The poetry of school leadership: why administrators should learn to communicate like poets

Leadership, March-April, 2002 by Lystra M. Richardson

Communication is at the heart of leadership, and how one communicates matters most. School leaders need to be able to present their ideas concisely and imaginatively in ways that can stir the school community to action.

In order to communicate clearly, one must collect information from multiple sources, analyze it and communicate it to staff in ways that make sense to them. Furthermore, the school leader must be able to inspire staff to action. Poets tend to do this well; in fact, poetry can help leaders put a different perspective on sharpening their communication.

Using the poet's eye

Poetry is designed to stir an emotional response in the reader or listener. Poets tend to be keenly observant. With carefully chosen words, poets describe what they have observed in language that evokes emotion, makes connection and fosters understanding. To accomplish this, poets use certain techniques of observation, analysis and condensed language, all of which can be used by leaders to sharpen communication skills.

In attempting to help others make sense of change, it is important that leaders make connections between the known and the unknown, the old and the new. School leaders can use the poet's eye to scan the changing environment, get the big picture, and -- with carefully chosen words -- communicate to the school community in ways that will help it make sense of and use the information.

The use of metaphors and similes effectively connects the familiar with the unfamiliar, which could provide fresh insights and stimulate creativity in how best to accomplish the change.

To enhance communication, leaders can use some characteristics of effective diction in poetry (Walter, 1962) such as simplicity, appropriateness, restraint, economy, accuracy and imagery.

Simplicity addresses the need for understanding by the reader or listener. A poet searches for the right words not only to express his exact meaning, but also to arouse the imaginative, emotional and intellectual response of the reader. School leaders should not let the search for imaginative words lead them to adopt euphemisms and artificial expressions, but they must search for the words to convey ideas in a straightforward manner, simply and directly.

In poetry, appropriateness is the ability to say the right thing at the right time and to choose words that suit the mood, the emotion and the thought. This can be accomplished by the development of one's vocabulary, and careful consideration of the needs of the audience and the context in which the message is to be delivered. Take the perspective of the staff: What is their primary concern right now? How will this news impact them? How are they likely to respond? How can I frame my communication to address their concerns?

Restraint and economy have to do with being selective, rather than giving in to the need to tell all. Selectivity in words gives added significance and value to language. Restraint also includes the ability to talk less and listen more. The pace in schools is fast and there is no time for long-winded leaders who take five pages to discuss an idea that could well be expressed in one, or who takes an hour to communicate an idea that could be concisely and effectively done in 15 minutes. A critical part of leadership preparation should be learning to eliminate words that add nothing to their verbal or written communication.

Working in tandem with economy is accuracy. Poets achieve accuracy not by adding all the words that could possibly be used, but by searching until they find the exact word or phrase to express their meaning. Prudent use of interesting or uncommon words can be effective in connecting with the right brain and conveying meaning readily.

Imagery gives concreteness to abstract ideas, and helps the reader or listener to understand and respond. Imagery in the form of concrete picture words, allusions, analogies and sensory appeals and can be used effectively by the leader to show connections among the various aspects of their complex environment.

The needs of the heart

Schools are primarily about human relationships. Appealing to the needs of the heart is of inestimable value in most human relationships. Like food for the body, poetry nourishes the soul. So use some tips from poetry to help nourish the soul of your staff, connect with them and watch enthusiasm grow.

References

Walter, N. W. (1962). Let them write poetry. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.

Lystra Richardson is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Southern Connecticut State University.