Education Leadership Spotlight

Visible Leadership

By Dr. Steve Little

In the real work of high school leadership, the most important moments rarely happen behind my desk. They happen before first period begins, during lunch waves, in crowded hallways, and long after the last bus pulls away. Over time, I come to understand something that reshapes how I lead: visibility is not something extra I do as a principal, it is the work.

For me, being visible is never about being on a stage or in front of a camera. It means being where teenagers actually live their school lives, in the halls between periods, in the cafeteria, and inside classrooms during instruction. It means showing students, staff, and families that their principal is not distant or hidden, but present and invested.

Research supports this belief. Mascall et al. (2008) identify a strong positive relationship between principal visibility and teacher trust, with teachers reporting greater confidence in leadership when principals are regularly present throughout the school. What stands out to me is their conclusion that visibility must be consistent and meaningful to shape school culture. Students and staff know the difference between someone who passes through a space and someone who truly belongs in it.

I see this play out every day in my high school.

Each morning, I stand at the entrance greeting students as they arrive. Some days it is a handshake, most days it is a fist bump, but every day it comes with eye contact and a name. I learn quickly that the student entrance is one of the most powerful leadership positions in the building. I can read moods, notice who is absent, check in with students who look off, and set the tone before first period even starts.

During passing periods, I make it a point to be in the hallways, not just to enforce expectations, but to connect, redirect when needed, and remind students that this building holds both structure and care. I walk classrooms often, not to inspect teachers, but to support instruction, to help when staffing is tight, and to be present when substitutes or new teachers need backup.

When teachers reach out about a student who is struggling academically or emotionally, I do not respond only by email. I show up. When a parent situation is escalating, I do not hide behind procedures, I step into the conversation. In a high school, where issues can become serious quickly, leadership presence stabilizes situations before they turn into crises.

Visibility matters just as much with students. Teenagers decide quickly whether adults are genuine or simply playing a role. When they consistently see me in their spaces (in the cafeteria, at after-school activities, at athletic events, and in mentoring groups) leadership stops feeling abstract. It becomes personal. They know who I am, and they know I know them.

In a high school serving students with complex lives and real pressures, that consistency sends a clear message: this building is watched over, and these students matter.

The Impact I Observe

Because I choose visibility intentionally:

• Teachers feel supported not only through evaluations, but in the daily challenges of instruction, behavior, and student crises.

• Students experience administration as approachable and fair rather than distant or punitive.

• Parents view school leadership as accessible and responsive, not only present when something goes wrong.

• School culture shifts from rule enforcement to relationship-building, because presence communicates commitment better than any memo ever could.

Being a visible high school principal does not mean being everywhere at once. It means being strategic about where I place myself. It means standing where students and teachers most need leadership. It means understanding that authority is strengthened, not weakened, when it is paired with familiarity and trust.

In my experience, when I show up consistently and authentically, my school does not just run more smoothly…

It feels safer, stronger, and more connected.