One of my favorite things about Ava is her complete disregard for professionalism — even she would agree that her leadership methods are far from traditional (and sometimes veer away from being completely legal). But that doesn’t mean she isn’t good at her job; she’s doing so well that during her tenure as principal of Abbott Elementary, the students’ test scores increased, absences decreased, and after-school programs are more abundant than ever. In Ava’s words, she truly is that girl.
And while her tendency to deviate from what’s considered professional is a major archetype of her personality, there’s much more to Ava that other people in leadership roles can learn from. Ava embodies a different form of success that doesn’t look like what we’re used to; I mean, how many famous fictional principals rock laid bundles and can tell stories about partying with Quest Love? Ava’s unprofessional ways may provide an unlimited well of comedic situations, but it also highlights something that isn’t talked about enough when discussing what makes a strong leader: care. Empathy goes much further than being a good person; some people view “care” as an entire ethical framework for political and social theory.
Deva Woodly, a professor of political science at Brown, asserts that the politics of care “holds that the activity of governance in a society that hopes to be just must be oriented toward the responsibility to exercise and provide care for those most impa.
