School leaders must be much more tactical in their school management and more proactive in confronting these contextual difficulties with a variety of techniques. Several school leaders are striving to improve their educational leadership skills and are looking for actionable initiatives to take. In this article, I’ll detail three simple measures which school leaders can take to improve their strategic leadership skills.

1. Reflect at the End of Each Week

Draw out your to-do lists and objectives, as well as your calendar, on Friday evening or over the weekend, and evaluate what was completed and what is still remaining. Consider what you’re proud of. This stage is intended to assist you in identifying gaps and celebrating achievements. It also helps organize your thoughts for the coming week.

 2. Make a Weekly Plan

Now is the time to take your calendar out and make plans for the coming week. What meetings, training sessions, or activities do you have planned for the near future? What should you do to get ready? What small tasks and large projects do you need to complete by the end of each week? Next, make a to-do list that encompasses everything that needs to be done or handled in the coming week. Make sure your to-do list is visible and accessible view it at all times. This will help you stay focused. 

Pro tip: There are a multitude of applications available to help you stay organized and keep track of your lists; the key is to not pick the first one you come across. Take a few for a trial to see which one works best for you. If you really want to keep things easy, keep track of your impending tasks in a Word document.

3. Reject, Delegate, or Postpone

You’re always busy as a school leader. You have more commitments than time to meet them based on the items  on your agenda, your personal and family responsibilities, and projects which need to be finished this week or next week. Think strategically instead of blowing yourself out. To decide what you can do and what you need to assign or postpone, ask yourself the four questions below.

• What takes priority?

• What do you need to say “No” to?

• Is there anything you can assign to someone else?

• What do you have to postpone?

After you ponder these questions, you will better understand what needs you need to delegate and what you can handle alone. You’re now ready to take on the new week. And just like that, you’ve improved your strategic school leadership skills.