Bonus: Who are you? With Craig Martin
Last spring several of the assistant principals in our APEx group asked if we could work on how
APs can influence school culture without over-stepping their boundaries. One AP noted that
this could be especially problematic if you and your principal had very different styles. Back
then I approached this as a culture question, but today I’m looking at it differently. Today, I’m
thinking about this through two lenses. The first is authenticity: how do I do a job where
everyone is watching me all the time, and make sure that I am true to myself? The second lens
is sociological.
Show Notes, Episode 51: Who are you? With Craig Martin
About this show:
Last spring several of the assistant principals in our APEx group asked if we could work on how
APs can influence school culture without over-stepping their boundaries. One AP noted that
this could be especially problematic if you and your principal had very different styles. Back
then I approached this as a culture question, but today I’m looking at it differently. Today, I’m
thinking about this through two lenses. The first is authenticity: how do I do a job where
everyone is watching me all the time, and make sure that I am true to myself? The second lens
is sociological.
If we were in a room together and someone introduced me as “a leader” you would not be
surprised because I look the part. I’m a 6-2 white male in my late 50’s, I have a good speaking
voice and I know how to engage with people. And yes, I coached football. In other words, I
meet the societal expectations of what leaders look and sound like in our culture.
But what about everyone else? What does it mean to be a leader in schools when you don’t
look like me? How do you maintain your authenticity when the expectations of who can lead
and how they should lead are still relatively narrow and rigid?
Notable Quotes
Craig Martin
“To be authentic, in my opinion, means that you recognize in the spaces where you walk, you
breathe, you lead, that you allow the pulses of the young people who are moving about, the
teachers who are working with the young people, the custodians, the food service community,
the parents, the community partners, you allow those pulses help you center on what you feel
led to that important.”
“People want to know you’re human, they want to know you care”
“Being authentic is about, in my Opinion, being open to sharing parts of who you are in your
human experience that connect and resonate with others”
“Not all acts of vulnerability are created equal. There is a ladder within yourself that is unique
to you.”
“Sometimes the smallest moments are the actually the most meaningful for people when we
talk about vulnerability”
“Our kids know us”
Assistant Principal Exceleration
https://www.frederickbuskey.com/apex-members-page.html
“In your ability as a leader, you have the ability to transcend what is most important. You have
the ability to send signals to people on ‘this is what i believe in, this is what i am about.’ and
people will find harbor with you, they will look to you for council and coaching and
development. they will want to take those walks because they want to be in spaces where they
feel safe, they feel affirmed, they feel seen, and they know they will be supported and loved.”
“Be okay with not being okay, but consistently love on yourself. and thats a thing I have to keep
doing. I have to keep reminding myself “I am loved, I am thriving, I am safe” but I need to keep
filling myself with those kinds of messages and affirmations”
Frederick
“Authenticity is not about you, it is about how you relate to all of these other people, and
authenticity involves serving, connecting, and supporting other people”
“Our authenticity should remind other people of the best parts of us and the best parts of
others”
Links:
Craig’s Twitter: @CraigCMartin12
Craig’s Website: https://www.craigcmartinleads.com
My email: frederick@frederickbuskey.com
The Assistant Principal Podcast website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/appodcast.html
Sign up for the daily leadership email: https://mailchi.mp/c15c68e6df32/specialedition
Website: www.frederickbuskey.com
Blog: www.frederickbuskey.com/blog (reposts of the daily email)
About this show:
Last spring several of the assistant principals in our APEx group asked if we could work on how
APs can influence school culture without over-stepping their boundaries. One AP noted that
this could be especially problematic if you and your principal had very different styles. Back
then I approached this as a culture question, but today I’m looking at it differently. Today, I’m
thinking about this through two lenses. The first is authenticity: how do I do a job where
everyone is watching me all the time, and make sure that I am true to myself? The second lens
is sociological.
If we were in a room together and someone introduced me as “a leader” you would not be
surprised because I look the part. I’m a 6-2 white male in my late 50’s, I have a good speaking
voice and I know how to engage with people. And yes, I coached football. In other words, I
meet the societal expectations of what leaders look and sound like in our culture.
But what about everyone else? What does it mean to be a leader in schools when you don’t
look like me? How do you maintain your authenticity when the expectations of who can lead
and how they should lead are still relatively narrow and rigid?
Notable Quotes
Craig Martin
“To be authentic, in my opinion, means that you recognize in the spaces where you walk, you
breathe, you lead, that you allow the pulses of the young people who are moving about, the
teachers who are working with the young people, the custodians, the food service community,
the parents, the community partners, you allow those pulses help you center on what you feel
led to that important.”
“People want to know you’re human, they want to know you care”
“Being authentic is about, in my Opinion, being open to sharing parts of who you are in your
human experience that connect and resonate with others”
“Not all acts of vulnerability are created equal. There is a ladder within yourself that is unique
to you.”
“Sometimes the smallest moments are the actually the most meaningful for people when we
talk about vulnerability”
“Our kids know us”
Assistant Principal Exceleration
https://www.frederickbuskey.com/apex-members-page.html
“In your ability as a leader, you have the ability to transcend what is most important. You have
the ability to send signals to people on ‘this is what i believe in, this is what i am about.’ and
people will find harbor with you, they will look to you for council and coaching and
development. they will want to take those walks because they want to be in spaces where they
feel safe, they feel affirmed, they feel seen, and they know they will be supported and loved.”
“Be okay with not being okay, but consistently love on yourself. and thats a thing I have to keep
doing. I have to keep reminding myself “I am loved, I am thriving, I am safe” but I need to keep
filling myself with those kinds of messages and affirmations”
Frederick
“Authenticity is not about you, it is about how you relate to all of these other people, and
authenticity involves serving, connecting, and supporting other people”
“Our authenticity should remind other people of the best parts of us and the best parts of
others”
Links:
Craig’s Twitter: @CraigCMartin12
Craig’s Website: https://www.craigcmartinleads.com
My email: frederick@frederickbuskey.com
The Assistant Principal Podcast website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/appodcast.html
Sign up for the daily leadership email: https://mailchi.mp/c15c68e6df32/specialedition
Website: www.frederickbuskey.com
Blog: www.frederickbuskey.com/blog (reposts of the daily email)
