Your Side of the Fence
Jesse Owens delivered one of the most iconic performances in Olympic history at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, winning four gold medals in track and field. He claimed victory in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and as part of the United States 4x100-meter relay team. His long jump victory was particularly dramatic, as he set an Olympic record of 8.06 meters that would stand for 24 years. In the 100 meters, he tied the world record, and his 200-meter time of 20.7 seconds set a new Olympic record. These achievements made him the most successful athlete of the 1936 Games and cemented his place as one of the greatest sprinters and jumpers in track and field history.
Beyond the athletic achievements, Owens' success carried profound symbolic weight given the political context of Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler had intended for the Berlin Olympics to showcase Aryan racial superiority, but Owens, an African American athlete, thoroughly dismantled that propaganda narrative through his dominant performances.
His performance earned him a snub from Hitler, who refused to shake Jesse’s hand. An act that today is often used to show the fragile ego of the leader of Germany and other autocrats, and an example of the birth of American pride. But this pride is misplaced because the story continued beyond his time in Berlin.
While it fits the historical context that Jesse did not get congratulated at the Olympic Games, it is noteworthy that he returned to the United States to a President who also refused to acknowledge the accomplishment. FDR was fearful of angering others who did not approve of integration, so he did not invite Jesse Owens to the White House. While staring history in the face, FDR blinked and treated Jesse the same as the man who became synonymous with evil and hate.
So what does this have to do with education leadership?
It’s important to take care of your side of the fence.
Educational leaders must resist the temptation to define success by comparing themselves to the lowest common denominator in their field. When administrators measure their effectiveness against failing schools or underperforming districts, they create a false ceiling that limits their potential impact on student outcomes. This mindset breeds complacency and allows mediocrity to masquerade as achievement.
Instead, effective leaders focus internally on their own standards of excellence, asking not "Are we better than the worst?" but "Are we doing everything possible to serve our students well?" This shift in perspective transforms leadership from a reactive exercise in damage control to a proactive commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
The responsibility to maintain high standards becomes even more critical when surrounded by systemic dysfunction or resource constraints. Leaders who excuse poor performance by pointing to external factors or the failures of others abdicate their fundamental duty to their communities.
Taking care of your side of the fence means establishing non-negotiable expectations for teaching quality, student support, and organizational culture, regardless of what's happening elsewhere. It requires the moral courage to make difficult decisions, invest in necessary improvements, and hold everyone in the organization accountable to shared values and goals. This internal focus doesn't ignore external challenges but refuses to let them dictate the level of service provided to students and families.
When educational leaders commit to excellence as their baseline rather than adequacy, they create ripple effects that extend far beyond their immediate sphere of influence. Schools and districts that maintain high standards despite challenging circumstances become proof points for what's possible in education, inspiring others to raise their own expectations and providing models for systemic change.
This approach demands more from leaders personally and professionally, but it's the only path that honors the trust placed in them by students, parents, and communities who depend on quality education for their future success.
The lesson from Jesse Owens' experience transcends the track and field arena, offering a powerful reminder for educational leaders today. Just as Owens couldn't control Hitler's snub or FDR's silence, educational leaders cannot control the dysfunction or low standards that may surround them.
What they can control is their own commitment to excellence and their unwavering dedication to the students and communities they serve. By focusing on their own side of the fence—maintaining high standards, making principled decisions, and refusing to let external mediocrity define their success—educational leaders honor both their professional responsibility and the legacy of those who have overcome greater obstacles to achieve greatness.
True leadership isn't measured by being better than the worst; it's defined by the relentless pursuit of what's best for those who depend on us most.