Leadership in Education: Embracing Patience, Feedback, and a Growth Mindset

 In the dynamic landscape of educational leadership, our approach to guiding others significantly impacts not only immediate outcomes but the long-term development of both our teams and ourselves. As highlighted in Kaiser University's article "Leadership Styles in Education: Nine Ways to Guide Talent," effective leadership allows individuals to cultivate their unique skills while adapting various leadership styles throughout their professional journey.

The Reality of Leadership Challenges

We all aspire to embody the confidence and self-assurance of strong leaders. However, the reality is that leadership involves navigating complex human interactions that don't always go smoothly. People aren't always easy to work with, and some may resist direction or authority.

When faced with resistance or conflict, I've learned the value of stepping back to create space for calm reflection. This pause allows me to assess what's happening beneath the surface and consider why someone might be reacting negatively. Is it fear of change? Previous negative experiences? Personal issues affecting their professional life? Or perhaps a legitimate concern about the direction being taken?

Workplace confrontation is never desirable, but it's an inevitable aspect of leadership. I've faced situations where, despite multiple interventions and support attempts, involving HR and ultimately terminating someone's position became necessary. These difficult decisions, while never taken lightly, sometimes represent the best path forward for the organization and, often, for the individual involved.

Patience, Grace, and Multiple Perspectives

Throughout challenging leadership moments, maintaining composure and patience has been my north star. Even when disagreeing with someone's viewpoint, making the effort to see situations from their perspective demonstrates respect and creates opportunity for genuine dialogue. This approach embodies what true leadership means: guiding with empathy while maintaining necessary boundaries.

Over time, I've realized that my patience and grace in difficult situations aren't signs of weakness but rather core strengths that allow me to lead more effectively. When we respond with emotional intelligence rather than reactivity, we model the very behaviors we hope to see in our teams.

The Growth Mindset Revolution

Central to my evolution as a leader has been embracing a growth mindset—the understanding that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, and learning from feedback. This concept, popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck, transforms how we approach leadership challenges.

With a growth mindset, setbacks become opportunities for development rather than evidence of failure. When a team member struggles, instead of seeing a performance issue, we can recognize a learning opportunity. When a project doesn't meet expectations, rather than assigning blame, we can analyze what we've learned and how to improve.

This mindset particularly transforms how we view feedback—both giving and receiving it. Instead of seeing feedback as criticism, a growth mindset helps us recognize it as essential information that fuels improvement. I've discovered that the most valuable feedback often comes from the most challenging situations and interactions.

Giving Feedback That Fosters Growth

The art of providing constructive feedback is perhaps one of leadership's greatest challenges. When delivered poorly, feedback can demoralize and disengage. When delivered skillfully, it can inspire transformation and excellence.

I've learned that effective feedback:

• Focuses on specific behaviors rather than personality traits

• Balances recognition of strengths with areas for improvement

• Includes clear, actionable suggestions for development

• Creates space for dialogue rather than one-way communication

• Remains rooted in a genuine desire to help others succeed

When leaders approach feedback from a growth mindset perspective, the conversation shifts from "here's what you did wrong" to "here's how we can grow from this experience." This subtle but powerful difference creates psychological safety that encourages innovation, risk-taking, and continuous improvement.

Creating Environments Where Everyone Thrives

Moving forward, I'm committed to applying these principles by creating positive learning environments that seek effective, mutually beneficial solutions. This means:

• Designing spaces where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities

• Actively soliciting feedback from team members at all levels

• Modeling vulnerability by acknowledging my own areas for growth

• Celebrating progress and improvement, not just achievement

• Adapting my leadership style to meet diverse needs and situations

A leader with a growth mindset recognizes that their own development never ends. There are always new approaches to learn, perspectives to consider, and skills to refine. By embracing this continuous journey of growth while practicing patience and empathy, we create educational environments where talent isn't just guided—it's unleashed.

The most powerful legacy we can create as educational leaders isn't found in perfect performance metrics or flawless execution. Rather, it lives in the culture we create—one where growth is valued over perfection, where feedback flows freely in all directions, and where every challenge becomes an opportunity to develop not just better educators, but better human beings.

(2023, Oct 30). Leadership styles in education: nine ways educators guide talent.

Seahawk Nation. Keiser University. https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/leadership-

styles-in-education-nine-ways-educators-guide-talent/.

Huberman, A. (2024, May 28). How feedback affects performance - Andrew

Huberman – Growth Mindset. After Skool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=V9ewjjzAlRs&t=12s.