“You have cancer.” These are words we both have heard, forcing us to embark on a journey we never wanted to take. Through all the twists and turns, peaks, and valleys, one thing has remained the same: God has always been faithfully present, ushering us through unexpected doors where we have been forced to be courageously good.
Being diagnosed with and then treated for cancer has significantly changed our perspective on life and even our own character. Things that once seemed important are now less so. Living life has to be more purposeful, as we don’t have the same energy to do more unessential things in life, while each day brings new realities because of physical side effects or just riding the mental and emotional roller coaster ride of treatment. We more deeply understand the cliche that “each day is a gift from the Lord” as we find the courage to find meaning in our circumstances.
Being faithfully present during difficult times means being a light for the medical team by asking about their lives. It involves making friends with other patients or hospital staff, offering prayers, and planting seeds for God’s kingdom. It means joining virtual meetings from the hospital to stay connected and contribute to the good work that seems to be happening without you. It means showing up each morning at the school drop-off line, welcoming students with a smile despite feeling exhausted, nauseous, and weak, but finding purpose and joy in their presence. It also means keeping some energy reserved for your caregivers—but let’s be honest, it is those closest to us who bear the worst of our disease and treatment. But, even in our most heroic moments, we trust in the hope of God’s promise to work things out for good even though we don’t always feel well.
Tips for Leaders
As if often true, challenging times bring learning and growth. The following are a few lessons we learned while leading with cancer.
Show Up
As leaders, despite being sick, we feel the internal desire to show up each day because the important work doesn’t stop, and our students need us. No matter how we feel, we desire to be present even if it is just for our own sense of purpose, sanity, and sensemaking of the current reality. We have received praise and admiration from friends who often comment about our ability to work amid treatments, but the reality is that we love what we do and have come to a greater understanding that we labor with colleagues who have hidden challenges and struggles of their own.
We often tell ourselves in schools that leadership is difficult and lonely, but showing up each day reflects the hope that things can be better and that the pain in the journey will be worth future rewards.
Bring Joy
Not only is it important to show up when life is difficult, but we have also discovered that it is essential to bring joy to whatever situation you encounter. Our daily work seems even more delightful since we aren’t in the hospital for a new trial, receiving harsh treatments in the infusion center, or getting loaded up with radiation.
However, even when undergoing treatment, the encouragement in all circumstances is that the joy is not on the other side of the challenge, but within it. A simple reality that we have learned to embrace is to have more fun; smile more often, laugh daily, and enjoy the simple, beautiful blessings of this life! Without joy, enduring difficult circumstances becomes filled with drudgery and hopelessness.
Join In
What does courageous goodness look like when you find yourself in a deep valley? It means showing up, joining in, participating with, and offering yourself and your expertise even when you don’t feel like it or can’t imagine “one more thing” happening. Life is busy and the demands of school leadership seem to be ever-increasing, but taking the time to go to Converge might just be the blessing you need as you continue your journey, find blessings in the challenges, and discover new dimensions of God’s goodness.
We both hope to see you at Converge in 2025 and to hear your story of leadership and life.
About the Authors
Erik Ellefsen is currently the director of networks and improvement at the Baylor Center for School Leadership, having served in education for more than two decades as a teacher, coach, consultant, dean, principal, and union leader. He also serves as senior fellow for both CACE and Cardus, and hosts the Digical Education podcast.
LuAnna Odom is the K–12 director of academics at Ontario Christian School in Ontario, California. She has helped her school transform the grading practices to Standards Referenced Grading and has supported teachers and administrators in this change. LuAnna is passionate about catalyzing others to work collectively toward improving practices for students’ success. She holds a BA from Vanguard University and an MA from Baylor University.
Thank you, Erik and LuAnna. Coming out of a season of cancer, your lessons are the bottom line. I have witnessed these in Erik in particular over too many years. You show us how to deal with a reality too many leaders will face.