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Leadership Part III: What do you wish you knew more about when you started?

Heads of schools who began tenures in July 2008 shared their responses to the question below. 

What do you wish you knew more about when you started?

 

• I think finance is so crucial and law. I had a good foundation but having more formal education in these areas beyond a school law class and school finance would have helped.

• In spite of the fact that my former head of school did EVERYTHING in her power to let me see what being a school head was like, I was still not prepared for the scope of the job. The hardest thing has been recognizing that the job is so big that there's really not any way to do it all. I also was not prepared for the fact that there were more things to be "fixed" than initially came through in the interview and transition process. I had to make a major personnel decision that I did not anticipate; this had tremendous implications in that it took a major part of my focus for a period of several months. This personnel issue was in the business office, which meant I couldn't focus as much as I would have liked on the academic program. This was a surprise to me, and not one I welcomed. So I think the lesson here is that no matter how prepared you feel going in, there will be surprises. You must expect that, not read it as a failure on your part, and do what you must to equip yourself to deal with those surprises both from a strategic perspective and from an emotional one.

• Assessment tools for lower grade students.

• I thought I knew more than I did about managing change in schools. That's my current personal research topic - which I pursue in all my spare time! 
  

• Adult psychology and the unique forum for psychic agendas that play out in the head's office. The importance of focusing on adaptive versus technical tasks. How to delegate more effectively earlier on - to get your work done through other people

• Unless a Head has training in finance, accounting, etc., I think it can be intimidating, particularly when speaking with Board members, many of whom work in the financial world. It took me a good two years to be able to speak and understand the language. Early on, as the Head, I could articulate it in my own terms, but had to learn to translate it into theirs. Also, never forget there is a difference between leadership and authority and an even bigger difference between leadership and management - lead people, manage things.

• How impossibly hard it is...I always worked very hard...but the expectations on Heads is unbelievable as well as what you yourself see as needed.

• I knew a lot about the "stuff" of leading schools because I had been an administrator for quite some time and was given meaningful work to do. I suppose everyone feels that she/he could be more well-versed in bond financing and financial planning, but the fact is that the math is pretty simple, and what you really need to know is what your school's mission is and what questions to ask. What I wish I knew more about is how to manage stress effectively, how to say no sooner rather than later, and how to take care of myself! Systems of self-care have to be well in place in order to survive and thrive.

• Maybe a little bit more knowledge of business and financials. However, the worst heads I have known are those who are "businessmen first. Ability to work effectively with people trumps knowledge of business every time.

• Nothing in particular. Running a school is unlike any other school job, and one must experience it to understand that. I am amused by those who tell me how well they understand what I do. Anyone (other than a head of school) who tells you what it will be like, or what you should be prepared for, is a fool.

• I wish I knew more about enrollment and tuition management.  Financial Assistance, especially in this economy, has been difficult to manage. While I feel pretty comfortable with operating a budget, I understand from some of my fellow first-time school heads that the budgetary process is tough.

 

• Easy question!  Finance/Budgeting and Construction! I find that many leaders shield henchmen from the budgeting process - thus, the new Turks don't have the deeper understanding of the issues. Most educators don't learn much about construction, which is what many of us end up doing!

• I did not take enough time (nor do I know if it would have been practical) to really understand the school's finances, and I have a finance background.  The other aspect, and I don't know how you really vetted this, would have been better understanding the relationship between the former head and the board/chair.

• The importance and necessary skill of managing my bosses - the Board of Trustees. Be patient - let ideas perk a while!

• The simple fact that I would have NO time during the day to reflect on anything, since I have people coming at me all day long with fires to put out. I wish that I had had more time dealing with difficult parents, simply to get accustomed to their difficult and unreasonable demands. I was unaccustomed to financial difficulties, so I have had to become much more conservative with my habits and hopes. Basically, it is less about what I did not know, since I was blessed with being part of so many major decisions, but it simply came down to even more experience in some areas, even after 20 years.

• Experience working with Boards and experience having difficult conversations with students, parents, trustees, and donors. Having been in situations that required acceptance of ambiguity and uncertainty. Being accustomed to copious amounts of reading, and writing, writing, writing.

• I wish I had more experience dealing with the Board of Trustees specifically best practices of good governance. Also, I wish I had more experience dealing with contract negotiations, building and grounds, and investment. 

• I wish I knew more about marketing and branding theory. My school has been around for 50 years, doing great work, but it is little known. Its learning strategies and outdoor programs are world class...they add value to each student. In today's environment, we cannot afford to loose time and financial resources with a "throw it out there and hope it sticks" plan. I want to know that our marketing and branding approach adds value!

• I do not come from a financial background, so I had a lot to learn in terms of budgets, but having a confident, dependable, and trustworthy business manager made it particularly smooth.

• In this particular year, the finance learning curve was steep and I suspect that will be a desired skill in head candidates for a few years anyways. More than usual, I bet. A deeper understanding of the major variables that build an operating budget would give candidates who are "school" people a leg up on others who do not have that sense. A good sense of the advancement/development need helps, too. Asking for money isn't as easy as one might think.

• I wish that I had a better handle of the business operations and setting up budgets. The other feature would be learning more about Board operations, politics and orientation.

• The one area in which I have not worked is college placement. This is, of course, a big part of our schools. I am spending more and more time in this area.
  

• Finances, and the relationship between board and head. While I am blessed with an active, appreciative board, the relationship with them is still, even now, one year in, confusing. The board is my "boss," yet I have significant responsibility for selecting the members and leading them. It remains a paradox.

• Even though I was privy to Board meetings and committees, I would like to have had more experience in finance and development.

• Finances. I am generally comfortable with the basics of finance but it becomes a lot more complicated when you need to think strategically in tough economic times.

• Development has been my blind spot. I enjoy talking to alums, parents, and trustees but the "ask" administration, planning, data entry, etc. are topics with which I had no experience. This week I made six calls with our consultant. I feel fledged and now confident about the "ask". I will become more proficient this year.

• Dealing with a Board of Trustees; practices of good governance; how to defuse aggressive parents.

• Working with the board, more education (Aspiring Heads) about the culture of change in schools.  We did receive Evans book but.....

• Unquestionably, the most difficult adjustment for me has been working with a Board of Trustees this first year. Not that the experience has been bad, but simply adjusting to the information requests, the managing of the board, ... has been interesting. The physical act of writing to board members or picking up the phone is most time consuming and, given the needs of other on campus leaders, faculty, it often gets put on the back burner (to the ultimate chagrin of the Board)! So, in response to your question, I wish I had more knowledge about working with and upwardly managing a Board of Trustees and their expectations. To my benefit, our current Chairman has done a great job of keeping all BOT members at the "40,000 foot level" and focusing on governance, not management of the school.

• It would have been beneficial to have a stronger background in finance. This has been the steepest learning curve for me, but one that has been supported through mentoring relationships and a strong head of finance committee on my Board.

• The need to find time and space in order to make better decisions.

• How to read a board!

What are your thoughts? Comment below!