Beyond the Gown: Why Rituals Are the Heartbeat of Leadership

I once drove 200 miles just to walk across a stage. I had completed my entire Master’s degree online and had never sat in a physical classroom, yet there I was, loading up the car with a cap and gown. Why? Because as humans, we aren't just "human doings"; we are human beings. We need markers—tangible ways to say, "That chapter is closed, and this new one has begun".  

In the world of rural community colleges, we are currently in our "Harvest" season. It is the time of year when the air is thick with the scent of lilies and the sound of Pomp and Circumstance. But while the big commencement ceremony is our ultimate ritual, I find myself increasingly drawn to the smaller, more intimate rites of passage: the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) inductions and the Nurse pinnings.  

The Power of the Physical

There is something ancient and powerful about a physical ritual. In PTK ceremonies, members receive the "light" from a candle and recite a pledge; in nursing pinnings, an actual pin is placed on a graduation stole while the Florence Nightingale Creed is recited.

These ceremonies feel more personal and reflective because they involve physical elements—the flicker of a flame (ideally real fire, as the weight of a flickering candle carries more gravity than an LED bulb!) and the tactile nature of a pin. These physical markers increase the importance of the ritual, grounding the transition from student to professional in a way a digital certificate never could.

From "Human Doings" to "Human Beings"

As leaders, it is easy to get lost in the "Summer" of perpetual doing—climbing ladders, hitting metrics, and grind of spreadsheets. But if we only celebrate once a year at commencement, we miss out on the humanity of our teams every other day of the year.  

Rituals are the heartbeat of our work. They allow us to honor the "Seasons of the Soul" within our departments:  

• The Food Ritual: Breaking bread—whether it’s chili, potato soup, or flipping burgers—is a powerful way to break down departmental silos.  

  
  

• The Milestone Ritual: Birthdays and work anniversaries are markers of a life lived, not just a seat filled. A simple card tells a team member they are seen.  

  
  

• The Closure Ritual: How we treat someone’s exit—retirement or moving on—tells the remaining team that they are important as people, not just workers.  

  
  

A Challenge for the "Harvest"

We spend so much energy marking rites of passage for our students, but we often forget to do the same for the people standing next to us in the trenches.

As we wrap up this academic year, I want to challenge you to move from reflection into action. Look at your team and identify one ritual you can implement for the current season. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture; remember, even a single drop fills a bucket.  

What are the workplace rituals that keep your team’s soul alive? Whether it’s a "Stop-Doing" list to find grace in letting go or a social lunch to mark the end of the push, I’d love to hear how you bring humanity back into your corner of the world.