October 1, 2021

The Longer Game

This issue of Ahead in the Count contains the central content for a series of presentations I'm doing for the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States. It's a call for heads to set conservative horizons for systemic, all-school projects in response to depleted human capital. This approach represents a significant shift in leadership mode for heads who were forced for 18 months into rapid decision-making that often felt unilateral, and for teachers who were forced to innovate at COVID-point. This fall, heads have the opportunity to set their own pace, through planning and through some rein-pulling with overeager boards and faculty. It's a prescription for playing the long game, not stalling, or turtling, but establishing timelines that reflect the greater importance of regaining the human equilibrium that lies at the heart of our schools' success.