The story behind our name: Why and How We PIVOT
2024 Principal Cohort members participating in PIVOT’s September learning day
When we think about what makes a great leader, we may imagine someone embodying inspiration, innovation, and confidence. But true leadership is more than a simple collection of traits. True leadership, the type of leadership that can propel students and teachers towards success, requires the complex capacity to hold multiple, possibly competing, truths in your mind and heart. With a focus on identifying and coaching leaders to gain these skills, PIVOT supports leaders to make steady progress towards school success.
The path of a leader is full of paradoxes. This is the core of our approach to cultivating leadership. It means expecting paradoxes like these, and successfully working with, rather than against, them:
To communicate effectively, you must listen.
To get respect, you must give respect.
To hold others accountable, you must build positive relationships and be accountable for your actions.
To meet big-picture goals, you must plan the smallest details.
To inspire trust, you must be confident and humble.
To create a cohesive team, you must encourage space and flexibility.
Paradoxes like these are not impossible contradictions; they represent the mindset that leaders need for lasting and transformational leadership- the type of leadership that pivots struggling schools into successful ones.
Why PIVOT?
When it was time to name our organization, we wanted to choose something that represented the complexities of strong and agile leadership. These leaders keep one foot planted while the other moves purposefully in new directions; they pivot, adjusting, adapting, and improving. Pivoting does not mean moving away from your mission or values; it means evaluating the situation and adjusting to move forward most effectively.
That is why we are PIVOT: School Improvement Leaders. Our name represents a complex skill that is central to the leadership we expect from ourselves, which we grow within our school leader cohorts. It is a testament to the fact that progress requires steadiness and movement. It highlights our commitment to teaching school leaders how to identify and overcome challenges so that they can lead their schools towards lasting transformation. It reminds us to see possibility in difficulty and use it to find a path forward.
How do we PIVOT?
We know that the skills needed to be a successful school leader, a leader who can pivot, can be taught and learned. Our approach instills these skills through three integrated supports:
Leader Learning Community: Our leadership cohorts are a community of leaders focused on leveraging the principles of improvement science through shared learning and problem-solving.
Applied Learning Experiences: Our leaders engage in school-based learning cycles focused on real school challenges and evidence-based practices.
One-on-One Coaching: We provide tailored real-time coaching that sharpens leadership skills and supports implementation of strategies.
Ready to PIVOT? Contact us today.