By Jamie Bricker
Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a monthly series examining the role of affective leadership in schools. Affective leadership focuses on working with people—listening to them, valuing them, and responding to their needs—rather than simply trying to work through or around them. When staff, students, and families feel genuinely respected and heard by administration, they become more invested in the school. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for strong connections across the school community.
The prolonged stress and uncertainty of the pandemic have affected every corner of the educational community. Teachers, students, parents, and support staff are looking to principals and school leaders to set a clear, steady tone. Leaders must provide both accurate information and ongoing encouragement, balancing realistic optimism with factual clarity so the school can move forward with confidence.
Effective principals must serve in two interrelated roles: informational filter and emotional shock absorber. School communities are overwhelmed by a constant surge of facts, fears, and rumors. After many months of crisis, people can become numbed or anxious from the sheer volume of information. Principals who filter and clarify that information help reduce confusion and keep the school focused on what matters most.
Staff members want calm, consistent communication from the office. That means eliminating avoidable surprises and keeping everyone in the loop. Whether through socially distanced conversations, scheduled virtual meetings, brief phone calls, or carefully written updates, administrators should regularly reach out to reassure staff, students, and families that the school is doing its best to be a safe and supportive place. Absolute guarantees cannot be made, but people need to be heard and to have their concerns acknowledged.
Set the tone
Affective principals set a tone of purposeful optimism. While recognizing the real challenges posed by COVID-19, they emphasize that the school year can still be meaningful and productive. After months of adapting to new practices, leaders should ensure that instruction and learning remain central to daily life at school. Safety protocols are essential, but their purpose is to create a foundation for a healthy, engaging, and challenging learning environment.
Principals should continually reinforce expectations for instruction—whether in-person, hybrid, or remote—and support teachers in delivering lessons that are both engaging and effective. By modeling calm leadership and prioritizing learning, administrators help staff and students focus on growth despite ongoing disruptions.
Control the message
In an environment crowded with pandemic-related news and personal concerns, principals must keep messages concise, clear, and relevant. Affective leaders understand that communication is rarely linear; it is a dynamic process that can include detours and misunderstanding. To reduce confusion, messages should be tightly crafted, unambiguous, and targeted to the audience’s needs.
Anticipating potential misinterpretations is part of effective planning. Thoughtful administrators consider how their words might be received and adjust tone and content accordingly. This deliberate approach to communication helps ensure that guidance and expectations are understood and followed.
Monitor for misalignments
High stress and pandemic fatigue increase the likelihood that some people will misunderstand or miss key messages. Families may be overwhelmed and less able to process school communications in the usual way. Affective principals routinely check in with a range of stakeholders—teachers, support staff, students, and families—to verify that information has been received and understood.
Because so much communication during the pandemic is written, leaders should be especially careful to make written updates factual and clear. Without tone of voice or body language, written messages can be misread. Avoiding opinion-heavy language or ambiguous phrasing reduces the risk of unintentionally triggering anxiety, anger, or mistrust.
Address individual concerns
Maintaining social contact with staff remains vital, even when in-person interactions are limited. Everyone brings different experiences, information, and emotion to work each day. Affective principals make time to support staff individually while keeping everyone informed collectively. Regular outreach serves two purposes: it corrects misinformation and builds trust. When staff believe leaders are honest and accessible, the school community becomes stronger and more resilient.
Support slow adapters
Some staff members will take longer to adjust to new routines and expectations. Affective leaders listen attentively to their concerns and explain clearly why changes were made, while being careful not to create inconsistent expectations or special exceptions that could breed resentment. The goal is to foster collaboration, not division. Leaders should use this unusual year as an opportunity to bring staff closer together and to strengthen shared commitment to students.
About the author
Jamie Bricker is a published author, international speaker, and retired school principal who advocates for affective leadership and has witnessed its positive impact firsthand. He co-hosts podcasts on leadership themes and can be reached at [email protected]. His website is www.jamiebricker.com.
Original publication
This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media organization focused on the shift to digital curriculum and the changing landscape of education.