My school is a very small urban charter school which is lead by our Principal and companies CEO. We do not have an assistant principal or dean this year. Our principal makes all of our decisions with input from trusted staff members and the CEO. Our CEO runs 3 other schools and has the four schools communicating with each other often. Our school is the most successful school out of the four. Most of the decisions are made by my principal and the others schools have to adhere to the new decisions. Our principal is a fast spaced, direct, and competitive leader. She has high expectations for her staff and students.
It has taken me four years to understand what my principal wants and does not want. It has been a bumpy road for the both of us. However, I have proven myself to my principal over the last few years and I am now one of the trusted staff members. I have learned to ask questions in a way that my principal will respond to. Humor is a great way to get my ideas and concerns across to her. She likes to make decisions and suggestions, you have to let her think she made the suggestions and decisions. You have to have think skin to work under her and not take things personally.
Good for you, I two have also proven myself to my principal "a trouble maker." He makes all the decision and give me no options - this I do not like. He maintains an open door policy which often times find me taking advantage of it. Humor and sarcasm is what I use to get my ideas, wants, needs and desires fulfilled. He makes all the decisions and I tweak them to fit me.
ReplyDeleteI, too, have worked with superiors who are tough, direct, and competitive. I just always try to not let some of their short or rude comments get to me. On thing I've learned, especially from this type of superior, is that it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
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