Somersworth Superintendent Lori Lane: Real leadership is not a smear campaign
I have been a school administrator for 20 years and am currently the superintendent of schools for the Somersworth School District. As many women in leadership roles know, true demonstrations of leadership are not for the faint of heart. You are regularly judged for the decisions you make (i.e., were you “emotional” when you made the decision?), judged on your interactions with others (i.e., were you being flirtatious or using tears to get your way?), and judged when you dig in your heels — sometimes literally — on an issue because you know it is the right thing to do, despite being potentially seen as, well, a slang word for women that can’t be printed in this letter.
It can be frustrating and challenging, but I have always found that being logical, clear in my communication and having a willingness to sit down with anyone have served me well over the years. It is these skills and many others that in 2021 made the school board think that I was the right person for the superintendent’s job.
Being a female leader takes grit, determination, and an ability to deal with adversity, all with the goals of the organization you are leading in mind. It also takes integrity, humility, and being able to demonstrate human decency, even when situations challenge you to dig deeper into your soul. With every situation I face, I try to be reflective about how I can improve as a leader but, at the same time, I have needed to develop the proverbial “thicker skin.” Being the only female when meeting with a group of men used to be intimidating to me, but over the years, I have developed the self-confidence that allows me to be a leader that is seen by men as an equal.
It is with this in mind that I shook my head in utter disappointment when I read Crystal Paradis’s op-ed on March 23. She chose to write a poorly constructed piece about me, Dana Hilliard and the Somersworth School District that is the model of “fake news.” When she was running for mayor and a sitting city councilor, I addressed Ms. Paradis at an October 2022 city council meeting and cautioned her to stop spreading untruths and misinformation about myself, Mr. Hilliard, and the rest of the city’s leadership as she levied various accusations from her so-called “conflict of interest” to poor city leadership by myself and the rest of city’s department heads. After reading her comments a few days ago, she apparently has forgotten what I said to her. I told her then that true leadership takes integrity. As seen in her op-ed, she continues to demonstrate that she has little to none.
I have seen a common theme of late that when women in leadership positions don’t like how a male addresses them, they are quick to call it bullying. I would challenge anyone who reads Ms. Paradis’s op-ed, sees her Facebook post of a video she took during the public comments section of the March 20 City Council meeting, as well as any other prior comments she’s made about myself, Dana Hilliard, her former fellow city councilors, or city leadership and ask yourselves if SHE is actually the bully in this case. I’m tired of women like her who make false accusations against men for some kind of personal or political gain but have no problem attempting to smear those same men’s reputations. This isn’t leadership, it’s cowardice at best.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Wise words from an incredible woman who was a pioneer in so many ways. I have come to embody Mrs. Roosevelt’s advice — I won’t let anyone make me feel inferior or less than the leader I know I am. Ms. Paradis and other women who hide behind claims of bullying should be ashamed of themselves.
The world needs more strong leaders of all genders. If females want to be taken seriously, they need to stop the false rhetoric and accusations like Ms. Paradis and come to the table ready to roll up their sleeves with whoever is sitting there and get to work.
Lori Lane is the superintendent of schools for the Somersworth School District.
More:Paradis: Conflict arises yet again, as Somersworth mayor silences dissent
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Somersworth superintendent: Real leadership is not a smear campaign
