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The Gardener
Gardeners represent the ultimate people-first edleadership type. These leaders are adept at planting seeds of inspiration, cultivating talent, and reaping the collective rewards of continuous improvement. The Gardener’s endgame is to make people better, either through direct coaching and feedback or a series of growth-supporting structures.
Gardeners are devoted to the idea that if you want to improve an outcome, you start with the people and the process will follow. Whether that means improving learning outcomes by improving teachers or building external perception by building the customer service skills of public-facing staff, the Gardener’s philosophy extends to a surprising number of priorities and initiatives.
Gardeners believe in the power of knowledge, support, and learning networks to overcome any obstacle. It is not unusual for a Gardener to realign the org chart, replace tech coaches with instructional coaches, and flatten the feedback loop wherever possible. These leaders will work to install a strong, consistent coaching culture in every campus and department.
Empathy, frankness, and transparency are the hallmarks of a Gardener. It can be difficult for some people to acknowledge their own areas of opportunity, but the Gardener excels at dispelling notions of fear and replacing them with trust. When demonstrated over a long enough period of time, even the most defensive, cautious types will find value in what the Gardener brings to the table.
What the kids see
The Gardener is a beacon of positivity in the hallways, which should come as no surprise given the relationship-building focus of this leadership type. Gardeners will know more students’ names, interests, and personalities than many of their peers, and they will go out of their way to foster a familial culture in every classroom and every school they touch.Potential pitfalls
As one of the more specialized leadership types, Gardeners run the risk of becoming too single-minded. They get the best results when surrounded by those with strong operational skillsets who can manage the logistical challenges of change. The Gardener’s greatest challenge will be breaking through years and years of fear-based barriers to make headway on the idea of open, honest, and well-intentioned feedback.Inexperienced Gardeners will struggle to give critical feedback, sometimes losing their message by wrapping difficult conversations in a mountain of fluff. Ironically, this constant struggle between what’s best for the individual and what’s best for the organization can lead the Gardener to lose sight of the forest through the trees. To stay ahead of this problem, Gardeners must be willing to be frank when the situation calls for it and emotionally detach themselves from specific initiatives.
