Be the Because: Creating an Environment for High Performance at A.B. Combs Elementary

This week’s post is dedicated to Muriel Summers, Principal of A.B. Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh, North Carolina.

This week, A.B. Combs was named the number one magnet school in the U.S. — an award that they have now won twice. We are blessed that both of our daughters have grown up at A.B. Combs. Amelia has attended from kindergarten through fifth grade and Lacy from third through fifth grades.  On Monday of this week, I attended the award ceremony where we celebrated the achievement of A.B. Combs. Local media covered the event and posted this montage (about one minute) where you can hear from Muriel. (Amelia is also dancing across the stage!)

Muriel is an amazing leader and innovator. About twenty years ago, she heard Dr. Steven Covey speak about his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The seven habits are always worth reviewing, so here they are:

1. Be Proactive
2. Begin with the End in Mind
3. Put First Things First
4. Think Win-Win
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
6. Synergize
7. Sharpen the Saw
And the 8th Habit, “Find Your Voice” came out a few years after the first book. (Even just typing these habits into this blog “re-minds” me — or brings these habits back into conscious focus. They are great habits by which to lead your life.)

Muriel came away from that presentation by Dr. Covey completely amazed. She then asked the primary question that drives innovative leaders: “What if?”What if these habits were taught to children from an early age?  Why wait until adulthood to develop effective people? Why not start as young as possible? Muriel engaged Dr. Covey and local school leaders and then pioneered the creation of A.B. Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary. Most magnet schools specialize in a particular subject area like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) or Performing Arts as a way to draw students. A.B. Combs instead incorporates a Leadership mindset into every aspect of the student experience by teaching the Covey Habits. The Covey Habits are everywhere and are ingrained in how students and teachers think, learn, and behave. I remember when Amelia came home from kindergarten on the first day and talked about “being proactive.” I was blown away. Through her time at A.B. Combs, she has blossomed from a shy kid into a true leader with a strong voice. I credit A.B. Combs with a huge part of her growth by providing regular opportunities for her to lead. Lacy is now thriving in middle school thanks to many of the life and leadership skills she learned at A.B. Combs.At the ceremony this week, many students and a few school board members gave speeches about their experience at the school. What struck me most about these speeches was the recurring theme of what really makes A.B. Combs special.

While there are many factors, the number one thing that stood out for me was this:A.B. Combs is the number one magnet school in the country because there is a culture and an environment of high standards. Every single person — students, teachers, staff, and even the janitors — holds themselves and each other to high standards of behavior and performance.  The key lesson here: where did this environment and culture of high standards come from? It is not an accident.

Notice the word “because” and break it down into its component parts: BE and CAUSE.  Muriel Summers is the CAUSE. Her passion, energy and commitment set things into motion and sustain this environment every day. Without the CAUSE of Muriel’s vision and action in a few big things and thousands of little things, A.B. Combs would not BE where it is or what it is today. BECAUSE of Muriel, A.B. Combs now leads the way.

In every interaction, Muriel consistently communicates her expectations of behavior and performance. And these standards are always high. And guess what? People rise to those standards. I am grateful to you, Muriel, for the impact you’ve had on my daughters and the lives of so many students, teachers, and parents. You are an inspiration to me.

I shared this story with several of my clients this week and now want to share it with all of you. We talked about how you can BE the BECAUSE. If you want your organization to perform to a high standard, then your main job as CEO is to continually set and communicate the standards. You can be the person who sets the standards and creates the environment for high performance in your business, your family, and your life.You can be the person who CAUSES things to BE.
Where can you raise your standards?

Where can you BE the BECAUSE?