In May, I wrote a story about Maria Carstarphen, the superintendent of St Paul Public schools that had recently announced her departure. Shortly after her announcement, the floodgates of stories, innuendos and accusations started to surface. Doug Belden over at the St Paul Pioneer Press wrote an artcle titled, “Is She a Bully, or Just a Bold Leader.” It stated,
More than half the top administrators in place when Meria Carstarphen became St Paul Public Schools superintendent in 2006 have left. At the same time, the senior administration has expanded, fueling a 20 percent jump in salary costs for that group. To Carstarphen’s critics, these numbers reflect a bullying management style that has driven away valuable staff, combined with costly administrative reorganizations of questionable value. Carstraphen declined to comment for this story, but her defenders say the turnover is typical for an organization undergoing change…
I stated in my article: From my viewpoint, the bully and bold leader statements fit. In public, my experience supports that she is brilliant on every count. Charming. Outgoing. Engaging. Personal. Decisive. Her vision for a new future bold and proactive. But behind closed doors, stories referenced in the news article and listening to top lieutenants in the district also appear to be true. Words that describe this side include; brutal, forceful, demeaning, autocratic, toxic, intimidating and micromanager. And the mere fact that this story surfaces upon her departure is similar to many silent problems and without warning events.
Today, the school is finally getting around to nominating a new superintendant. This morning, an article detailing the first round of interviews for the position appeared on the front page of the Pioneer Press. I couldn’t help but notice a comment at the end of an article.
And there have been consistent compliants, more public since her departure, that key relationships in the district were damaged during Carstarphen’s tenure. As the search consultant summarized it, based on conversations with district starff and community members “Frayed relationships between teachers and administrators, buildings and central office, and the school board and administration were consistently reported. It is clear that considerable work needs to be done in order to reconstruct a trusting, healthy working environment and improved relationships between different constituent groups of employees.
David Belden, November 14, 2009
The toxic leader/employee is a silent problem that exists inside organizations around the globe. Their reach and impact can be far and wide. And as this story illustrates ( It is clear that considerable work needs to be done in order to reconstruct a trusting…), their impact can be felt for years after their departure. And yes, Bold Leaders at times are also Bullies, which makes them so difficult to understant, and move out of the organization.
