A Quick Pour on Leadership, Avoidance, and Caller ID
Uncorking leadership, learning, and the conversations that move schools forward.
Comedian Ali Siddiq has a bit where he says something along the lines of:
I answer the phone. I am not a coward.
I laughed. And then I thought:
Actually…same.
I answer the phone.
Unknown number?
Answer it.
Parent calling?
Answer it.
Principal calling at an interesting hour?
Definitely answer it.
Someone I know is probably calling because there is a problem?
Answer. The. Phone.
Because I have learned something in 20+ years of education:
Problems do not improve in voicemail.
And neither do relationships.
Now, to be clear, answering the phone has occasionally been a terrible personal decision.
There are calls where, three minutes in, I have absolutely thought:
I could have let this go to voicemail.
But leadership has taught me that avoidance charges interest.
The conversation you dodge today usually comes back tomorrow…longer, messier, and with three additional people copied.
And sometimes the phone call isn’t even bad.
Sometimes someone needs an answer.
Sometimes they need to vent.
Sometimes they need to know someone is actually there.
And sometimes you need to hear the thing directly instead of reading the six-paragraph email version later.
The Leadership Lesson
There are lots of sophisticated leadership frameworks.
This isn’t one of them. Pick up the phone.
Have the conversation. Ask the question. Hear the concern. Deal with the thing.
You don’t have to have the answer yet. You don’t have to fix everything on the call. But you do have to be willing to engage.
Courage in leadership isn’t always a dramatic stand in a boardroom.
Sometimes courage is looking at your caller ID, knowing exactly what this is probably about…
…and swiping Accept anyway.
Before Someone Says “Boundaries”
Yes. I have them.
I don’t believe being a good leader means being available 24/7. I don’t answer every call at every hour, and I don’t expect my team to either.
Accessibility and constant availability are not the same thing.
This is about something different. It’s about seeing the name on the screen, knowing the conversation might be uncomfortable, and deciding you’re suddenly very committed to work-life balance.
Nice try. Answer the phone.
Final Sip
I answer the phone.
Not every call deserves immediate access to me. Leaders should have boundaries.
I just refuse to make avoidance one of my leadership strategies.
Also: I’m not a coward. 😂
With appreciation to Ali Siddiq for the line—and the laugh that turned into a leadership lesson.