Superintendent Interview

Commitment, being true to oneself, ethical, moral, passionate, prioritizes...these are all words or phrases that kept being repeated as I interviewed my superintendent. All of these qualities overlap in some ways and are hopefully those in which many people posses to some degree. However the school superintendent must posses all of these at all times. It was evident that my Superintendent realizes this is a difficult task, and one in which any candidate for the superintendency should understand. He also emphasized safety and an environment rich in educational opportunities as high priorities.
My superintendent defined leadership as the ability to commit everyone to a common cause. This is not always easy. In doing so, the leader must share the vision and be able to present the needs, project, or new idea in such a way that all will come together to attain the goal. This is linked to the question concerning shared vision. He added here that in order to develop a shared vision, the superintendent must have total commitment from him or herself. Others will not share a vision that is not a committed vision of a leader. Stakeholders, usually the teachers or school board in this case, would be able to recognize if the superintendent was not wholeheartedly committed and would therefore be compromising in their own commitment.
We discussed ethical leadership more than once during the interview. He described ethical leadership as the type of leadership that is the same regardless of the audience. I have often heard him say that you should treat others as you would want to be treated. This applies to working with staff as well as working with state agencies, parents, or students. Along with this we must realize that not everyone is going to agree with decisions or directions, but if the superintendent is true to him or herself, the road will be more tolerable.
The ability to maintain proper ethics also was discussed when I asked about attributes of a good superintendent. He explained that a good superintendent must be of good moral fiber and be true to oneself. He also added that approachability, good communication skills, being personable, and being a team player are all necessary components. When asked about effective communication, he spoke of the smoothness of the operation as a way to evaluate the progress of whatever is going on or being communicated. Regardless of the situation some are going to complain or claim lack of understanding. This is the nature of the position. Evaluation of proper communication is ongoing and takes into consideration these hurdles; however when the big picture is viewed, communication may be deemed successful when the most important stakeholders, the children of the district are kept at the top of the priority list.
My superintendent also spoke of board - superintendent relationships and describes them simply as a honesty and trust. He humorously expounded on this by saying, "It's not poker." He explains by saying that you must not give answers to the board members when asked a question that you do not know. It is better to say that you will find out and get back with them or that you will research the matter etc., rather than to attempt to save face by giving what might be false information. He added that effective relations require total trust in all directions.
I came to understand the role of the superintendent better after this interview. It was a nice activity to participate in and a rewarding learning experience.