Opposite to what most people believe, age is not a measure of maturity. I have worked with young education leaders who act like older men and older men who act like teenagers. Maturity comes from knowing how to communicate like an adult and knowing how to manage your emotions in stressful situations. It is not so much about acting your age as it is acting with wisdom.

The power of maturity

Also, your confidence in yourself and your capacity to follow through without excuses are steadfast gauges of how mature a person you are. As an education leader, maturity will either make or break your tenure. Even though immature people make being mature seem so difficult, it really is not. Immaturity comes from a place of selfishness, and the immature people desire to have things there way. On the other end of the spectrum, maturity comes for a space of selflessness and a desire to serve and help others.

Every day, mature leaders are constantly looking for ways to serve others and help them win. Whether it’s mentoring a new leader or making sure the current leadership team has the supports and resources that they need to launch a new initiative. When something goes wrong under their watch, they may hold others accountable, but ultimately they take responsibility for the failure. On the other hand, when the team experiences success, they step out of the spotlight and let others shine. This is what separates mature leaders from immature ones.

If you are an immature education leader, just know that you are working against your own interests. You want to climb the leadership ranks in your district, but your higher-ups don’t want to promote leaders who are not mature and disciplined enough to put the needs of the team before their own. They are looking for selfless individuals whose sole aim is to help everyone around them get better. They are looking for people who work to make a difference in the lives of children.

Concluding thoughts

If you an immature leader, you don’t meet the qualification for a promotion. Its good that you are finding this out now because this gives you time to work on your leadership character. If you do, you can learn to be compassionate, selfless, and trustworthy, which will help you become the mature leader that your district needs.