In response to Marcelo’s lead post, found here.
Dear Marcelo,
Thank you for your insightful lead post on the strategic leadership team, Equipo Directivo, at your school. You begin by explaining the diverse nature of leadership roles represented on the team and express “It is not always an easy group to work with since we have inherited our position in the team through formal position.” I wonder how long each person has been in their role, as territoriality and possessiveness can sometimes come along with people having been on the team longer than others. If there are new members, does the team have an intentional strategy to introduce them to the structure and function of the team? You mention the team members are “then told by the board to work together as a Strategic Leadership Team.” It seems that the team might be already set up for failure because they are being instructed to do something? I wonder if there is value in reframing the intention of the board direction, where the team member is released or commissioned to join the team instead of demanded. The work accomplished by the team could be valued and held in higher esteem by the board, fostering a sense of pride and identity in the Equip Directivo. This then might also build trust and cooperation.
“Much of my job these last few years have been trying to understand the mindset of my team members and trying to build their sense of confidence and ownership of the mission of the school.” It sounds like you are creating opportunities for the SLT to build bridges, fostering trust to maximize the diversity on the team and mitigating the negative effects of the cultural mindset that you described. Hughes et al. (2014) say “Put the organization’s story in a meaningful context that connects members to its core identity” (p. 78). Harris (2014) also suggests “Recent research has shown that while investigating in human capital is an important factor in securing better organizational performance, significantly greater benefits can be obtained from generating collective or social capital” (p. 80). Marcelo, you are on the right track in building the quality of connections in your SLT, and while it may be rocky soil, trust you are breaking ground that will produce rich soil to support the seeds of learning for years to come!
I would like you to explain the “low self-esteem” found in the Paraguayan culture. What is the cause of this? How does it manifest in your students and teachers?
Blessings!
Stella
References:
Harris, A. (2014). Distributed leadership matters. Thousand Oaks: CA; Corwin.
Hughes R., Colarelli-Beatty K. & Dinwoodie D. (2014) Becoming a strategic leader. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Second Edition.
Hi Stella!
Low self-esteem is present in many places in our society. It is also difficult to explain.
– One factor that has helped create this low self-esteem is that Paraguayans have been under a dictatorship for most of its history. They have been told what to do for a very long time. The last dictatorship ended in 1989 (it lasted 35 years).
– Paraguayans are fatalistic. I will not go into many details but they always blame some else everything that happens. Many believe they have no control over their future.
– The native Guarani culture also taught them to feel this way. They are not outspoken and end up retreating when engaging in a discussion.
– Throughout history, the other bigger countries around them have also made them feel small and insignificant.
Just to name a few.