A few weeks ago, I was out for a walk with the dog. It was a perfectly nice day. I was a couple miles from home. Then, with no apparent warning, the skies darkened. Thunder rumbled. I turned back, but I was still a good thirty minutes from home when there came a dumping of rain like I hadn’t seen in months. It felt like buckets being overturned above my head.
Seriously. So. much. rain.
I didn’t have anything to help me with this little situation— not hat, not a towel, not an umbrella, and certainly not a poncho. I didn’t have my phone to call my husband to come get me. I was in an open area— no trees, no buildings, no cover at all.
I panicked a little. I considered going to a nearby house and banging on the door, asking to use the phone so I could get a ride. Then I imagined how crazy I’d look to the poor person who opened the door and decided against it.
The rain was so intense I couldn’t see. The dog whimpered and looked at me, imploringly. A car passed and splashed even more water all over my body— brown, dirty water. I was filthy and wet and impossibly trapped in this stupid summer storm.
Well, then. I decided I’d just have to walk on home. Not much else to do, I realized, except get through it.
Fortunately, it passed quickly; soon there were just residual plops of raindrops, as if they’d been left behind and were a little annoyed about it. The clouds moved over and the a sliver of blue skies re-emerged.
I made it home, soaked and bedraggled but feeling triumphant. The dog was proud, too; he grinned and pranced into the house like he’d won. And he had. We had. We had endured the storm.
As school leaders, we frequently experience storms like this. Have you ever rolled out a necessary change, only to panic over the immediate pushback, whispered comments, or the vocal minority who don’t like change?
That is weather.
Have you ever made a long-term improvement to your school, either by shifting culture, focusing on instruction, or improving student outcomes?
That is climate.
Principals spend a massive amount of emotional bandwidth managing the weather: the angry emails, the complaints, and the friction of a new initiative. We forget that weather isn’t the same thing as climate— and climate matters more.
Weather is loud, immediate, and emotional. It brings temporary friction.
Climate is quiet, systemic, and persistent. It represents your long-term culture and student outcomes.
When we over-consider reactions, we allow temporary friction to hold permanent progress hostage. We overstudy the weather and ignore the bigger thing going on with climate. We end up altering good plans—or abandoning them altogether—just to quiet the noise.
Why do we fall into this trap?
It’s human nature to pay attention to what’s loudest, what’s causing immediate discomfort.
But leadership requires looking past the storm.
The underlying work is what has long-term impact for our students and staff.
How can you tell the difference? Here are four questions to ask yourself when the weather starts swirling.
Is this pushback a sign that the work is wrong, or is it just a natural symptom of change?
Am I adjusting this strategy to improve its impact, or am I just trying to quiet the room?
Six months from now, will this initial noise matter? Will I even remember it?
Six months from now, if I hold the line, will there be a lasting positive result for our school?
Meaningful leadership isn't about avoiding weather; it's about building climate.
It’s August already(!!!!!!). Some of my readers have already started their new school year; many others are beginning to think about that opening staff meeting and rolling out new initiatives, systems, or plans. There will be reactions—feelings, resistance, curiosity, and questions.
That’s okay. Addressing these things is a mark of smart and empathic leadership.
But if you have a good plan set for your year, stay strong through the weather and focus on your climate. The long-term impact on students and staff is worth it.
Warmly,
Jen
P.S. My first book is available in audiobook! Whether you’re a new principal stepping into leadership or an experienced school leader looking to continue growing, this audiobook is designed to support you anytime, anywhere.
If you’ve been wanting to listen to You’re the Principal! Now What? on the go, now is the perfect time.
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