Leadership Without the Title: Ego Can’t Sit at This Table

“If you're always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

— Maya Angelou

Introduction: Doing the Work Before the Title

Before I had a title, I had a mission. I stayed late for students, mentored new teachers, hosted family nights, and stood in the gap when things fell through. I wasn’t chasing recognition—I was simply doing what needed to be done.

The title came later, but the work came first.

In education, we often confuse leadership with hierarchy. But let’s be clear: a title is just a formality. It should never become a barrier to what you were called to do.

Leadership Is Service, Not Status

True leadership isn’t about how many people report to you—it’s about how many people you show up for.

It’s about how you treat the most vulnerable students on their worst days. It's about listening before leading.

Whether you’re a teacher, a dean, or a principal, leadership shows up in the hallways, not just the boardroom. In the classroom, not just the conference room.

And when ego gets in the way, that’s when we start making decisions that are convenient for us, not what’s transformational for the academic success of our students.

You want to know who the real leaders are in schools? They're not always the ones with the fancy titles.

• The paraprofessional who notices when a student hasn't eaten lunch
• The bus driver who becomes a safe adult for a struggling child
• The secretary who learns basic Spanish to communicate with families

When Ego Interferes With Impact

Too often in education, ego makes the call. We see it when:

• Decisions are made without input from those closest to the students.
• Policies are enforced for control—not for growth.
• Vulnerable students, especially Black and Brown children, are pushed out instead of pulled in.

This is especially dangerous for students of color, who are already navigating systems not built with them in mind. When we let ego lead, we silence voices that should be centered.

Students of color walk into schools every day knowing they're being watched differently, judged by different standards, and expected to conform to norms that weren't created with their experiences in mind. They're already fighting an uphill battle against deficit thinking, cultural bias, and lowered expectations. The last thing they need is educators whose egos prevent them from truly seeing, hearing, and advocating for them.

When ego-driven leadership shows up, it looks like:

• Dismissing parent concerns as "overreacting" instead of listening to their lived experiences
• Defending discipline policies that disproportionately impact Black and brown students rather than examining the data
• Refusing to acknowledge when cultural misunderstandings lead to academic or behavioral consequences
• Prioritizing adult comfort over student needs when conversations about race and equity get uncomfortable
• Taking credit for "saving" students instead of recognizing their existing resilience and brilliance

I've seen too many meetings where a Black parent raises concerns about their child's treatment, only to be met with defensiveness instead of curiosity. I've watched educators dismiss culturally relevant teaching practices because they challenge traditional methods. I've witnessed students of color being labeled as "problems" when the real problem is adults who refuse to examine their own biases.

Here's what I know from my years in urban schools: students of color don't need saviors. They need advocates. They don't need us to rescue them from their communities and cultures. They need us to build bridges between their home experiences and school success. They don't need us to lower expectations out of pity. They need us to hold high expectations while providing the support to reach them.

When we lead with ego, we center ourselves in narratives that should center our students. We make their struggles about our comfort. We turn their need for advocacy into our need for appreciation. But when we lead from service, we step back and ask: "How can I use my position, my privilege, my platform to amplify the voices of the students and families I serve?" We get comfortable being uncomfortable. We choose growth over being right. We choose justice over being liked.

Because the truth is, students of color are watching. They're seeing whether we'll stand with them when it's hard, or whether we'll retreat into our egos when the work gets real. They're learning from our actions whether their voices matter, whether their experiences are valid, whether they can trust us to fight for them even when no one's watching.

You Don’t Need a Title to Lead

Some of the most powerful changemakers in schools don’t have leadership titles. They’re the paraprofessionals building trust. The cafeteria worker who knows every student by e

So, if you’re waiting on a title to start the work—you’ve missed the point.

Start the work now.

Reflective Questions for Educators

Ask yourself:

• When was the last time I chose what was right for students over what was convenient for adults
• Am I using my influence to amplify student voices or silence them?"
• What would my students say about my leadership if they were being completely honest?

Final Word

Leadership is not about ego. It's about impact.

And in this work—serving children, building communities, shifting systems—impact should always come first.

So, the next time ego shows up uninvited, remind it:

“There’s no seat for you at this table. We’re here to serve."