Recently, I had a conversation with a superintendent who serves in one of the toughest situations I have ever observed. He is amazing to me. I always find him calm and resilient, beyond what anyone would expect.
My question for him was how he does it? How does he seem steady and able to manage with grace the ongoing adversity that he faces, month after month? His answer was compelling and was confirmed through a recent post I read by Sean Covey (Stephen Covey’s son).
The superintendent indicated his secret was that he operates from the middle. In essence, regardless of whether there is something to be celebrated, or a negative challenge, he meets each of these situations in the middle. In other words, he does not let his emotions take him to great heights, nor extreme lows, but meets all situations in the middle and thus maintains a calm, stable, leadership approach.
Sean Covey confirmed the wisdom of this approach in a recent social media post through citing an excerpt from a Rudyard Kipling poem titled “If.” In the poem Kipling writes “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster AND treat those impostors just the same… Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it…
Covey goes on to describe that his nephew, Britain Covey, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, has had to embrace this message. Britain experienced an injury early in the season and did not make the active roster, rather he was relegated to the practice squad. In week two of the regular season he was promoted to the active roster and served as the punt returner, but fumbled the ball and was the subject of scorn by the Philly fan base. A few weeks later, he now ranks #2 in the NFL for punt returns.
How does he do it? In Covey’s words, “Britain never gets too down when things are bad or too high when things are good. He is steady, as described in the poem.”
What leadership lessons can we learn from this concept of operating from the middle as leaders? Here are a few ideas:
Balancing Success and Failure: Leaders often experience both successes and setbacks. By not letting these define them, leaders can stay focused on the bigger picture. Celebrate successes but keep striving for improvement and learn from failures without losing confidence.
Self-Care: It is important to recognize that this approach does not mean suppressing emotions; it means managing them in a healthy way. Leaders should practice self-care to maintain their emotional well-being, which, in turn, allows them to lead effectively from the middle.
Emotional Resilience: Operating from the middle is a strategy for emotional resilience. It is about not letting your emotions sway too far in either direction. In leadership, this is essential because extreme highs and lows can cloud judgment and hinder decision-making.
So, to be our best we need to operate with moderation and composure. As a superintendent there is often much to celebrate and much to lament. Enjoy the successes, but do not let them define you, rather see them as positive milestones along your journey. Alternatively, do not let negative situations consume your confidence as a leader. Operate from the middle, anchor yourself and maintain your path. Clearly this is easier said than done as the superintendency is a job that often takes more than we give it, but in today’s challenging times it is a necessary recipe for survival.
Please place your thoughts and ideas on this topic in the comment section below. Remember that we all benefit when we share and learn from each other.
Good words. Well said Howard.
Thanks, Cal! We all know how difficult this work is and maintaining focus is always a challenge. You were an expert in this regard and an inspiration to many throughout your career.
These are thoughtful and meaningful words. Like professional football players, superintendents sometimes may feel like our perceived success is a function of the last major event, or “play.” This is a reminder that we must steadily keep moving and remain focused on the end zone, which is our mission of advancing student success. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for this example, Manny! Yes, I agree that we must remain focused on the end zone, which can be difficult to do in the busyness of the superintendency.
John Maxwell says a leader must determine whether they are running toward the fire with a bucket of water or gasoline.
I find knowing that I’m going to approach fires with water, makes me take that breath and approach things calmly.
Great advice, Kathy. John Maxwell is one of my favorite leadership gurus and I think this quote will be helpful to many!