Worthy—Or Not?

Emotionally intelligent leadership is necessary in creating healthy school environments. Leaders who lack empathy miss opportunities to connect with their staff and students in meaningful ways, truly repair harm, and teach valuable lifelong lessons along the way. Maya Angelou has been credited with saying, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” At some point in our journeys through schooling, we all remember the educators who made us feel worthy and cared for—as well as those who didn’t. I’ve never learned from leaders or educators who failed to value or see me.

The question becomes, What type of educator and leader do you want to be? Failing to accurately read the emotional cues and needs of others can leave us disconnected and unable to serve all students equitably.

The next time you’re called on to make a difficult decision, take a few moments and walk in the shoes of those your solution will affect. Your response may very well change. For me, finding the time to do this has always been the hardest part. We educators often feel that as issues arise, we must solve them quickly for the sake of the students. However, we all would be so much better at solving problems if we applied true empathy in the solution. In these moments, I remind myself, Brittany, make the time.