At the recent Chapter Council meeting, I spoke about joy in leadership and the multitude of ways joy emerges in the work we do. As we step into December — that stretch of shorter days, longer lists, and hallways buzzing with equal parts anticipation and exhaustion — my thoughts continue to return to the role joy plays in sustaining our leadership.
I am not referring to the shiny, Instagram-ready version of joy. I mean the quiet, steady kind — the kind that keeps leaders grounded, connected, and purposeful.
As President, I have visited districts across the province — from Vernon to Chilliwack, from Haida Gwaii to Port Hardy, from New Westminster to the Sechelt Peninsula — and have witnessed joy in its truest form: woven into relationships, offered in small gestures, and held in the moments that rarely make it into reports or meeting minutes.
Joy when a Principal greets students and families by name and welcomes them to school.
Joy when a Vice-Principal covers a class so a teacher can take a breath.
Joy when teams gather around a challenge and leave with a shared solution.
Joy in connecting with other leaders, sharing conversation and laughter.
Joy in knowing we are supported by colleagues and our leadership team.
Joy in the laughter that can bubble up during the toughest weeks, and that reminds us we are still connected, still human, still whole.
Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s research reminds us that joy is not an accessory to the work: it is fuel. Micro-moments of positivity can change our physiology. They can broaden our perspective, strengthen our resilience, and help us navigate complexity with more creativity and clarity. Joy can strengthen teams, help stabilize systems, and make leadership sustainable.
And this year, our community of members have ignited joy in many ways: in the leaders pruning their work in response to Dr. Simon Breakspear’s challenge; in the Indigenous leaders who joined together to share their stories at the first Indigenous Members Symposium; in the new-to-role leaders at the Compass Leadership Academy, leaning into connection, community, and relationships; in the members stepping up again and again as program facilitators, despite their own heavy workload.
I have seen joy in each of you, showing up each day with heart.
December asks a great deal of educational leaders. You are at the centre, ensuring that every student experiences belonging, care, and recognition before the break. You absorb what others cannot. You lead with grace, even when your own energy is wavering.
As we approach the winter break, I hope you find simple moments that lift you: a warm conversation, a brilliant sunrise, an irresistible laugh.
This week, my message to you is also simple: Joy is not a luxury. It is an act of leadership.
Notice it. Name it. Make space for it. It will carry you — and your teams — through these final weeks of the year as you do this work that matters so deeply.
Take care, stay well, and stay connected.
Dr. Shannon Behan