When it comes to the culture of the school, principals have the greatest say. They accomplish this by establishing the tone for how others should behave and engage in the school environment. Good school leaders foster a culture of respect, trust, optimism, and purpose, while bad ones do the opposite. This post will go through seven ways that principals can affect school culture.

• Develop a shared vision. It is your responsibility as a principal to develop a magnificent vision for your school. This vision, however, should not be produced in a vacuum. Once you’ve developed your vision, share it with your leadership team, followed by the full crew. Allow them to collaborate with you to mold your idea into one that everyone can buy into. Everyone may not be thrilled after the process, but they will buy into this shared vision since they helped create it.
• Maintain dependability. The existence of responsible and trustworthy staff is critical in any firm. It is your responsibility as the leader to set the tone by being dependable and trustworthy in your dealings. If you say you’re going to do something, follow through. This will permeate the rest of your team, establishing an environment in which everyone trusts each other to carry out their jobs.
• Accept failure. School leaders sometimes get caught up in the need to appear perfect and infallible. This, however, is a tremendous mistake. Being open about your faults can help to foster a school culture in which students can be themselves. When we consider mistakes and failures to be building blocks of success rather than something to be avoided, innovation and creativity can flourish.
• Delegate. Trying to do the majority of the work can only lead to frustration and burnout. Instead, distribute work to your leadership team and other members of your employees. This will foster an environment in which employees feel empowered and enjoy genuine professional advancement.
• Intentionality should be practiced. Everything you do as a leader must be deliberate. Intentionality is defined as “a deliberate decision to act in a specific way to attain and carry out a predetermined goal.” It’s  knowing what we want to accomplish as well as how we want to accomplish it.” In this manner, when you make decisions, the intent behind your actions is clear to others. They will be able to identify the pattern and reason behind your decisions, as well as how they align with the school’s mission and vision.
• Accept change. Nothing is definite in this world except change. Be the leader who embraces innovations and techniques rather than the one who resists them. Your district will implement new policies, reforms, technology, and so on from time to time. When they do, accept the adjustments and set a good example for your employees. Things will change, with or without your approval. It’s best to get used to it.
• Take chances. You’ve heard the adage “no risk, no reward?” This is most emphatically true in the sphere of education. Many of today’s educational breakthroughs were developed by educators who decided to try something new and, as a result, make a difference. As a principle, foster a climate in which adherence to the district, state, and federal laws is required, but innovation and originality are encouraged.