I often feel that I don’t have what it takes: I don’t have what it takes to be a leader . . . I don’t have what it takes to get a promotion . . . I don’t have what it takes to be a trustee . . . Today, I am choosing to silence the “I-don’t-have-what-it-takes” refrain.
I am taking Brené Brown’s advice:
“You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.”
Brené Brown
I am running in this election because I have what it takes to be a trustee. I am walking inside my story. I am owning it. I am not going to hustle for worthiness.
So, I am going to own my story. Here is a list of some of the things that qualify me to be a school board trustee:
- I used to be a teacher. I know what it’s like to spend hours and hours preparing lessons, marking papers and assignments, communicating with parents, managing a classroom, leading and participating in parent-student conferences and meetings.
- I am skilled at strategic planning, change management, business improvement, policy development and implementation, performance measurement and analysis, research and data analysis, etc. These skills are very useful to have at the Board Table. I know how to shape and execute a strategic plan. I understand the importance of communication and training to ready people for change. I hold people accountable. I push for evidence-based decision-making.
- I have taken many facilitation courses and I have facilitated dozens (maybe hundreds) of meetings and consultations and forums. I know how to plan a meeting agenda and get through the agenda on time. I know how to use consensus-building tools to get agreement on a go-forward strategy. Even though Board decisions are made with a majority vote, it is always better to get full agreement.
- I am a strong communicator. I am often called upon to emcee events, give eulogies, and provide greetings or formal addresses. I especially enjoy when I am asked to give an address at graduations. I am comfortable speaking to elected officials in the Government and in the Opposition. I can articulate well the issues that we are facing as a board.
- I am empathetic and humble. I want to listen and learn from others. I do my best to make time for people. I listen to the students. I listen to the staff. I listen to the concerned citizens. It’s good to get out and march and protest for just causes, but it’s just as important to stand up for justice when no one is watching, to ally with the oppressed when no one knows you’re doing it, and to spend time just listening to the stories of others.
- I have been a trustee for four years which means that I have four years of experience under my belt. The role of the trustee is unlike many other roles. It’s not the same as an elected member of the government and it’s different than an appointed board member of a non-profit board. I am finally getting the rhythm of the trustee role and responsibilities.
- I care about people. I want our students to realize their full potential. I want the employees to feel empowered and validated. I care about the well-being of other trustees and our stakeholders.
In addition to the incredible wisdom I glean from Brené Brown, I also lean into what Michelle Obama says. In her book Becoming, she states:
“There’s a power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s a grace in being willing to know and hear others. This, for me, is how we become.”
― Michelle Obama
I am still learning to own my unique story. Michelle Obama, a black woman in the U.S., has faced greater challenges than I have; she has experienced unrelenting criticism and hatred. And when I feel the critics shouting in my ear, I remind myself of her dictum: When they go low, we go high. This is wisdom.
tanyadfoster 