Are school leaders adrenaline junkies?
The feeling of adrenalin high is addictive. The natural chemical of speed, adrenalin gives you a ‘rush’.
When you’re on adrenalin you think quickly, talk quickly, eat quickly and even finish other people’s sentences. A crammed life is typical of the adrenalin junkie – you try to be ‘on’ 100% of the time. If you have been an adrenalin junkie for some time, you may have lost the ability to relax (Church 2007, page 29).
However, the rush that we get from adrenalin is not sustainable and may not be helping us. This addiction to adrenalin can make us our own worst enemy.
The downside of the adrenalin high is the adrenalin crash! This is the feeling of anti-climax you get when you finish a major project or the restlessness you feel on holidays, the boredom you endure when you get a chance to slow down. When things aren’t happening, you feel vaguely depressed.
When the entire day becomes one big stress event, fueled by adrenalin, this can lead to burnout and exhaustion. This can contribute to serious stress-related illness and premature ageing. It also makes you less fun to be around.
There are two ways to get a natural high – one from adrenalin, which makes you feel switched on for short bursts; the other from serotonin, which makes you feel calm and comfortable for longer periods. The real natural high comes from an appropriate balance of both adrenalin and serotonin.
The first step is becoming aware that you may be an adrenalin junkie.
If you do everything in fast forward you need to slow down and make some space in your life. When you learn to switch onto adrenalin only when you need to, and manage the rush in a healthy, balanced way, you can be naturally high more often, rather than using your ‘drug’ to get through everyday life (Church, 2007, page 29).
It’s important to learn to slow down and STOP BEING A MARTYR! Whilst school budgets are always tight, school leaders are often reticent to allocate school resources to support their executive role.
However, getting the balance right in terms of actual support and the perception of others is important. The balance is somewhere between being a martyr, doing everything yourself by not allocating any support and being perceived as ‘high maintenance’, pampered and removed from reality. It is important that school leaders value their own professionalism and well-being to ensure that we are making the greatest possible difference in our schools.
For example, utilising a couple of hours of administrative support for data input to release you to analyse the data or plan for the successful implementation of an important initiative in your school is wise. Having someone make your cup of tea or serve your lunch is too far!
At the Australian Primary Principal’s Association conference, APPA President Dennis Yarrington, launched “Back to Balance: How Policy and Practice Can Make Primary Principals Highly Effective”.
The excellent report written by Norm Hart was the result of a deep analysis of an extensive survey of Primary Principals from across Australia, including all sectors and states.
The report concludes with five recommendations and highlights that, “It is Australia’s primary school leaders who must take ownership of these research findings and use them to make their work, healthy, fulfilling, effective and attractive to aspirants.”
RECOMMENDATION ONE
The profession of school leadership must insist and demonstrate it deserves trust and support so that principals can lead teaching and learning for all Australian students and teachers.
RECOMMENDATION TWO
Australian primary principal associations must advocate for adequate support aimed at meaningful accountability and compliance reporting.
RECOMMENDATION THREE
Australian primary principals must advocate for well-supported policies, procedures and practices that ensure primary school leaders manage staff, students and parents, effectively.
RECOMMENDATION FOUR
Australian primary principals must utilise school personnel and resources to ensure the school operates highly effectively.
RECOMMENDATION FIVE
Australian primary principals must actively manage their workload.
Implementing recommendations four and five requires changes by the principals themselves and recognising that we may be addicted to the adrenaline rush.
Steve Francis is an expert in the complexities of leading effective schools. He works with schools to enhance the skills of their leadership team and staff. Steve was recognised by Educator magazine as one of the top 50 most influential educators in Australia. He is the author of four books and the creator of the Happy School program.
REFERENCES
Church, M 2007, High Life 24/7 – Balance Your Body Chemistry and Feel Uplifted, Thought Leaders, Sydney, Australia.
Lencioni, P 2012, The Advantage – Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, United States.
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