Is this statement true or false: ‘The job of a school principal is impossible’?
Here is what ChatGPT says, “As for whether the statement is true or false, it’s subjective and depends on context. Some might say the job of a school principal is extremely challenging due to responsibilities like managing staff, students, budgets, and ensuring academic success. However, calling it “impossible” is an exaggeration. Many school principals successfully manage these tasks, so while it’s difficult, it’s not impossible.”
It’s clear where ChatGPT is coming from, and I admittedly have a flair for the dramatic. There are so many hardworking, incredible school leaders working tirelessly to serve their schools well, and they’re doing a fantastic job. The impossibility of the job comes to mind because I hear from many principals who frequently feel like they are falling short or letting someone down–even the best principals out there. Having served as a school leader for most of my career, I felt this same tension between focusing on what’s needed to improve student learning and addressing issues that demand immediate attention.
So, what do we tell teachers to do when they are overwhelmed and feel like the job is just too much? We tell them to lean on each other and work smarter, not harder. We talk with them about the research of John Hattie1, Rachel Eells2 and so many others that found collective efficacy strongly correlated with increased academic achievement. We reorganize staff meetings or get roving subs to create time for them to meet together to share best practices and causes of success. We know that the best and most empowering professional learning happens when teachers are learning from each other.
It may come as no surprise, but collective efficacy isn’t just beneficial for teachers; it also enhances principals’ effectiveness. In fact, research shows that collective efficacy positively impacts performance across various professions. For example, a 2014 article in the European Review of Applied Psychology found that “collective efficacy is a more effective resource for dealing with stress than self-efficacy” in the foodservice industry.3 Principals must lean on each other too.
Collective efficacy is firmly believing that the group you belong to can solve problems and achieve goals. It’s not just about having people to vent to, because the quality and depth of our conversations matter. Just like with teaching, there is an art and a science to school leadership and a plethora of research is available to guide us toward effective practices, such as the Wallace Foundation’s 2021 research report “How Principals Affect Students and Schools”.4 A major takeaway from the report is that both the people and the systems matter when it comes to the principalship. We have to be servant leaders and strong managers.
That is where the art of school leadership comes in, because effectively leading a school involves balancing data-driven strategies with the nuances of human relationships and the unique culture of each school. Principals must foster a positive environment, cultivate resilience, and inspire their teams, combining both interpersonal skills and structured approaches to tackle complex challenges. This blend of systemic support and leadership artistry is key to fostering school success and achieving meaningful, sustained improvements in student outcomes. The good news is that, although the principalship can feel lonely, other leaders across your region, the country, and even the world are tackling the same issues you are right now. It doesn’t just feel good to know you are not alone, research supports that it helps us be better leaders when we learn alongside and from each other.
This is exactly why George Couros and I wrote What Makes a Great Principal with fifteen contributing authors. The five pillars of great principals are constants and research-based, but what they look like from school to school greatly varies. The stories, strategies and examples are provided from unique perspectives and intended to help readers reflect on their own strengths and areas for growth in relation to each pillar. Engaging in a book study alongside leaders in your area or district with a book like ours can help deepen conversations and reveal all the pockets of excellence already present in your schools.
Other than a book study, how do overwhelmed and busy school leaders go about developing collective efficacy? Here are some quick tips that can help:
- Collaborate with other district or regional principals: Building a strong support network within your district encourages open communication, shared challenges, and collaborative problem-solving. This team can model effective collaboration and strengthen leadership skills. Want to hear a hard truth? If principals within the same district struggle to develop the trust that leads to a deep level of collaboration, they are going to be hard-pressed to expect that same thing from their teacher teams. It’s worth the time and the hard conversations it takes to strengthen district leadership teams.
- Have a specific focus for your collaboration: One of the challenges of being a principal is that we want to fix all the problems at the same time, but that fragmentation causes frustration and actually inhibits success. Choosing one area for collaboration with other school leaders can help focus the conversations and support progress with specific goals. Choose a high leverage area of focus, like effective teacher coaching, embedding writing across content areas or student engagement.
- Find a trusted colleague outside of your district: Even though the interdependency of a district leadership team is crucial for academic success, sometimes we need to talk things over with an unbiased colleague. It can be helpful to have a school leader from outside your district or area to confide in, especially if that person is willing to give you honest feedback and provide a little coaching when needed.
- Join a professional organization: Becoming part of a professional association for principals offers opportunities to connect with others in your field, access resources, and attend events that provide valuable insights and support. Being part of my state principals association and the National Association for Elementary School Principals (NAESP) or the National Association for Secondary School Principals (NASSP) has been a game-changer for leadership growth.
- Leverage social media: Social media platforms connect principals to a wider network of school leaders. Sharing ideas and solutions can foster collective efficacy and professional development. Whether your platform of choice is TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook, you will find extraordinary leaders sharing their successes and challenges. Although interpersonal collaboration produces the best results, our devices provide us instant access to professional learning 24/7, and many connections I have made through social media became true collegial friendships.
The best principals are ambassadors of hope who help staff, students, and parents feel like challenges are surmountable. We have to continually fill our own hope reservoirs and we can best do this through both learning from and sharing with others. Just as we encourage teachers to lean on each other and learn together, principals benefit from the same strategies. Leadership may be challenging, but through collective efficacy, the seemingly impossible becomes achievable.
- John Hattie, Visible Learning: The Sequel (New York: Routledge. 2023). ↩︎
- Rachel Eells, “Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Collective Teacher
Efficacy and Student Achievement,” ResearchGate (January 2011). https://www
.researchgate.net/publication/254615557_Meta-Analysis_of_the_Relationship
_Between_Collective_Teacher_Efficacy_and_Student_Achivement. ↩︎ - Esnard, C., and M. Roques. “Collective Efficacy: A Resource in Stressful Occupational Contexts.” European Review of Applied Psychology 64, no. 4 (2014): 203–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2014.05.003. ↩︎
- Wallace Foundation. “Learn How Students Benefit from School Leaders.” Accessed October 26, 2024. https://wallacefoundation.org/learn-how-students-benefit-school-leaders. ↩︎
