Listening to Lead — Seeking First to Understand Your School Community

Governing for Greatness Series

Listening to Lead — Seeking First to Understand Your School Communit

Effective boards don’t just make decisions—they listen deeply first. In this session, board members will explore the fifth habit of highly effective boards: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Applied to charter school governance, this means engaging authentically with the parents, students, and community members the school serves. Participants will learn practical strategies for gathering input, building trust, and ensuring decisions reflect the real needs and challenges of their school community. By strengthening their ability to listen and understand, board members will be better equipped to foster transparency, collaboration, and student-centered governance.