People in leadership positions often have flexible schedules. Sure, we all work for someone, but we usually can make our schedules. Education leaders need to use this flexibility to become more accessible to the people they lead.

Can you be a little more flexible?

Now, I am not going to lie to you, it will probably take some sacrifice on your part. For instance, to increase your flexibility, come to work an hour or two before anyone else arrives to complete paperwork, reports, outstanding projects, etc. That way, you can ensure that during the school day, your schedule is flexible enough to accommodate impromptu meetings, water cooler conversations, classroom chats, etc.

Being flexible allows you to be there when your teachers and leadership team need you to the most. It’s like being the free safety on a football team. The free safety is a defensive position in American football. They line up ten to fifteen yards behind the line of scrimmage and are considered the last line of defense. Because of this, they need to be good tacklers and strategists. They are considered the “quarterbacks” of the defense. Exactly what a good leader does with their ability to be flexible.

A little homework

Over the next month, work on becoming more flexible. You don’t have to go overboard, as you must find a healthy balance between flexibility and inaccessibility. Giving people too much access to you can be counterproductive, as you never have time to concentrate on essential tasks.

After a month of being more flexible, what are you noticing? Is your team more productive? Are you more productive? More than likely, the answer is yes. Being flexible allows teachers to have access to important information and resources in real-time, and it allows you to ensure that you are meeting their needs. In the end, it is a win, win situation that is sure to positively impact student outcomes.