and empathy in the identity of a systems-savvy leader requires severalears
and the ability to know the filters. It requires the skill to hear for the
“micro” in the moment and then, when the time is right and the informa-
tion is thoroughly understood, to think for the “macro” implications next.
In this example, the systems-savvy leader thinks about the teacher
first. How is this person doing? What exactly is her challenge? What sup-
ports does she need? Can those resources be found to support her?
When the problem is understood at the personal level, the next step
can be to think about the repercussions of this dilemma, taking into
account the considerations of the school. What if things cannot be
resolved? What if she needs to take a leave? Who needs to be notified?
What are the next steps? How will this affect the students, the department,
and the school? What can be done in the meantime?
According to Kupersmith and Hoy (1989), one of the key reasons a
leader is trusted is because the leader is a person first and a role second.
Learning and remembering to paraphrase, summarizing, and being in
relationship with a colleague on a personallevel, not just a positional
level, is key to getting the job done well.
Why don’t leaders like to listen? Some people don’t like silence
because of a fear of losing control of the conversation. Accustomed to being
fix-it people who provide solutions and offer suggestions, they may see
silence or the voice of the other person taking up air space as an indication
that they aren’t in control of the situation. Actually, the opposite is true. Lis-
tening with the goal of understanding and empathy helps the politically lit-
erate assist colleagues in solving problems and thinking up new solutions;
it provides them an ear and then ultimately facilitates their becoming more
self-directed—which is an ultimate goal of the systems-savvy leader.
Systems-savvy leaders listen and ask questions such as these:
•Can I sit still and focus on the other person completely? What
would help me do so?
•Do I practice paraphrasing? Acknowledging the feeling and content
of the communication being offered to me?
•Do I practice not telling my story? Not giving advice? Not provid-
ing solutions?
Habits of Mind for the Systems-Savvy Leader 299