President’s Letter: Leadership’s Possibilities

“Leaders change the way people think about what is possible.” – A. Zaleznik

Have you ever been asked to lead? Do you consider yourself a leader? I have talked to many school counselors and graduate students over the years, and most do not consider themselves leaders. Many consider themselves doers or helpers. They are compassionate individuals who want to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Leadership, in their opinion, should be left to administration. If you are one of the many who feel this way, consider this: School counselors are leaders. We lead each day, whether we realize it or not. People look to us to bring about positive change with our students and in our schools. Sometimes, we are even looked upon to lead our colleagues.

I was fortunate to have some very inspiring teachers in my life. I took several classes from one of my most favorite professors, Dr. Patrick Allen. In his Educational Leadership course, Dr. Allen assigned us the book, Leadership Theory and Practice (Northouse, 2013). The title sounds a little dull, I know, but within the pages I found a wealth of knowledge. The quote “Managers are people who do things right, and leaders are people who do the right thing” has stuck with me over the years. How many times have you watched school counselors stand up for what is right for a student or a school – or done it yourself – even if it went against popular opinion? That difficult path can be uncomfortable, yet it is the right thing to do. This is a prime example of school counselor leadership.

In this same class, Dr. Allen always encouraged and motivated us. He emphasized that educational leadership is a work in progress, that one’s leadership capabilities evolve as you evolve throughout your career. Some of us are earlier bloomers and some of us just need a little more time to evolve. According to Dr. Allen, school counselors as educational leaders should inspire a vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, model the way and always encourage the heart. His philosophy closely models the transformational approach to leadership. I, too, believe that we should work together and enable others to be part of the process. We must model the way for our students and for our colleagues, while setting up an educational environment that encourages individuals to participate in school improvement practices. This helps us to transform the status quo within our buildings, districts and sometimes state and national policymaking arenas.

In the 4th edition of the ASCA National Model, the four themes of leadership, advocacy, collaboration and systemic change no longer appear around the edge of the ASCA National Model diamond. Instead, they are woven throughout the book as integral components of a comprehensive school counseling program. Implementing the ASCA National Model requires leadership, advocacy and collaboration with a focus on systemic change in outcomes. Does this sound familiar? It reminds me of transformational leadership and Dr. Allen’s philosophy.

This brings me back to my main point: School counselors are educational leaders. Collectively, we are a positive force to be reckoned with. I encourage you to become involved in building and district leadership positions, WEA positions and opportunities, and especially with the Washington School Counselor Association. If you are interested in upcoming WSCA leadership positions or becoming more involved at any level with the Washington School Counselor Association, please contact Chris Kelly, our executive director, at chriskellywsca@gmail.com.

I am reminded of a quote from Barack Obama. He once said, “I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change – but in yours.” Never doubt your leadership abilities, my colleagues. Our students and our profession need you!

Contact Jenny Morgan, WSCA president, at jennymorganwsca@gmail.com.