Trust starts up. That means placing trust in your leaders. Supporting them, lifting them up. When trust starts with you and starts up, it benefits you, and the whole team. This is vital and is especially important to your impact as an educator.
“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does.
Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.”
— James Baldwin
Who's da boss?
This seems like a simple question, but the answer can be confusing.
The organizational chart defines important relationships of communication and accountability so that the necessary work gets done to achieve the mission and goals.
A supervisor who is an effective leader gives clear goals with a viable path to success, but the quality of the boss will vary over time, requiring us to make adjustments.
Our integrity, however, can't be dependent on their integrity. That's no way to live.
“Trust is to human relationships what faith is to gospel living.
It is the beginning place, the foundation upon which more can be built.Where trust is, love can flourish.”
— Barbara Smith
Trust starts up with regular check-ins for clarification on expectations and plans because we work in a fluid ecosystem where adjustments have to be made quickly.
Disciplined communication is vital to trust, ensuring no secrets and no surprises.
Consistent follow-through on commitments contributes to a productive relationship, fulfilling our assignments on time in a manner that meets or exceeds expectations.
Sustaining a reliably professional attitude and appearance benefits our whole team.
“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.
Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” — Hebrews 13:17
Accepting a leadership role has real consequences because those in positions of authority are held to a higher standard—with their influence comes responsibilities.
Pray for your leaders, lifting them up as they make difficult and important decisions.
Encourage your leaders, expressing words of appreciation and genuine support. Stand by your leaders, resisting the temptation to undermine their role with gossip.
Because where such enduring trust thrives, love and learning are sure to flourish.
Be a catalyst for trust in all of your relationships, using your many gifts and habits to be a blessing to many and especially to those in authority.
