I have been working with so many school leaders lately facing similar problems, and I felt compelled to put together a three-part bonus series for you guys throughout the month of September so we can discuss what you are currently dealing with: the inevitable emotional tsunami of students and staff returning to campus.

We all expected this pandemic to have subsided by the start of the 2021 school year. However, the reality is that COVID is not over. There is a sense of urgency around getting kids back into classrooms. Parents want it to happen so they can get back to work, the kids want to be back with their friends, and as leaders, we don’t want them to miss out on any more of their education.

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School is back in session, and after preparing over the summer and getting ready to have an amazing year, I’m now seeing a lot of overwhelm starting to creep in. And how am I seeing people deal with this overwhelm, especially new school leaders? They’re overworking and keeping themselves busy, and we need a different approach.

I’m speaking with a lot of new principals and they’re telling me that their workload has increased since they started in their new role, and they have way less time to do it all. So, what can we do to make sure we’re getting everything done without spinning in the busyness of it all?

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Wouldn’t it be so great if we had staff and teachers who weren’t solely dependent on us for the answers and solutions to every problem on campus? 

As leaders, it’s our job to empower our staff and create a culture of resourcefulness. But while this sounds great in concept, it doesn’t happen often enough. We want teachers contributing new ideas and being valuable members of our schools, in turn enhancing our legacy as a leader, but there are a few obstacles that get in the way, and I’m laying them out today. 

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Over the summer, so many of my clients have been coming to me saying they were revved up, riding a wave of adrenaline while they finished out the year. They experienced peace over the beginning of summer break, but now we’re toward the end of summer and their minds have started worrying about next year. And some of my clients could not turn it off at all.

So this got me thinking, what is the opposite of worry and fear? How can we enjoy our summer without responding to the urge to work? And I realized, in those moments when I’m not worried at all, it’s because I’m trusting that things are going exactly the way they’re supposed to. And the best part about all of this is that you can intentionally create this trust and use it as a leadership tool. And I’m showing you exactly where to start with this work.

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I’ve been spending the summer talking a lot about how to increase your value as a school leader, and questioning is actually one of the simplest and most powerful tools you can use in contributing more to your school and community. So, we’re taking a deep dive into questioning today.

When it comes to asking questions, my brain jumps straight to kindergarteners, who are always asking why, why, why… They want to know how things work. But as adults, especially with a serious and demanding job, we stop asking questions and just try to get on with whatever it is we’re doing. So, it’s time we take a step back and get curious. And I guarantee, when you start questioning, you’ll see and feel the difference.

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