One early test for any new middle leader is dealing with the difficult team member. You know the types.

The one who may have also applied for the team lead role.

The one who carries entitlement as their torch.

The one who talks all the time.

The one who says nothing.

The one who turns up late, if at all.

The one who carries on with their emails, only to ask for a repetition of what they just missed.

I'm sure I've missed a few - who is your most memorable difficult person? (No names please...)

As a new teacher leader, how can you prepare? Most teams have one or more of these 'archetypes' - clearly you will have to minimize their negative impact on the team.

Yet it is also worth realizing that each of these has their own unique upside too. Just like back in the classroom, the role of the teacher, as learning leader, is to maximize the unique opportunity of and for each student while minimizing detriment.

Your first 90 days are critical in establishing team norms, focused action and leadership empathy. These three each contribute to 'flipping' the tough team member into an energized contributor. More on this next post.

Interested in learning more about managing tough people in a team? The Leading Teacher Teams program will immerse you in learning about just this, and more.