As the academic year winds to a close, it’s tempting to slip into task-mode. Reports. Evaluations. Handovers. Transitions. These are all necessary, of course. But in the busyness of endings, there’s a quieter truth we sometimes overlook: not everything can wait.
A quote from Toshikazu Kawaguchi has been sitting with me:
“Don’t leave anything for later.
Later, the coffee gets cold.
Later, you lose interest.
Later, the day turns into night.
Later, people grow up.
Later, people grow old.
Later, life goes by.
Later, you regret not doing something… when you had the chance.”
This speaks directly to the heart of school leadership.
“Later” is the conversation we postponed with a teacher who needed support. It’s the classroom we meant to visit, but never did. It’s the thank you left unsaid, the small win left uncelebrated. It’s the decision we delayed—not because it wasn’t important, but because it didn’t feel urgent.
But schools are not static places. They breathe. They shift. Children grow quickly. Staff move on. Culture evolves. The moment we meant to seize often becomes the one we remember with a twinge of regret.
At the end of the school year, we often look ahead—planning, forecasting, refining strategy. That’s vital. But we must also look around. Now is the time to finish well. To lean in. To choose presence over postponement.
So, take the time:
- Have the conversation.
- Acknowledge the effort.
- Visit the classroom one more time.
- Write the note.
- Say what needs to be said—with kindness, honesty, and intent.
Leadership is made in these micro-moments. Not grand gestures, but quiet choices. And what we do now—at the end—shapes how we begin again.
Don’t leave it for later.
Because “later” may be too late.
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