puyallup school district august 19, 2009

Leadership “No amount of darkness can dim the

light of just one candle”

Puyallup School District

August 19, 2009

gsharratt@wsu.edu

There is no elevator to success.

You must take the stairs . . .

one step at a time.

“Change means movement;

movement means friction.”

Saul Alinsky(en.thinkexist.com)

Never mistake motion

for action.

Ernest Hemingway

“You are today where your thoughts have brought you.

You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”

James Allen (www.brainyquote.com)

A school is . . .

A building of four walls with the future inside.

. . . why don’t we just change the odds?”

Geoff Canada, Founder, Harlem Children’s Zone (2004)

“Instead of helping some kids beat the

odds . . .

Demographics are notdestiny

A lot of people have gone farther than they

thought they could . . .

because someone else thought they would.

How would you caption this drawing?

Leaders . . .

Leaders: "Build Capacity in Others for the Continuous Improvement in

Performance and Practice”

The Leadership Challenge

“The quality of leadership in our schools has seldom mattered more . .

. principals and superintendents have the job not only of managing

our schools, but also of leading them through an era of profound social

change that has required fundamental rethinking of what schools do and how they do it.”

Arthur Levine (2005)

Leaders Who Build Capacity

Hopkins et al. (1994)

“An approach to educational change that has the twin purposes of

(1) enhancing student achievement and

(2) strengthening the schools capacity for managing change.”

“Leadership Matters!”

It matters a great deal in leading a learning culture where staff and students improve in practice and

performance.

What is the purpose of educational leadership?

“The purpose of leadership is the improvement of

instructional practice, regardless of one’s role.”

Richard Elmore (Harvard University)

Leadership is . . .

“Doing right things right.”

Kenneth Leithwood, 2004

As a leader, what are the “right things” to do in you

building?

What evidence do you have that you are

“doing the right things right?”

Leading with the “Right Work”

Waters & Marzano (2006)

“The right work at both the school level and the district level is to do something that

impacts the classroom.”

Leaders build capacity,

not dependency.

When Educators Learn - Students Learn

Hirsh & Killion (2009)

“Leaders are responsible for building the capacity in individuals, teams, and

organizations to be leaders and learners.”

Leaders Build Capacity

“Members of authentic learning communities can solve their most complex

and pressing problems by tapping into their own capacity and internal expertise.”

“Individuals in dependency-prone environments lose their identify as professionals and become complicit workers, which removes individual commitment and investment in the

outcomes.” Hirsh & Killion (2009)

What lies within . . .

Roland Barth (2005)

“. . . The prescriptions for improving schools must not come primarily from outside of schools. The most lasting

and important changes will come from within and will draw on the great

resources within schools.”

Adult behavior changes when . . .

If you want to change people’s behavior, “You need to create a community around them, where

these new beliefs could be practical, expressed and

nurtured” (p. 173).

Fullan (2005)

How do you build capacity in others for their continued improvement?

How do you create dependency?

Break

Johnny Carson

What gets measured gets done.

What gets rewardedgets repeated.

As a Leader You Know . . .

What do you measure to ensure it gets completed?

What do you reward to ensure it gets repeated?

If you want teamwork . . . recognize collaboration.

If you want quality performance . . . recognize results achieved.

If you want employees to aim high . . .recognize meeting stretch goals and don’t punish those who fall a little short.

You Get What You Reward

If you want problem-solving . . . recognize problem identification and resolution.

If you want creativity . . .recognize and value creative ideas.

If you want knowledge sharing . . . recognize and model agency

expertise.If you want effective training . . .

recognize and job-embedded skills used in the work of staff and student improvement.

You Get What You Reward

1. Model the Way

2. Inspire a Shared Vision

3. Challenge the Process

4. Enable Others to Act

5. Encourage the Heart

The Five PracticesJames M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

Santa Clara University

Find your voice by clarifying your personal values

Affirm shared values. Unity is forged, not forced

Personify the shared values

Teach others to model the values

Setting the ExampleClarifying Values

Model the Way“The action that made the most difference was setting a personal example.”

