Episode Details

Welcome back to Monday Matters! This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to talk about the difference between responsive vs. reactive leadership. This conversation was inspired by a thoughtful post written by Will, you can read it below. As always, thank you for doing what matters!

Responsive, not Reactive, Leadership

During a Mastermind meeting today, a leader shared feedback about a team member who tends to be reactive versus responsive. In particular, situations involving student discipline or teacher behavior are often managed with what were described as “knee-jerk” reactions that make the matter worse rather than better.

We’ve all been on the other side of reactionary situations. My wife once worked in a school setting where the assistant principal would come on the intercom system to yell at students to be on time to class. She and her fellow teachers would cringe every time his voice came across the speakers.

Instead of directly addressing the students who were late to class, the administrator thought shouting at the entire student body (and teachers) would be more effective. He was wrong.

The harder question for leaders to ask themselves: In what ways am I reacting instead of responding in my own position or service to others?

Here are some other examples I’ve witnessed (or been guilty of not handling well) in the past:

• One teacher misses professional development by taking a sick day. You find out later that she was really on a family trip. You’re tempted to blast out a reminder to your entire staff about being honest and using integrity when reporting an absence from work. What do you do?
  
• The copy machine is broken again, and the backup machine is also out of ink. Teachers are lined up wanting a solution. You are tempted to shoot out an email or make an announcement to be patient as you try to replace the ink yourself or call for service repair. What do you do?
  
• Two students have a verbal altercation on a field trip that is witnessed by their teacher. He brings the students to your office when they return to school and would like you to assign discipline and call the parents to back up his concerns. You realize what has happened does not meet the threshold for an office referral. You are tempted to manage the situation as requested, although you know this is a situation that can be managed by the teacher just as he would have done if it had happened in his classroom. What do you do?
  

In each of these situations, the quick fix may seem different to leaders depending on the size of their school, the systems they have in place for managing student or teacher behavior, or the temperament of the people involved. That is why a quick-fix suggestion for each scenario is normally not sufficient.

Instead, consider first what would be the “responsive” rather than “reactive” way to move forward. Also, when you’re not in the middle of a scenario, consider running these situations by team members before they happen, and ask them for ideas and responses. Your collective feedback may or may not reveal how closely aligned your values are as a team for responding rather than reacting.

Here are some principles to keep in mind:

• Responsive leaders plan in advance for scenarios and have basic protocols for follow-through.
  
• Reactive leaders put out fires as they arise without preset protocols or plans for follow-through.

With that context in mind, here are a few suggestions for each of the above to keep in mind for responding rather than reacting:

• In the situation with the