It’s all about where your mind’s at. ~ Kelly Slater

In the vast ocean of educational leadership, there exists a third force that is both powerful and unpredictable: swells. Seasoned sailors know that they must successfully navigate the tumultuous waves of a rough sea that, at best, create discomfort but, at worst, can capsize any unsuspecting vessel.

Educational leaders are no different than those worthy sea captains. They must know how to deftly steer their schools through the highs and lows that come with every school day, month, and year. What’s notable about swells and important for us as leaders to remember is that they’re not caused by the local winds but rather by distant storms.

We remind leaders that in the seas of educational leadership there are three distinct causes of turmoil and distress; all three to be avoided.

Undercurrents are caused by decisions–our own and others.

Riptides come out of nowhere and wreak havoc on our plans.

Swells–the topic of this blog–are distant storms that come from afar but have devastating effects on our school community.

Reflection Question

Riding the Wave of Artificial Intelligence

Students use AI to cheat. He understood that it was the first follower who could validate what was coming, regardless of the resistance. 

The first follower is vital because they open the door for others to follow. The dancing guy is isolated to himself and consumed by what he’s doing. But, the first follower makes a conscious decision to join, which will attract others. His confidence and, All too often, the challenges faced by organizations are caused by factors outside of the leader’s immediate control. A leader’s job is to be aware of these distant storms and to take steps to prepare for them.

Circling back to Principal Brian, he found himself in a difficult and challenging swell. As a dynamic and self-proclaimed digital administrator who often attended the National Future of Education Technology conference, he was eager to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance student learning. But, as he and his team sought to implement AI-driven tools and resources, specifically Chat GPT, he faced a variety of challenges from staff that ranged from uncertainty to fear. The staff, unfortunately, couldn’t see the positive aspects of using AI tools because they were simply concerned about rampant student cheating. 

Brian was determined to persist though because he knew the reality—Artificial Intelligence was already present in many facets of our lives and by not embracing and mastering this technology, staff and students would lose out and eventually fall behind.  

Common Uses of Artificial Intelligence

4 Easy Ways to Use Chat GPT in Schools

Brian and his administrative team thought long and hard on how to successfully navigate the tumultuous waters of AI integration. They recognized the benefits of enhanced personalized learning, adaptive assessment, and other innovative educational approaches that AI offers. 

He knew that if they could build a school culture that embraced this technology, both students and staff would benefit. He also knew that the students would acquire essential 21st-century skills and compete in an increasingly digital and interconnected world. Ironically, this is at the heart of almost every school vision statement in the U.S. Unfortunately, we’re just not always open to how to get there. 

As they moved forward, responsible adoption became their motto.

Realizing that AI was a swell, Brian worked hard to foresee the ebbs and flows, and the peaks and troughs of this educational challenge. As a result, he decided to face the swell head-on by using a solid but often overlooked leadership strategy: The First Follower Principle.

The First Follower Principle for School Leaders

If you’re not familiar with the First Follower: Leadership Lessons from A Shirtless Dancing Guy, click on this link before reading another word! Seriously, trust us, it’s a great video, and the rest of this blog will make a lot more sense. 

Because his implementation faced resistance, Brian recognized the importance of finding a first follower–someone on the staff who was tech-savvy and understood AI. He needed someone, one person, who marveled at its capacity and was intrigued by the future of its use in schools. Brian actively engaged those who were tech geeks and were dynamically using instructional technology in their classes. He needed just one dancer on the hill. 

From Bizarre to Cool

The first follower is critical because we often attribute the success of an idea or initiative to those who start it–the dancing guy. Yes, the dancing guy is critical, but in this scenario, Brian is just a solo dancer who is actually frightening the staff. Brian knew that he was viewed as a school leader who was blind to what was really going on in the classroom and what could happen if enthusiasm alone would bring others along until everyone was dancing.  

From One to Many

It’s never easy for someone to be the first follower; it means that they, alone, are committing to an ideal that is clearly unpopular. This is why the shirtless dancer must be clear about what they are doing. The shirtless dancer must fully embrace the idea that they could be alone for a long while before someone joins. Then, even the first follower may not immediately attract other followers. In fact, they may be scrutinized or ridiculed. Unfortunately, resistance and fear can manifest themselves in ugly ways, such as judgment and avoidance. But the dancing guy knows that a swell is looming, and the distant storm is upon us no matter what we do.  

The first follower reduces the fear and uncertainty surrounding AI by simply joining in and then sharing how they are using the tool. They make their passion public. People need certainty and reassurance, which the first follower provides. The first follower will attract others who are on the fence or who are interested but afraid. In the case of AI, there are numerous staff members who see the value but who need security. Just one more dancer and then a third and fourth make all the difference.  by the time the storm hits (the use of AI in the classroom), your whole team is already dancing (using it with ease) rather than being caught by surprise.  

From Random to Coordinated

The first follower is the spark to create the movement, but as more and more people begin to “dance,” Brian must create structure for the use of AI to be sustainable. There are still parts of the storm that are unpredictable. When it hits, Brian can afford for people to move back, stop dancing, and retreat back up the hill. It’s too easy for people to return to negativity, judgment, and what they perceive as comfort. 

Creating the Movement: Technical Tips for School Leaders

• Frame the Movement: Create and share a clear vision with specific goals.

Tip: Remember to demonstrate how this will solve problems, not just create them.

• Anchor the Movement: Create time and space to learn and play with AI in PLCs and professional learning.

Tip: Use the first few followers to lead the professional learning.

• Celebrate the Movement: Create opportunities for staff to showcase and celebrate what they are doing, how they are doing it, and what they love about it. 

Tip: Develop an online space for people to share what they are doing. 

No one can avoid a swell. The ocean is fast and completely unpredictable, much like school leadership. AI is on its way. The leaders are the ones who will embrace it. And AI is only one example of a swell. The leader can see far from the bow of the ship and predict the next big storm. Brian did that with AI, and great leaders know that there’s nothing that can be done about tumultuous waters. But they can’t make the movement alone. They need first followers to join so that everyone can see the vision for the future of the school. 

Let us know what you think of this blog post. Find us on social media, and connect with us to make your next event a blast with a keynote or half/full day training on topics from one of our books or blogs like this one. 

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We can’t wait to hear from you. 

Joe & T.J.