Tell it as it is and hear it as it is

Creating a culture where your team can speak the truth to power in our schools

All leaders, and especially leaders of change, must accept that they will be forced to confront, and often publicly state, uncomfortable truths.

Leaders often choose the complicated language of business consultants to obscure these or, lacking in confidence, to demonstrate their intellectual prowess. Resist this temptation.

Leaders must build an adult-to adult relationship with their team, something that can be difficult and requires time, patience and hard work to achieve. When it works however, every member of the team knows their role and the role of others.

Trust requires honesty and consistency. A leader can only lead if people are willing to follow. Many leaders mistake popularity with trust. It is not necessary for a leader to be liked. What is crucial is that the leader trusts their team and in turn is trusted by them.

A leader’s job is not to be popular. It is to make the collective of the individuals in her team more effective. They should not be rude, undiplomatic or disrespectful, but clear, direct and consistent. Your team must know that you are for real.

Honesty is a two-way street. A leader who ‘tells is as it is’ but is completely unwilling to accept or hear criticism is as bad (or worse) than the opposite. The leader’s behaviour should reflect the culture they need to create - an effective culture is one where everybody, from top to bottom, are able to have the right conversations. And for the right conversations to happen it is a fundamental requirement that all are able to speak truth to power.

As a leader you don’t have to have all the answers - and indeed , nor will you. You won’t have all the best ideas, you won’t always be right. You need to ensure that the right conversations are had and that the quality of an individual’s contribution in uncorrelated to their seniority. For it to be true that great ideas can come from anywhere, you need to make it happen through your actions.

Leaders need to make sure they are being told the things they don’t want to hear. They’re are way more important than the honeyed words some may choose to drip in your ear.

Having the right conversations may be emotionally difficult, intimidating and even scary. You don’t want a team who spend their lives shouting at each other but it is important that the right conversations are had. An effective culture is not one that doesn’t row, but one where people are able to row without falling out. Unspoken disagreements fester and lead to politics, resentment and mistrust. The secret is building mutual trust and respect. You need to tell it as it is, but also be prepared to hear it as it is.

Creating a culture of honesty is the leader’s secret sauce. Without honesty there can be no trust. Without trust, no progress.