Last week, the Jason Kidd hiring as Head Coach of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets was a hot-stove topic. The Nets received a lot of criticism for hiring a freshly-retired (and future Hall-of-Fame inductee) coach with absolutely zero head coaching experience. Those defending the hiring belief his on-court leadership will transition to head coaching. Yet, the majority of analysts voice disagreement, due largely to Kidd's lack of experience, especially with numerous other candidates having years of experience.
I am certainly grateful experience is not the only factor taken into account when searching for leadership positions.
There had to have been some candidates with much more experience, in terms of years of service, when I interviewed for my current Assistant Principal position a few years ago. Similarly, I know there were applicants with more experience when I was selected as the Dean of Students at my previous school.
I would like to think my skills as a school leader outweighed my youth and/or my lesser amount of experience.
In terms of experience and the evaluation of potential leaders, we must consider quality versus quantity. Some of the most effective and talented teachers, coaches, and school leaders are not necessarily the ones with the most experience.
