Chris Wigent: Leadership and learning for the educational reset

<p>Podcasts for Leaderful Schools, hosted by Dr. Robert Maxfield and Dr. Suzanne Klein, at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, invites noted guests to share their leadership roles as well as the lessons they’ve learned, and engage in deep thinking as they examine the existing challenges and new opportunities facing school leaders in the post pandemic educational reset.</p><p>Chris Wigent recently retired as Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators, where he provided leadership and support to almost 600 school superintendents and central office administrators across the state of Michigan.  To illustrate the leadership lessons that guided his career, Chris recalled memorable experiences from his most recent position as well as his prior roles: school administrator, superintendent in a rural Michigan district, Superintendent of an Intermediate School District,  and Superintendent of Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency. Looking back on his career Chris reported he was the youngest assistant principal in the state, the youngest high school principal in the state and at one point was the youngest superintendent in the state, also the least experienced consequently he made some mistakes along the way without that experience.</p><p>His first leadership lesson was drawn from an experience early in his administrative career.  As an assistant principal and athletic director, Chris emceed an award banquet focusing on himself a little bit too much. Afterward the superintendent called him in and advised, “You need to remember it’s not about you, it’s about the food.” He learned that whether it was students, or the superintendents, or whomever it might be, it was not about him. Chris lauded the leadership and courage of that superintendent, and attributed that conversation to creating a shift in his thinking and a shift in his career; hence he became a much more effective leader. Chris was adamant that leaders have that responsibility to hold frank discussions with