Principal's Message

At our Investiture Assembly on 23 February we took the time to celebrate leadership and we know that at this time of uncertainty strong leadership is essential. I know that there are specific leadership roles, for example Lampbearer, Principal, Premier, Governor, Prime Minister, President, Queen and so many other positions. But as we move out a crisis time they are not the most important players. In fact, it is vital to impress on our young that they have capacity for leadership. They can all be leaders in one form or another.

So what type or kind of leaders do we want or perhaps need. I think that it is no coincidence that our theme for the year involves the Kildare Ministries Core Value of Compassion. I believe that if you ask people what kind of things they want in a leader – a compassionate leader would be at the top of the list for most. In this day and age we need more compassionate and thoughtful leaders like the leader in the following story. It is a story of Mahatma Gandhi.

One day as Gandhi stepped aboard a train, one of his shoes slipped off and landed on the track. He was unable to retrieve it as the train started rolling. To the amazement of his companions, Gandhi calmly took off his other shoe and threw it back along the track to land close to the first shoe. Asked by a fellow passenger why he did that, Gandhi replied, “the poor man who finds the shoe lying on the track will now have a pair he can use.”

For Gandhi compassionate leadership was about finding opportunities to provide for those in need before his own personal satisfaction. I have read that if you wish to be a compassionate leader there are four things to keep in mind.

Understand. Too often leaders jump to judgment. We often create stories of others that are absent of compassion and understanding. Things aren’t always as they appear. Instead of jumping to conclusions, ask questions respectfully and truly seek to understand first.
Appreciate. Telling those you lead what you appreciate about them demonstrates to them that you care. When people feel you appreciate what they do, they feel you are on their side hoping they succeed.
Trust. By extending trust to those we lead, we are leading with compassion. Extending trust doesn’t mean there won’t be mistakes, but compassionate leaders understand this. Instead of becoming frustrated and withdrawing trust, leaders teach, guide and continue to trust. Ernest Hemingway said, “The best way to find out if you can trust someone is to trust them.”
Listen. We were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. Compassionate leaders listen carefully. It is natural for most of us to want to fix the problem and believe we have the solution before someone finishes telling us what the problem is. They are patient and realize that sometimes there isn’t a solution, people just want to talk or to be heard.

When you put all these things together leading by example is very important and we have to practice what we preach.

There have been many hard days, weeks, and months behind us and there may be some more ahead. A mindset of wise compassion is the most effective way to support people through these difficult times. As we collectively face the challenges, there may be the need to make hard decisions. We should all strive to do these hard things in a human way.

For those appointed to leadership positions we remind them that they need to be responsible for themselves and help with looking out for others too. A great leader works as part of a team and this skill is important for leaders of every age. Therefore, we encourage them to:

work with other school leaders, teachers and the general student population in order to do their job effectively.
develop their cooperation skills through participation in a wide range of school events and activities.
prepare themselves to speak clearly and confidently. It’s not a skill that most people find easy, but it’s definitely one which can be developed with practice.

Leaders are organised people who often need to organise others too. I congratulate and thank all those students for taking on leadership responsibility and committing themselves to the growth of the school. Student voice is important and they have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference. Thank you to all students and staff for your commitment to leading the school.