The school year is over for some in the U.S. and not far off for others, so now is a good time to reflect on what you can do to rejuvenate your leadership this summer. Today, I want to throw out a few ideas which you may or may not have considered. I am not talking about taking a vacation, finding more time to golf, or spending time with the family (all great ideas!), but rather providing thoughts for individual self-renewal as a leader.
I am proposing three specific ideas, with clear recommendations, which I believe will help you “re-center” yourself over the summer. My hope is that you will try at least one of these suggestions, although pursuing all three would be great.
The first idea to consider is to take time to listen to a leadership podcast (recommendations to follow). The podcasts I am recommending are not focused on K-12 education, but leadership in general. I find that listening to these podcasts expands my thinking and helps me to explore leadership solutions from a different perspective. Each option focuses on hearing from successful leaders in other fields who discuss situational challenges.
Recommended Leadership Podcasts:
Wisdom from the Top by Guy Raz – In this NPR-based podcast Guy interviews leaders from various industries. He explores how they have managed various challenges in their career and delves into the solutions they pursued.
Corporate Competitor Podcast by Don Yeager – The concept behind this podcast is that many leaders were, in part, shaped by the athletic experiences from their youth. Don discovers with interviewees the lessons they have learned, and although sports is an underlying theme, the real focus is leadership principles which all will learn from and enjoy.
The second idea is to reflect upon your leadership through reading. Although your schedule will be very busy during the summer, carving out time for reading can be rejuvenating. Here are two reads, by the same author, which are both engaging and filled with leadership lessons.
Recommended Leadership Reads:
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin – In this book Doris reviews the “political genius of Abraham Lincoln.” She takes you from his youth through his final days as president. I was amazed to learn how deftly he handled personalities within his cabinet and how rather than surrounding himself with those he could trust, he opted for the country’s best and brightest. Clearly not how most of us would have operated, but a decision which helped win the Civil War.
Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin – The book highlights how four presidents (Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and Lyndon Johnson) led the nation though challenging times in our history. Each experienced unique situations and we can learn from both their successes and mistakes. Coming out of the past two years of the pandemic you might find this book especially helpful in your leadership journey.
The third and final idea is to set aside quiet time to write. Personally, I find writing cathartic. It allows me to dig into challenges which I have not fully explored. I am a reflective person and need time to think through and process issues. Writing out my thoughts helps me to refine and bring clarity to my thinking.
Some find it helpful to maintain a journal, while others author articles or blog. Regardless of the process you follow, writing can be a helpful way to reflect, process and refine. I encourage you to try it.
As I stated at the beginning, I hope that you will try one or all three of these ideas this summer. In my experience each is rejuvenating in its own way and helpful for me as a leader. All leaders desire to become better at what they do. Leadership is situational and therefore one’s toolbox must have multiple instruments to address the challenge at hand. I believe that podcasts, reading, and writing can provide you with the tools you need and serve to rejuvenate you as a leader in preparation for the school year to come.
I hope these suggestions are helpful. Please take a moment to enter in the comments section below any podcasts, books or writing techniques which you use to rejuvenate. As always, we all gain when we share and learn from each other.