Last week we held our annual General Assembly, where the parents (formally and legally known as “associates” of the school) come together to review the annual financial audit and elect new members to the Governing Board. Membership in the assembly of associates of the school has one primary requirement – you must have a child attending the school. Our board president, Marilis Pinto, who has served as a member of the governing board for nearly 16 years, would be leaving the institution as her youngest son recently graduated.
Marilis, like Lincoln itself, is an institution, someone who has defined the growth and trajectory of the school during this latest stage in the school’s evolution. While the school has a long, rich history in Costa Rica and the region, it was also at a critical strategic crossroads back when Marilis joined the board in 2006. The school had just moved to a new location and was seeking to solidify its identify as a top tier international school, with a relatively young International Baccalaureate program. I believe that it was into that environment that Marilis brought three essential leadership attributes that have left a lasting impact. I wanted to share a few thoughts about all three.
Vision
Perhaps, along with humility, the most important characteristic of a leader, is that of vision. To have vision is to see what can be possible, and then hold everyone in the hope and pursuit of that better future. From the moment Marilis came to the school and to the board, she has exercised a palpable belief that Lincoln could and must set the standard for excellence in education in Costa Rica and beyond. She held tenaciously to that vision regardless of the challenge or crisis of the day, from moving the entire school community to a new campus, to two General Director transitions, to navigating a global pandemic. She constantly kept fellow board members and members of the executive administration team focused on the foundational mission and purpose of the school.
Courage
It takes courage to preside over any institution, and particularly one where expectations are high and the consequences of poor performance can be swift and severe. It also takes courage to make difficult decisions. On a personal level, I believe it took quite a bit of courage for Marilis to recommend me as General Director. She knew she was going to be phasing out of her role as board president, and hiring a new General Director on your way out is a heavy task. I was not a traditional candidate. While I was deeply familiar with the IB, my experience was largely within public school institutions in the United States. My large family – 6 kids – also created very real logistical challenges for any potential employer. The recruitment executive I was working with was honest about my chances, reminding me that many boards simply would not take the risk. Yet he also expressed a belief that there would be a school that would recognize my leadership capacity and potential. That was Marilis – and consequently the school board and community – and I will be forever indebted to her for her act of courage on my behalf.
Of course Marilis’ courage goes far beyond my hiring. She has courageously been the face of the collective association at countless General Assemblies, bringing forward new ideas that would challenge the status quo. When the pandemic struck in 2020, the school was ready with online resources and 1:1 iPads for students to nimbly adjust to virtual learning. Just a few years earlier the iPad initiative had been an expensive and controversial proposition, and Marilis worked closely with the board and admin team to ensure it moved forward. I have personally been witness to her courage to move forward in spite of uncertainty.
Sensibility
I struggled to figure out how to describe this last characteristic: Marilis’ tendency to be pragmatic, urgent, and patient all at the same time. She expects results and improvement, but also finds ways to be gracious in giving the school administration the necessary space and time to bring about desired changes. Her advocacy was always on behalf of the school as a whole, never seeking out personal advantage or favor on account of her very real position of influence. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her in this regard. Whenever a phone call came from Marilis, its purpose was always a matter of interest to the school as a whole.
Over time, Marilis came to understand deeply the inner workings and unique characteristics of school management, and she was bordering on obsessive in her insistence that aspiring board members similarly commit themselves to learn about how schools work. She often surfaced issues and concerns from fellow parents to me and the administrative team, but she also took the time to teach parents about how schools properly function, and coached them on ways to productively raise concerns. As any General Director will tell you, having a board president with the sensibility to know when to push for change and when a request is either unreasonable or unfair, is tremendously helpful for healthy governance of the school.