Like so many of you, I’m a big fan of music and especially live shows. I’ve been to so many Gregory Alan Isakov concerts that I fear being put on a stalker watchlist.
Whenever I’m at a Greg show, I wish I could proclaim with credibility: I’m with the band! Evoking this dream invites visions of backstage passes and life-altering afterparties where Greg and I ponder and laugh at life as only close friends can do.
While being with the band can mean you’re a bestie, it can also connote that you work for the band, be it as a roadie, agent, security guard, or event staff.
Regardless of your role, if you are with the band, it is crucial to understand and embrace one fundamental fact: you are not the band. You’re with the band, but you ain’t the band. The band is the talent; those of us “with the band” are there to cheer them on and do whatever we can to support them in their craft.
It’s all about the band. No band, no, “I’m with the band."
In schools, the band is the teachers. They are the talent. They are the show. They are what make schools great. As leaders with the band, we are the roadies, promoters, security guards, ticket takers, and, most certainly, super fans. We carry what needs to be carried. We get the band what it needs to succeed. We make sure the tech works. We promote to ensure people show up. We make sure everyone is safe. We sing the band’s praises as they sing their songs.
As school leaders, we do a lot.
What we don’t get to do is get up on stage.
It is not about us, so let’s stay off the stage and instead let the light shine on our teams and embrace them as the top talent that they are.
Successful school leaders remember their role. They’re not the band. They’re with the band.
And let’s be honest, being with the band is a pretty amazing place to be.