I grew up in TEXAS where Aqua-net was plentiful and stereotypical gender roles were clear even if they weren't overtly spoken. I learned very quickly that my work was always respected, appreciated, and valued--but my voice was not. Oh, contradictions.
My best friend, Tony, made a game out of contradictions. I'd make a recommendation in a work meeting. Our boss would shoot it down cold. Tony would wait two minutes and then propose the same idea in the same words. Our boss would not only praise him, but also AGREE AND ACCEPT THE IDEA. Tony thought this was hilarious but also sad and evil. Where was the disconnect? Eventually, I stopped sharing my ideas with bosses because I was busy teaching. Then, I learned that LEADERS are people who listen to good ideas. Not people who stand in the front of rooms. Those are usually morons . . . usually the LEAST likely people to get work done. I started to redefine what leaders are over time. I also got to work on solving problems instead of worrying about who was in charge, anymore. Because I'm in education--which is about changing children's lives. Sometimes, if we want to save the world--if we really are passionate about real problems, we can't worry about who's running the system, and we have face the problem. We have to use our creativity and our critical thinking to address the problem, and we have to get a team together, who can solve that problem. Who care's about the system, much less who's in charge? If we have the right team, we can solve the problem. Eventually, the real LEADERS will notice what we're doing, and they'll come ask our team about it. They'll listen to us, hear our passion, and they'll want to support our good ideas. If they're bosses, they'll want the credit for what we're already doing. Bosses love to get the credit for excellent work they haven't actually done. Let them take the credit. Did the work get done? We'll never rid this world of bosses. They're not actually a problem unless we let them get in our way. We talk a lot about power--types of power. Structures of power. Wielding power. Sometimes, the most important power to wield is our own thinking ability. We can create new structures all the time. We shouldn't let anyone tell us we can't. We are so innovative and imaginative--so truly powerful. When we wield our creative power with the right team in education, we make a difference in children's lives. Talk about power.
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AuthorA blog about developing collaborative relationships with all stakeholders--and using 21st century communication to do so. Archives
January 2024
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