvine is one of the best school districts in the nation.
What skills or characteristics do successful superintendents have? Volumes of surveys and research indicate the successful superintendents have effective communication skills, which are a requisite for success. Effective communication with employees, the school board and the community at large undergirds everything. Looking back at my experience, the most successful superintendents effectively managed the school board. When communication broke down between the board and the superintendent, in a year or two the superintendent was in another school district.
There is an old adage that says, “School boards do not fire the superintendent. Teachers do.” There is a difference in management and leadership. Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right thing.
The superintendent’s role is not primarily cerebral. Often it is instinctive and symbolic. The Ramona superintendent has to be visible. He/she has less need to think deeply than to choose wisely between often conflicting options while inspiring confidence.
The Ramona superintendent should see conflict as an opportunity for needed change. The superintendent, where one of his/her principles come in conflict with another principle, may have to yield. Integrity is very important, but the truth will be shaded at times.
The superintendent’s staff should/must be cerebral and not kowtow to the superintendent. To know that you do not know is best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease.
The staff should usually let the worst be known so the best can become of it. The staff protects the superintendent’s flanks and is the spear catcher. This enables the superintendent to take risks to do the right thing .
The Ramona school district does not need four superintendents. Today school administration is over-specialized. Schools are over-administered and this stifles discretion and the freedom of the principal and teacher to do the right thing at the right time at times. Schools are inundated with rules and policies that do more harm than good.
The effective superintendents have the characteristics of the accomplished salesmen/women. We are all salesman. Is sales a natural ability or is one trained to be a salesman? Selling, like teaching or leading, is an art forum sprinkled with science. Some people have it to a greater degree than others. There are the naturals.
Harvard researched the question, what are the characteristics of the most successful salesmen? The conclusion was that successful salespeople had two character traits that stood out. One was ego and the other empathy. This is true of the most accomplished superintendents. Selling, leading and teaching are art forms. There is a lot of science in art.
John Rajcic, a Ramona school board member, stresses that this is his opinion as an individual and he is not representing the board.