Are you a liked Principal?

What do 156,000+ respondents tell us about Principals who are liked and disliked? They exhibit very different characteristics, particularly in how they interact with the school community and demonstrate leadership. Below is a breakdown.

(Reader Note:  GraceWorks is taking advantage of the power of AI to provide experientially-proven, statistically-valid truth to common issues K-12 Christian schools face – based on a mountain of data of serving Christian schools exclusively since 2006. 

We put this same power to work for your school, providing detailed practical solutions to satisfaction problems discovered through our nationally-normed Christian School Comprehensive Survey for parents, students, and teachers.)

Characteristics of Liked Principals

• • Active and Visible: Liked principals are actively involved in the school community, making a conscious effort to be present and interact with students, staff, and parents. They are not just administrators, but are a part of the school life and are actively working with the kids. They make an effort to pop in on a class and stay more than 30 seconds.

• • Approachable and Friendly: They are seen as kind, friendly, and understanding, creating a welcoming atmosphere where students and parents feel comfortable and valued. They are often described as funny and kind, and are personable to both children and parents.

• • Effective Communicators: Liked principals prioritize clear and effective communication. They ensure that information is shared with all members of the school community and they listen to and address concerns. They are responsive to emails and questions from parents and communicate with students directly, not just through parents.

• • Supportive and Caring: They are viewed as caring and supportive of both students and staff, being there for the students, not against them. They are described as loving and having a love for the kids, treating the students like their own children.

• • Positive Influence: They promote a positive, fun, God-centered, uplifting community and staff, and are able to set a spiritual tone.

• • Effective Leaders: They are seen as strong, effective leaders with a clear vision and have the ability to implement it. They are also described as good leaders.

• • Open to Improvement: They are always looking for ways to improve the school and are open to suggestions from others, showing a willingness to never stop improving. They listen to parent concerns and consider different viewpoints.

• • Fair and Consistent: They are perceived to handle situations fairly and treat all students equally.

• • Professional: They look the part of a principal.

Characteristics of Disliked Principals

• • Absent and Uninvolved: Disliked principals are often described as absent or uninvolved in the school community. They are not visible to students, are not part of the school environment, and do not greet students in the morning or afternoons. They tend to avoid interaction with the community.

• • Unapproachable and Unfriendly: They are seen as rigid, unfriendly, and not understanding. They may be described as standoffish, short-tempered, intimidating, or bullying. They may also be described as not kind or cold and distant.

• • Poor Communicators: They struggle with communication, failing to keep parents, students, and staff well-informed. They may not respond to emails in a timely manner and tend to not listen to parents’ concerns.

• • Not Supportive: They are not viewed as supportive of students or staff and are not there for them. They do not show concern for all students.

• • Ineffective Leaders: These principals are often described as lacking leadership skills and an inability to make decisions. They may be seen as not a leader or as being too nice, trying to please everyone. Some have been described as not having a clear vision.

• • Closed to Feedback: They are not open to feedback from parents or staff and may have a my way or the highway mentality. They do not incorporate parents’ concerns or ideas and may not handle situations with logic.

• • Unprofessional: They may not look the part of a principal or may be emotionally reactive.

• • Not Focused on Students: They may seem more concerned with enrollment rates or other factors rather than the well-being of students.

• • Defensive: They tend to make excuses instead of dealing with issues directly.

• • Biased: They may be perceived as not being unbiased or consistent in their discipline.

• • Secretive: They are not transparent about school finances.

Key Differences