Lean Forward Leadership

In the past few months I've heard the term "lean forward" several times. The first was at my brother, RD's, retirement from the US Air Force. During the ceremony his commanding officer outlined the awards and accolades that RD had received. He pointed out that wherever RD served his team became more efficient and effective. At the end of the ceremony RD was given a chance to speak. He started by briefly commenting about each of his team members in attendance and described a couple of them as "lean forward" leaders. If I remember correctly, one of the team members who received this praise is an enlisted person. I generally think of officers as the "leaders". I loved the term and it struck me as even more cogent when it was used for someone I consider a "team member" more than a "leader".

I heard it again just over a week ago on the radio. President Obama was speaking about the horrible earthquake disaster in Haiti. He talked about the need for everyone involved in the rescue and relief effort to "lean forward" in their endeavors. I tried to find this speech without success, but a search with the words "Pres. Obama 'lean forward' Haiti" resulted in lots of related hits. I saw articles from the Wall Street Journal and the military, as well as blog posts.

What does it mean to lean forward?  Perhaps I can illustrate best with a non example. In several meetings this school year I've seen the escalator video where two people are "stuck" on the escalator between floors. They stay there shouting for help instead of simply climbing the rest of the way. As escalator riders it is simply their job to ride safely. These people know that it is the escalator's job (not theirs) to get them from one floor to another. A lean forward person would not only climb to the top, but would take the time to find the right person to notify that the escalator had stopped. To "lean forward" is to not only fulfill your job as assigned, but to actively look for additional ways to be useful. It is to search out ways to help the team to become more efficient and effective as a whole.


RD said that the Air Force frequently emphasizes the importance of leaning forward. My brother knows how to engender this lean forward attitude in others. He models it in his own actions, clearly empowers others, and rewards them as they demonstrate it. All of this combined in the outcomes of increased efficiency and effectiveness at every base he was located.

So, how can this principle be applied in education? We have a hierarchy in some ways similar to that of the Air Force. Often the teachers and other staff are seen as the "team members" and the administrators as the "leaders". Orders come from the departments of education in the form of standardized testing expectations. We can all simply do our jobs in the "lean back" style by fulfilling our contracts and working hard, or we can lean forward and find ways to help our teams be more effective and efficient. I propose that leaning forward is more important than ever before. The students in our care deserve the very best. We need to prepare them for a complex world where knowledge is a click away and critical thinking is essential to success. Classroom teachers must lean forward by finding ways to empower students to become collaborators in their own education. Subjects must become more integrated to better mirror real life. "Drill and kill" must cease as teachers and learners find authentic ways to meet the state standards.

Educational leaders should not only model a lean forward style, we must clearly empower school faculty and staff and reward them as they lean forward to improve education. Additionally students should be expected to lean forward as well.  I don't think enough leaning forward has happened yet in Haiti, and I pray that it will happen in large scale soon. I don't think that public education has had the equivalent of the Haitian earthquake, but right now the next few years look pretty bleak. Let's all lean forward to change that outlook before the really big earthquake hits.