Sustainable leadership lasts. It preserves and advances the most valuable aspects of learning and life over time, year upon year, and from one leader to the next.

Complete the statement:
When leaders know they are leaving, it is essential they they…

Participant Responses:

Develop next leaders.

Work themselves out of a job by passing the responsibilities on to others.

Know the structures currently in place to keep the forwards motion.

Have built “leadership” capacity within their organization.

Have spent time prior to departure building teacher leaders.

Share successes with new leadership (teachers and leader(s) and challenges.

Share, share, and share again the vision he/she has led and how it’s in place and challenges others to continue it.

Support the transitions – celebrate endings and beginnings. Help people from one state to the next.

Back up to when leaders arrive…what systems will be in place when they leave.

Honor accomplishments – processes – structures that worked. Invite staff to share – support the new leader.

Communicate and provide any background knowledge/information that supports the new leader.

Have processes in place for continuing the work begun.

Teacher leaders are in place and contributing to the overall success of building initiatives.

Honor the process of leave-taking so those left behind will mourn a short time but not be traumatized – leaving energy to continue weaving change and growth into the organization.