"You Don't Realize What You're Capable of Doing Until you Try"

“You don’t realize what you’re capable of doing until you try,” said Guy Adami, an amateur Ironman triathlete who commented on his long journey toward completing arguably one of the most physically challenging competitions of all sports (the Ironman has participants completing a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bicycle ride, and a marathon run of 26.2 miles). Educational leaders can push their constituents to reach lofty goals that benefit the whole learning community, and these goals can support personal interests.

Harvard Business Review's Management Tip of the Day (April 1, 2011) speaks of the need for leaders to set goals for those for whom they lead that are reachable but emphasizes the importance of connecting those goals to personal interests:

If possible, sculpt the employee's responsibilities so that he can do things that he enjoys, making it more likely he'll succeed. If he has an interest in teaching, give him a role in training others.

Why shouldn't we compel teachers to connect their hobbies or personal passions to their work? Supervisors, principals, and superintendents can leverage an individual's interests to generate motivation that, when supported in the context of the learning community's work, can lead to higher interest to support the school and district goals as well.