Green Day, The Stone Roses & Confidence in School Leadership.

Bands by approximate album sales:

Green Day - 75 million

The Stone Roses - 4.6 million.

Not so long ago, in the year 2002 (a year which pretends to be 23 years ago - the liar) I attended what was looking back a far more consequential house party than I realised at the time. 

As the evening dragged on a seventeen year old me found myself talking to two older attendees one was eighteen the other probably twenty-two - which of course meant by dint of the having needed to shave for longer than I had meant I bestowed upon them a gravitas and wisdom looking back neither truly deserved. The twenty-two year old was talking at length as to why Pink Floyd were the greatest band ever (you'll notice I left them out of the title) whilst the eighteen year old was explaining great confidence and self assurance why a band, at the time I'd not heard of, called the Stone Roses were one of the greatest bands in musical history. I have a vivid memory of nervously trying to join the conversation with my own opinion (since revised) that Green Day were one of the best bands since The Beatles. Whilst the 22 year old seemed to humour this, the Stone Roses fan shot this down with the same self assurance he'd had when explaining why the Second Coming had re-established the band's position as the best band in the world at the time. I slunk back and listened to their continued conversation thinking I really needed to up my game when it came to the bands I liked.*

Of course looking back this was silly. Music taste is subjective and there was more than a case to be made that Green Day being included in that conversation. At the time though I didn't have the confidence in my own opinion in the face of those who did in theirs, to make that case. Instead I took their confidence as a sign they knew more than me and that was that. 

So, what's that got to do with school leadership?

The more I look back on that conversation the more I can see how that's played out at different points in my career - swap the opinion on the Stone Roses and for one on a particular lesson; or scheme; or planning format or what makes good teaching and there's countless times in which the confidence and self-assurance these views are presented with lead to a far out-sized impact on decisions or actions. Likewise, as with Green Day, the amount of times I've been hesitant to express or defend my own ideas, opinions or beliefs in the face of this over-confidence has led to me going along with things that either did not sit right with me or that I knew would not be as effective as the alternative.  

So...?

As I've moved up in Leadership and I've tried to keep 'Green Day - Stone Roses' as a mantra for those times were I've needed to check am I being swayed by confidence? Am I letting my own nerves or doubts when sharing my thoughts stop me from doing what I think is best? 

It remains a challenge, but as with that party 23 years ago, each time I look back on the time I didn't do it the regret outweighs the risk. 

Should I publish this? Green Day - Stone Roses.

*Not long after that conversation I discovered** The Clash who I felt brought me far more credibility.

** I like to pretend that I started listening to The Clash because my uncles were into them. It was actually because the love interest in the film, 'Bring it On' mentions them.