What People Can Count On: The Everyday Practices That Define Leadership

Leadership is often discussed in terms of vision, strategy, and decision-making. But inside a school, leadership is experienced much more personally.

Students notice who greets them in the morning. Teachers notice who shows up in classrooms. Staff notice whether expectations change from one day to the next. Families notice whether leaders listen before acting. For Dr. Donetrus Hill, principal of Middletown High School in Middletown City Schools, those everyday actions are not separate from the work of leadership. They are the work.

In a recent At the Table podcast episode, Dr. Hill reflects on a career that has taken him from classroom teacher and instructional specialist to principal, consultant and district-level leader. Across those experiences, a few fundamentals have stayed with him: be clear about where you are going, invest in relationships, and keep showing up.

Consistency Builds Trust

“The most difficult thing for a person to be is consistent,” he says.

That consistency does not mean refusing to adjust. Effective leaders monitor progress, learn from what they see and change course when necessary. But the larger direction must remain clear enough that people understand what matters and what they can expect.

Hill sees that consistency as especially important in communication. 

Ask teachers, students, and families what matters most in their school. If the answers are all over the place—or do not match what they experience each day—there is probably a clarity problem. Clarity is not created by saying something once. It is built by reinforcing it through decisions, expectations, and actions over time.

For Hill, consistency also means being present. At Middletown High School, he greets students each morning over the PA system and spends time in the hallways, so students know he is there. That presence is intentional: “They know that they can count on me to be there.”

“Presence matters,” Hill says. 

Being visible, though, is not enough. Hill believes leaders need to know what is happening in classrooms. They need to see the instruction, understand where teachers are succeeding or struggling and provide feedback that helps them get better.

Listen Before You Lead

One of Hill’s first steps when entering a new school is simple: listen.

Before developing a plan, he works to understand the school’s history and context by talking with faculty, staff, students, and district leaders. Only then does he establish what he calls the school’s “North Star”—a clear picture of what the organization is trying to accomplish and where its attention should be focused. That sequence matters.

Listening first does not mean a leader avoids making hard decisions. It means those decisions are grounded in a better understanding of the school and the people in it. Once the direction is clear, Hill pairs those relationships with high expectations and close attention to results. Listening informs the work; it does not lower the bar for it.

Every Role Matters

Hill’s leadership journey has included roles that range from principal and district administrator to paraprofessional, aide, substitute teacher and school bus driver. Those experiences, he says, shaped his appreciation for every person whose work contributes to a school.

“Yes, I’ve had the big roles, but I’ve also had the impactful roles, too.”

Having done many of those jobs himself gives Hill a different appreciation for the people who keep a school running every day. Schools improve through systems, strategies, and strong instruction—but people carry out all three. For Hill, high expectations and strong relationships aren't competing leadership approaches. People need to know they matter—and they also need honest feedback that helps them improve.

Hear more from Dr. Hill about the experiences and leadership practices that have shaped his work in Episode 29: The Leadership Playbook: Lessons Every School Leader Needs.