The Hurricane

When a school or district suffers from a massive crisis or hits rock bottom after years of underperformance, the Hurricane—also referred to as the Fixer—is called in to save the day. Every Hurricane has a specific niche, whether it’s pulling districts out of budget deficits, building positive school cultures, reducing the achievement gap, or turning around negative test score trends.

The Hurricane won’t be around for long, but his or her tenure will be marked by a whirlwind of change accompanied by a healthy dose of personality Hurricanes are known for certain things because they’ve done those things, and they’ve done them well. But visibility is not always a guarantee. That’s why Hurricanes often excel at the fine art of personal branding. There will always be schools and districts looking to patch up some of the more common problems—it’s up to the Hurricane to make sure his or her name will come up in the search for a resolution.

Hurricanes are tireless project managers who are more likely to spend their time mobilizing people and getting their hands dirty than they are to sit in meeting rooms mulling over strategy. This is the ultimate “get it done” leadership type, disruptions be damned.

Expertise, communication, and indomitable force of will are the hallmarks of a Hurricane. These are the Wild West lawmen who ride into town on their rugged old stallions, restore order, and ride out again with the setting sun. When a district is in dire need of a turnaround, few leaders offer a better option.
 

What the kids see

Kids are a lot more sensitive to school culture than we give them credit for, and they’ll pick up on the changes a Hurricane is trying to make. Depending on how controversial those changes are, the result can range anywhere from curiosity to distrust. Due to the Hurricane’s constant need for tangible progress, these edleaders won’t find themselves in the learning environment as often as some of their peers. When they do put themselves out there, they don’t always enjoy an authentic experience, as front-line staff and students alike may wonder whether there is an ulterior motive to the Hurricane’s presence.
 

Potential pitfalls

The same traits that make the Hurricane a go-to option when the status quo needs to be disrupted make it harder for this leadership type to last more than three or four years in any one location. Part of that has to do with the Hurricane’s need to fix things, but it’s just as often a result of the Hurricane wearing out his or her welcome. The dominant, micromanaging, part of a Hurricane’s personality does not age well.

Because the Hurricane has his or her proverbial eggs in one basket, the margin for error is slim. If a Hurricane’s reputation Is built on his or her ability to raise graduation rates, any downward trend will immediately call that expertise into question. If budget shortfalls are the Hurricane’s niche, he or she better demonstrate fiscal responsibility at all times. Life as a Hurricane can be incredibly rewarding when everything falls into place, but these leaders must always be prepared to pivot.

Learn about the other types: