Ahead in the Count

a monthly newsletter for independent school leaders

January 1, 2021

 

A New Year

 

As a head of school, one of my favorite moments of the school year was the quiet three or four days I spent at school at the end of the break, before everyone returned.  I'd typically hoard one of these days, often posting up in the library rather than my office. If I sought anyone out, it was to play a few rounds of HORSE with the kids who'd somehow gotten into the gym, or to take the maintenance guys out to lunch, in short constituents who rarely presented me with urgent, complicated demands. The fresh winds of time spent away from school somehow made it easier to sort my inbox, crank out thank you notes, clean my virtual and real desktops inside of a morning, after which I'd pull myself up to 10,000 feet and do some reading and thinking, sometimes aloud on the phone with other heads whom I knew were also sitting in their quiet offices. I hope that this newsletter finds you in such a moment in the coming days, and I blush at the thought that you might have this newsletter on your 10K elevation list. Congratulations on all that you've done to support your school community in this extraordinarily difficult year, and best wishes for a better New Year.    

 

 

My Top Hits 2020

The pandemic brought these ideas to the fore of my thinking this year.  I'm still wondering about them.

 

 

 
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The Long Game

 

In the contrail of the pandemic, school leaders will have to play the long game with innovation.

 
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Farewell to (Facility) Arms (Race)

It's time to develop a realistic understanding of the long and short term needs of your facilities.

 
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How Can We Help You?

 

At Knuckleball Consulting we provide services in enrollment assessment, leadership search, governance, and leadership coaching.  Contact us now; we look forward to the conversation.

 
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