As an energetic teenager, I can remember our Coach coming into PE class and yelling, "Ok, everyone! Put a lid on it!" It was his way to focus us and get us to sit down to listen.
He said it every day, every class.
Often his description for our group would change from "everyone" to descriptive terms no longer used by gym teachers - at least I hope not!
I keep coming back to the idea of "putting a lid on it" and how often as educational leaders we do just that - we set guidelines or policies or even project norms that cause our staff and students to keep the lid on, eventually leading to low performance in a variety of ways.
Over the last 20 years, I have gone back to John Maxwell's book, "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership." The first time I read it, my paradigms fell and my mind expanded! In the book, he discussed the principles he identified that leaders should know, and do, to build their skills and lead their teams toward high performance and amazing results.
The "Law of the Lid" simply states that the leadership potential of any team is set, and limited, by the ability level of the leader. Also, the leader's potential is self-limited by their leadership ability.
So, for example, if your leadership level is currently a 6, on a scale of 10, then your leadership ability, and consequently your team's, will never exceed that 6. The shocking reality is that the potential of the team and leader will only be able to achieve a 5 due to the "lid" established by the 6.
This lid limits all potential of the team and, as educators, has an impact on student potential too.
The lid established by the educational leaders sets a standard for all growth potential in the organization or school. And often the leaders have no idea they are the limiting factor in the equation.
As school leaders, we set goals, develop action plans, and enlist staff to make program changes toward accomplishing those goals - yet if the potential is limited by the leader there is a high likelihood that the goals will be missed, actions not completed, and staff frustrated after all their hard work.
Not only does this principle have an impact on the educational goals but the “Law of the Lid” has an impact on the school culture too!
The most important step for leaders is to pause, spend time in serious introspection and look to see if they are setting a low lid that limits every potential growth.
Also, having a trusted coach or professional connection can help lend insight to one's leadership level. Making the choice to first look deeply and then make changes can lead to amazing results.
There will be work to be done - but the outcomes can lead to widespread growth and bold change both individually and organizationally.
If you are a leader, you need to decide if the step is worth it.
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