Perspectives on Organizational Leadership and People Management

 

Certainly there are as many leadership styles as there are leaders. Thus, no "silver bullet" methodology for ensuring the success, efficiency, and longevity of any organization exists. However, after observing numerous public school music program directors over the last twenty-plus years, and, after critical introspection and reflection of my own approaches to leadership and management, I hope to offer herewith a handful of insights that can apply not only to music programs, but also to other fields in which the effective management of people is a necessity.

 

In my current position, I manage a team of four assistant band directors, four additional staff members, and approximately 10-15 booster organization board members. The following items are tools that I have learned to employ on a regular basis, and have found that they have contributed to the focus, cohesion, and overall health of our program:

1. Helping each team member find their "wheelhouse" position. In his well-admired, bestseller book, Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about having the "right people on the bus" and then having those people in the "right seats" on the bus. As public school program directors often do not have hiring/firing power, they often inherit the rest of the "occupants on the bus" when taking over the role as director. Thus, discerning the areas in which all team members can contribute to the best of their strengths is crucial so that everyone is in the "right seat." The first dose of humility that a director may have to take is that of putting themselves in a position (i.e., teaching a certain class, teaching a certain instrument, etc.) that they do not MOST WANT to do, but it allows other team members to be in a position in which they will be THEIR BEST. To take an example from the Band world: I REALLY want to teach brass class and can do so at an "A" level, but it relegates another team member who could also teach brass at an "A" level to teaching a class that is at a "D" level for them, and well-outside of their wheelhouse. If I can teach that other class at a "B" level and my colleague teaches brass at an "A," our students (and overall program) will benefit. When we empower our colleagues to be the best "them" that they can be, our culture becomes one of shared responsibility, respect, and creative collaboration.
2. The answer is in the room. Let's be honest. Some leaders have brilliant business acumen, but horrible people acumen! I would argue that many of the most successful and sustained "great" organizations have leaders who have both. An astute leader, even well-equipped with some of the "best ideas ever," may be surprised to find that the better idea is to consider that another team member may actually have THE BEST answer. When all team members feel like their opinions and ideas are valued and heard, they will be more likely to engage in future problem-solving or creative endeavors. Additionally, the synergistic momentum that emerges from these intense, yet respectful, "think tank" sessions often leads to composite ideas of brilliance that no single person actually brought to the table. No matter the level of challenge proposed by a question or creative task, the answer IS in the room.
3. Your inner circle. While the first two items require a reasonable level of humility, this is the facet that demands the most. We all have blindspots. Therefore, we all need a few people with whom we can share honestly about our weaknesses and struggles with leading and managing. That's the easy part-sharing about our self-perceived weaknesses; the hard part is then asking the members of our inner circle to point out our blindspots. I am VERY grateful that I have both colleagues AND trusted booster parents who care enough to be real with me. We also need people who will let us vent (yell, scream, curse, throw dry-erase markers) and then ask us simply "Are you just venting? Or do you really want me to respond to that?" I had a colleague ask me that about ten or twelve years ago, and it changed my approach to the profession in many positive ways!
4. Defining and pursuing excellence. Have you and your team sought to define what "success" looks like for your organization? This can be a daunting task in the public school performing arts programs because your "team" for this process may very well include stakeholders such as school board members, school administrators, coaches, community members, et.al. As THE professional educators on our campus for our particular content area, we must also work to educate those stakeholders who do not have expertise in our field. While we should avoid being hasty to dismiss their perceptions, we have a responsibility for communicating what "success" entails for our students and our program culture. When your team understands what success should look and sound like, you can then feel empowered to return to #1 above in determining the most effective methods and team members to communicate your definition of success with your stakeholders.
5. Asking the critical questions: Do I wish this program to be successful only while under my guidance? Or do I wish for it to experience sustained excellence far beyond my time here? I certainly would not attempt to weigh in with any "rightness" or "wrongness" judgments regarding how a given leader/manager may answer these questions. However, I would argue that these questions must be asked with the consideration that the answers WILL affect our leadership and management choices. 

It has taken me many years and countless experiences with numerous leaders throughout my career to begin to contemplate leadership and management in such ways. I believe that too many of those years involved a fair amount of stubbornness and an un-coachable spirit on my part. However, I am grateful for all of the examples I have encountered-both good and bad-and for those who have nurtured, guided, and prodded me toward finding the verdant, fertile ground of humility. I conclude this article with a quote that has, over the last few years, become a source of tremendous inspiration and has helped me lead the amazing people with whom I work and serve. I hope that it may do the same for you!

"You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit." -Harry S. Truman

Bradley Coker is the Director of Bands and Department Chair for Performing Arts at Edmond North High School in Edmond, Oklahoma. This is his twenty-first year as a music educator. He has held positions in the public schools of Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas and at the collegiate level in Tennessee. He holds degrees from the University of North Texas (DMA), Baylor University (MM), and Missouri State University (BS in Ed.).