In an educational atmosphere, anything that may go wrong generally does. You will have to deal with everything from physical fights to broken pipes. How you handle these unavoidable events will define your educational leadership success. Will you persevere and remain steadfast, or will you quit and hide in your office? Presumably, you will go for the first option. Let’s look at how great educational leaders deal with challenges.

Keep Moving, Keep Pushing, and Success will Follow

Great educational leaders maintain their composure and commitment in the face of adversity. When most people would give up, that is precisely the time you must persevere and conquer adversity. It does not come easy to most people, but all it requires is a turning point to persevere.

My defining moment as dean came early in my tenure when I understood that the position I had placed in was far worse than the VP of Academic Affairs had informed me. Professors were inept, and students were unprepared for the demands of college. I didn’t concede; I persevered, and after a year, I noticed remarkable effects. This would not have occurred if I had given up and admitted that the best the teachers or students could achieve was mediocrity. But,  I was certain that they could satisfy my high standards, and they did.

Concluding Thoughts

There will always be hurdles in life; how you handle them determines your success.  Great instructional administrators address challenges with a positive attitude and creativity that helps them overcome obstacles that others would avoid. When resilient leaders reflect on their lives, they can do it without regret, knowing that they always gave it their 100%. When things became rough, they became stronger and stuck to their guns.