Navigating the Rough Waters

There are enough books on leadership to fill a classroom floor to ceiling, wall to wall. Theories, tools, instruments to measure and evaluate teaching and learning, frameworks we can implement. There’s the latest research depicting the part of the brain that lights up when we’re learning, when we’re being creative and even while taking tests that evaluate our diversity intelligence. The list goes on. There are as many theories as there are books and experts.

But the one thing that is frequently omitted from the mix is compassion. And compassion is one thing we must practice – purposefully and intentionally – particularly when we're pressed against the wall of stress.

For seasoned and emerging leaders, compassion is the one constant that we can count on to help navigate the rough waters of urban school leadership. Compassion helps us remember what it feels like to walk in someone else's shoes, if they're lucky enough to own a decent pair.