Lombard Street

This picture is a framed and numbered print that hung in my office all 16 years I spent working at four different schools as an assistant principal and a principal.

The first and foremost reason this picture is important is my wife and I choose San Francisco for our wedding anniversary trip over 25 years ago. It was certainly a beautiful city and a fantastic spot for excellent food and sight-seeing treks on foot and in boat while we visited locations familiar to many.

The second reason this picture resonates with me is precisely what the analogy describes on the landing page of this website. All school leaders, regardless of position and scope of responsibility, spend their time zigging and zagging to lead their area of the educational organization. Unfortunately, the obstacles are not stationary, and the steep slope can be as slick as ice. This picture was a convenient and relevant image to which I could refer in my office during mentoring and coaching conversations with other school leaders whose growth and development I was responsible and accountable for.

The third reason this picture is important is it is a distant reminder of a past moment and a cue to enjoy every moment in life to its fullest because that moment may not present itself again. You can tell from the vehicles this picture was taken in the 1970’s. My wife and I took our three children for an 11-day West-coast adventure in the summer of 2017 including four days in San Francisco. We visited Alcatraz and the Exploratorium; we ate great food; and we explored a beautiful city. As you know, that city is not the same today – and the ugliness is growing – which leads directly to the fourth and final reason.

According to John C. Maxwell, “Everything rises and falls on leadership”. This statement is universally true in schools and Solutions 4 Education, Inc. was formed to provide support for school leaders, especially in the area of effective leadership. This statement is also universally true in positions of elected leadership. This picturesque city is in crisis due to colossal failures of leadership in a variety of elected and appointed positions.

In most areas of our country school boards are elected and superintendents, principals, and assistant principals are appointed. Everything, indeed, rises and falls on leadership!