Superintendent

Superintendent

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Choose Wisely, But CHOOSE!

What's on my mind? Life's choices. No matter your age or occupation, one's life is steered largely by the choices we make, personally and professionally. One of my favorite quotes says "The decisions you  make today will bring you adversity or advantage".  I actually taped this one to the inside of my medicine cabinet when I became a superintendent--thinking it might steer me in the new challenges ahead.

Another inspiring one (as I try to build up my endurance for my first 8K run), is " 'Dead last' is better than 'didn't finish', which trumps 'never started'." This too, can be applied to setting goals and life's choices.

Let's talk about adversity that may come from decisions one makes. One may say "adversity" implies negativity or confrontation. While I've found many people prefer to avoid confrontation or adversity, if discussing one's viewpoints and opening one's mind to other perspectives, by addressing an issue, causes better communication or solves a problem, adversity is a good thing. It's the failure or refusal to entertain different opinions and perspectives that often causes more adversity.

Is it easier to avoid confrontation and discussion which may result in unpopular decisions? Certainly. But is it the right thing to do? Of course not, particularly if you sit in the superintendent's chair. If improvement can occur, whether student or staff or for the institution, then addressing the unpopular issue is the thing to do.

Does it get easier as we tackle the unpopular decisions? No. Each issue will bring its individual nuances, which merits full consideration and different people at the table. Do I improve as I continually address the issues arising in a superintendent's role? I hope so. Today matters--It's full of choices.