There’s a magic in teaching reading, and it turns out, the same type of magic shows up in leadership too. I’m going to walk through the reading process to unpack the lessons we can take away as leaders in our own work.
A note, we’ll be using the reading process in this post because, a. I used to teach it and b. “I have to try really hard” in math.
We know that reading really can seem like wizardry to kids that are just learning. The same vibe sometimes continues further in school with some struggling readers. But like any sleight of hand, reading is a lot of practiced work happening so fast and automatically, no one sees the actual moves. The magic in reading is all the invisible processes we go through as we just “read”, without realizing we’re doing any of it.
There is a lot going on in our brains with plain old reading: decoding, connecting, inferring. And all of this happens internally behind the scenes, invisible. You’re doing it now and you don’t even realize it. And, I’m about to drop another process on you. If I’ve made you pause and think about your reading, you’re engaging in some metacognition. For now, all we need to consider is that metacognition is a really fancy term for “thinking about thinking.” And, more importantly, it’s a process central to reflective practices and growth.
Back to that struggling reader. Someone who is learning to read, or someone who assumes they just can’t read, probably has NO idea all of that happens in a “good” reader’s brain. They might think some people can read and, “you know, it’s not me.”
The art of teaching reading, then, comes down to intentionally making visible all that invisible stuff that happens. This can start with, well, just telling people what you’re doing…as you are doing it. That’s it. If you’re an educator this is called a “think aloud”. If you’re not an educator, it’s still called a think aloud but it’s a strange thing to do randomly as you’re out and about in the non classroom world.
Think Aloud to Lead Aloud
In essence, a reading teacher conducting a think aloud is doing a play by play announcement for the crowd. Effective teachers narrate their thinking so students can “see” the process behind the magic. Effective leaders can do the same. That same act of becoming a sportscaster, of doing a live play by play, has lessons for us as leaders. Great leadership isn’t magic. There are many actions, decisions, and nuances happening that make a leader effective or even great. And the best leaders follow the example of that reading teacher. For them, it’s about making the invisible, visible, at the moment others need to see it.
Making the Invisible Visible
First, have you ever encountered someone who just blows you away as a leader? They are everything you would love to be but you just can’t be like them. They are special. It’s like they’re magical.
Yeah. I did just talk about some other process seeming like it was magic.
They’re not magical, you just haven’t seen their invisible moves…yet. Take the time to consider all of the invisible steps this leader is going through. All the lessons they’ve learned. The hours, or years, of practice they might have had before you see the sorcery in front of you.
They know things, like real things, not spells or chants, that they leverage to allow them to lead as spectacularly as they do.
As you were amazed by their leadership, here’s a short list of some of those “invisible” moves you might have missed:
- They highlighted the “why” before the “what.” (Vision is front and center)
- They intentionally sequenced the conversation. (Let’s talk about the student outcome before we talk about roadblocks. Let’s hear from campuses then district leadership.)
- There was restating with out judgement.
- Open ended questions were the drivers.
- They listened first.
Now with that context, think of yourself as a leader. You’re probably at least pretty good at it, and chances are you’re even better than you think. But, in the past month, how often have you stopped and thought about the specific leadership steps you mentally made in a meeting or before making a decision? You most likely used at least two from the list above, whether or not you realized it. Don’t sell yourself short.
You learned those steps, practiced and used them until they became automatic. And now you have smoothly integrated them into your own style. But did you stop and think about what they were or why you used those specific moves? Were you thinking about your thinking? You weren’t casting a spell, you were actively leading. No magic. Don’t fool yourself.
The Moves Behind the Magic
Picture that exemplar leader from earlier in action. Wouldn’t it be cool to have someone doing a play by play broadcast of their invisible steps as they were leading? Much like a skilled reader who has mastered and internalized the reading process, you would find that an effective leader is NOT just winging it. There are moments of mini decisions and corrections happening constantly as they facilitate a meeting. They are adjusting and calling on their learned skills to meet specific needs in that specific moment. Just like you do when you’re reading right now. And neither of those processes are magical. Do they both lead to magical places? Yes!
What’s Next: Thinking about Your Leading
We get better when we reflect and use that reflection to improve. Slow down this week and think about your thinking, be a little metacognitive in your daily work.
Want to make some invisible moves more visible this week?
Reflect on a recent meeting you led: what would your play by play transcript sound like?
Find a specific move you made, either intentionally or not. How could you improve that move just a bit for the next time you use it?
Share a think aloud with someone you’re developing. Walk and talk them through your decision making in real time.
Ask them to do the same with you. Let them narrate their thinking and sequence of moves. Compare and contrast what you both hear. What would those invisible moves look like if you were to take the time and make them visible? Here’s the wild thing, this helps both of you.
SlowIng down the thinking sharpens and refines it.
Reflection and teaching are two of the most powerful development tools we‘ve got. Think about your thinking and reflect on your own invisible moves this week. Pausing and reflecting is a key step to growing yourself as a leader.
What might change in your own leadership if you started thinking about your leading…out loud?
Try one small leadership think aloud this week and make that invisible magic a visible sleight of hand.
Learning to Leading Bridge 
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