Page One: Leading (and Succeeding!) from Vision and Values

1/8/2025

Page One: Leading (and Succeeding!) from Vision and Values

Ground your leadership in clarity and purpose with a step-by-step approach to prioritizing what matters most and aligning daily actions with long-term goals.

DR. JEN GOWERS
Instructional Specialist

School leaders: we know you truly have the best job. You get to guide and lead your team to greatness, through new and exciting initiatives, witnessing staff and student growth every day.

Yet, school leaders: we know you truly have the hardest job. We know you encounter a host of competing priorities every day, the heavy weight of responsibility on your shoulders and a long list of indicators to master no matter which evaluation tool supports your practice.

I have had the great privilege of journeying with a wide variety of school leaders and one of the most important factors in folks’ success is ensuring their highest priorities stay strong and central amidst a sea of everyone’s needs and next steps.

This is where a Page One comes in.

What is it?

Your Page One is an accounting of what matters to you most. When you lead from what matters most, you can stand in your greatness. If you return to your Page One frequently (weekly, ideally; quarterly at minimum) and connect your actions to your ideals, you are more likely to achieve your highest goals (and to remember them when overwhelmed by the mountain ahead).

So, to reconnect with what matters most to you as a leader, to recommit to your most deeply held strengths, values, vision, priorities, goals and commitments to excellence, and to reiterate your commitments via a written artifact you can return to revisit your highest order priorities, make yourself a Page One.

How do you make one?

First, reflect: what do you want most to achieve this year as a leader? Where have you already succeeded/how far have you come? What next right moves will you make toward greatness?

Next, let’s make one! Click here for a simple, one page template.

It is divided into quadrants. In each one, write down the following:

Quadrant One: Strengths and Values
What you lean into in order to accomplish everything you do

List your top strengths. What gifts are you proud to contribute? What are your best qualities? What do you hope will be part of your legacy and light?

Select your top two values. Take a look at any list of values (or generate your own), and whittle it down to 10. Then, cut that list in half. Finally, select your top two values and write them down.

Quadrant Two: Strategic Priorities and Vision
The key things you most want to accomplish, and how you want to accomplish them

List your top priorities. Name the key things you want to accomplish as a leader. To define them, think: what are my top values? What do I most want to keep, change, or grow, and rule of threes — you get three priorities, maximum.

Write or re-write your vision. How do you want to accomplish your priorities? The simplest and best school vision I ever heard was authored by Shingirai Blessing Mutasa, a principal in the Bronx: Love, Joy, Excellence. Think of key words you and all stakeholders can easily visualize alongside you, then share how you want to get there.

Quadrant Three: Goal and Professional Development Plan
Your next right move, and what you need to learn, unlearn, or be supported with in order to achieve this

Write or re-write your goal. What do you want to achieve first? Oprah says you don’t need to know everything right now, you just need to know your next right move. After all of this high level thinking, what is that next right move for you?

Take a moment to reflect on your PD. What do you most want to learn? What workshops, reading, coaching, conferences, or on the job support might you need to meet your goal?

Quadrant Four: Commitments and Mindfulness
What will you do more, do less, or continue to do as a leader, and how you will best take care of yourself as you learn and grow

List your leadership commitments. What will you do more, do less, or keep doing in order to stay aligned to your highest level priorities?

Name your mindfulness practices. What will you practice to ensure you’re pouring from a full cup? List anything you do that helps you be your best self.

When you have completed the Page One template, commit to when and where you’ll revisit it. Open up your calendar and make yourself an invite that says “Revisit Page One” as frequently as once a week, or once a quarter at minimum.

Remember: your Page One is an accounting of what matters to you most. It’s a singular place where you can quickly recount everything you need to be completely successful. It can instantaneously reground you in what matters most so you can accomplish anything (and everything) and be the leader you want to be!

Ensure your highest level priorities stay strong whatever comes your way this year. Make and commit to your best leader self by creating and revisiting a Page One.

RECENT READS FROM CPET

Comments