Building—and Practicing—Empathy

Students would sometimes ask me, “Ms. Hogan, what exactly do you do here?” At that time, I was coordinator of educational equity and diversity, and I was in multiple school buildings almost every day. The TV series Scandal was popular then; it was about a woman, Olivia Pope, who ran a crisis management firm. I would say, “I’m like Olivia Pope. I’m a fixer. I come in when all other options fail to make things better for kids and adults.”

And all this was true. I prided myself on being a good problem solver and fixer. Principals, staff members, school resource officers, and students have come up to me and said, “The building just feels better when you’re here.” It’s a wonderful compliment. I did a good job of making difficult decisions because I was an empathetic leader who tried to understand the perspectives of everyone involved and who created solutions infused with empathy, love, and understanding.