CEO Thought for the Week

Hi All,

Hope you’re having a great week and enjoying the sunshine!

This week I spotted this quote from Ronald Regan. “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone” and it reminded me of the Starfish story that has often been shared in collective worships/assemblies in schools but for me never loses its power. If you don’t know it here is a summary:

“A young boy is walking along a beach where thousands of starfish have been washed ashore. He picks up starfish one by one and throws them back into the sea. An older man approaches and asks why he's bothering, as there are too many starfish for him to make a difference. The boy picks up another starfish, throws it into the sea, and replies, "It made a difference to that one."

Many times, in schools we can be overwhelmed with the magnitude of the challenges we face, the endless to-do list or especially at this time of year the hectic calendars! This can lead us to feeling like we’re not getting anywhere fast and that we’re not having a big enough impact. It can almost feel like if we can’t solve the problem for everyone all at once then we’re not doing enough. However, if we do our best to focus on the next step, the next action or the next conversation and on having an impact on one person then we are making a meaningful difference. And then hopefully if that person does the same in turn for someone else the ripples flow outwards and those big challenges suddenly become more manageable and achievable over time.

No-one has it to do alone and if we’re all helping someone then everyone will benefit in the long term! So, as you move into the second half of the week take some time to reflect and congratulate yourself on the person you’ve helped and the impact you’ve had because I know without doubt you will all be able to think of someone.

Keep being awesome and thank you for your hard work!

Best Wishes

Gavin