Head of School Steve Hickman: The Quest for Excellence

Only greatness lies ahead.
    All things are possible, you see, when you’ve thoroughly and diligently prepared to meet any challenge, overcome any obstacle.
    It’s not just practice that makes perfect. It’s perfect practice, the philosopher and competitor will tell you, that results in that lofty yet elusive quality of excellence.
    The head coach rises from his seat, steps to the podium, and, with a smile, surveys his audience, now quiet and waiting in eager anticipation.
    Then, he begins. His words flow earnestly and passionately.
    It is a pre-game speech that he fervently hopes will set the tone, elevate the bar to an unprecedented level, and leave no doubt about the mission ahead.
    Norman Dale in Hoosiers?  Herb Brooks in Miracle? Tony D’Amato in Any Given Sunday?
    No, it was Steve Hickman, Collegiate’s head of school, addressing his colleagues in the opening faculty meeting of the 2015-2016 school year.
    With much resolve and purpose, he spoke of guiding the young men and women entrusted to our care as they shape their unique stories.
    “Education is a calling,” he said, “and every person in this room, no matter what your day-to-day role is, shares this calling.
    “Our responsibilities are great, and the expectations that we have for ourselves and for each other must be very high.”
    He spoke also of climate.
    “Collegiate School has known for a long, long time,” he said, “that every child has the right to feel safe and valued.  
    “Every child needs a champion.  Relationships – basic human connections – are the key ingredients for creating a climate for young people to thrive.
    “How do we fulfill our calling?  Lead, model, connect, and love.”
    Then, he spoke of leadership, of treating others with fairness and respect, of doing good, of being honest, of staying the course, of overcoming odds, of “giving the world the best you have.”
    “Schools are challenging places,” he said, “and they require great leaders.  All of us are responsible for helping lead our school.”
    He spoke of high expectations, of setting a positive example, of remembering, always, that others are watching and that it is our solemn charge to make each other better.
    “Greatness,” he said, citing the concept of the 20 Mile March articulated by Jim Collins in Great by Choice, “can be achieved if there is a concrete, clear, intelligent, and rigorously pursued plan.
    “For 100 years, our march has been successful, but our march must continue. We have already taken meaningful steps in that direction.  We still have much work to do.”
    He spoke – to borrow from the medical profession – of bedside manner.
    “Though the analogy isn’t perfect,” he said, “it is our bedside manner that sets the climate for our relationships with our young people and their families.
    “It’s our bedside manner that builds, sustains, and nurtures those relationships and the trust that’s so essential to maintaining connections that allow our young people to pursue their own stories.
    “Seizing the fresh start that every new year brings, reflect on your own bedside manner.
    “Is it encouraging, reassuring, and inspiring?  Is it welcoming and compassionate?”
    Finally, he spoke of love.
    “Someone,” he explained, “once said that as an educator, ‘We must act out of love, teach love, model love, and love one another in our community above all else, or all else will be meaningless.’
    “Lead, model, connect, and love.  This has been the Collegiate difference for 100 years.
    “It will be the difference for the next 100 years.”
                                    -- Weldon Bradshaw