Are You a Swooper?

I know you’re thinking, “What’s a swooper?” Well, let me tell you. I was a swooper and probably many of you are too.

Here’s the story to tee it up for you.

We had just reorganized our leadership team at our school and I invited the leadership team’s coach, Dr. Berman, to facilitate a discussion with the new Principal, the Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, and me.

Prior to this reorganization, these two people held the positions of Director of Elementary and Director of Intermediate Education.

We sat in the conference room and Dr. Berman said “What do you need from each other?” The Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment began talking about the switch in roles and taught me something about myself... I was a swooper.😳😳

Whoop there it is!

Stay with me….I’m almost there.

She said, "Sometimes when I come to speak to you I just want to process things through with you but you just say you’ll take care of it.. I know you are doing it to help me but I don’t need you to do my work. Sometimes I just want you to be a thought partner."💡💡

Literal head explosion.🤯🤯

See when I was a swooper I was just adding things to my plate which was already overflowing. I was helping NO ONE.

Some of you know that you are a swooper but you don’t know why.

It could be because:

• You don’t have faith in your team

• You are a micromanager

• You want to do everything yourself

• You think you’re helping

Or

• Your people aren’t doing their jobs.

Regardless of the reason it is NOT sustainable and counters to your job as a leader to grow other leaders.

I want you to really think about what I wrote and reflect. Respond to this blog post if this resonates with you.

Are you a swooper? If you are a swooper I am happy to help you become a “reformed swooper”. 🙂

In friendship, love and leadership,