Idan Baqr-Sade, BridgeWave

Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities

Find a common purpose by listening to others

Envisioning the Future Enlisting Others

Enlist others in the common vision by appealing to shared aspirations

Animate the vision through speaking from the heart with positive communication

Inspire a Shared Vision“You have to paint a powerfully compelling picture of the future for people to want to

align with the vision.”Vicky Ngo-Roberti, VMware, Inc.

Seize the initiative and seek innovative ways to change, grow and improve

Exercise insight and let ideas flow freely from the outside in

Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from mistakes

Learn from experience

Search for Opportunities

Experiment and Take Risks

Challenge the Process“Leaders are not afraid to take risks and step outside of their comfort zone.”

Chris Hintz, Cisco Systems

Helping others take ownership in and responsibility for the success of the group by enhancing their competence and confidence

Enhance self-determination of others by helping them develop competence and confidence

Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust

Facilitate relationships. Every significant relationship should be treated as if it will last a lifetime

Enable Others to Act“To be successful, teams must adopt a www.com (we will win) mind-set, and not

an imm.com (I, me, myself) mind-set.”Lily Cheng, PACE Learning & Consultancy

Strengthen OthersFoster Collaboration

Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community

Be personally involved. Nothing communicates more clearly than what the leaders do

Stories by their nature are public forms of communication.

Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence

Personalize recognition. Saying “thank you” goes a long way in sustaining high performance

People are just more willing to follow someone they like and trust

Encourage the Heart“Through appreciation and celebration we show people that they are significant

and their contributions are vital to our overall success.”Soumya Mitra, EMC Corporation

Recognize Contributions Celebrating

“It is always worthwhile to make others aware of their

worth.”

Macolm Forbes

(Management Tid Bytes, 2004)

Break

Coaching

Are you coachable?

“In the end, we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we

are.”

Max DePree (1989)

Why Leadership Coaching?

“Coaching done well, holds enormous potential for creating

lasting change – something school systems have struggled

with for so long.”

Reiss (2007)

“Coaching is the process and a relationship that empowers individuals to explore their

innermost thoughts, strengths, beliefs, and goals to create outer

results.”

Reiss (2007)

“Everyone involved in the continuous improvement of school systems

needs to be constantly improving – not only students but also every

staff member, every leader needs to be engaged in ongoing learning

about themselves and how they can contribute to improvement in their

schools, systems, and communities.”

Reiss (2007)

Staff Development and Coaching

“The research on effective staff development has shown little impact of traditional training programs on

creating change in the classroom.

It recommends models that provide ongoing support and are job embedded, and it specifically

recommends coaching.”

Reiss (2007)

“Coaching people to unleash their aspirations, move beyond what

they already think and know, and maximize their results is one of

the highest aspirations of what it is to be human.”

Robert Hargrove (2000)

“To create a high performance team, we must replace typical management

activities like supervising, monitoring, checking, and

controlling with new behaviors like coaching and communicating.”

Ray Smith, CEO, Bell Atlantic

Coaching defined as . . . The term comes from a French word

meaning, “to transport people from one place to another.”

The Cambridge Dictionary (2006)

Now the term is used to describe a person, a process, a role, and a profession. A modern interpretation would refer to a person being moved to a higher level of competence, confidence, or performance.”

Reiss (2007)

Coaching is . . .

“an alliance between two people: The coachee, who wants or can benefit from coaching, and the coach who is skilled and experienced in listening deeply to what the coachee wants and what’s in the way of achieving it.”

“Coaches are skilled at inspiring people to see and perform at their highest potential.”

Reiss (2007)

“Most successful pros have mentors, coaches, and others who motivate, activate, and inspire them to great

performances.”

Bobby McGree (2001)Olympic running coach

“Athletes tend to assume that training and talent precede performance, and that a strong mental approach is something you either have or don’t have.

The truth is, the harder you train mentally, the better you perform physically and your improvements will go as far as your mind will take you.”

McGee (2001)

“I’m not a coach of players,

I’m a coach of leaders.”

Coach “K”Duke Basketball

What are the attributes of a good leadership coach?

Active listenerNonjudgmentalPossibility thinkerCompassionateInspirationalPersonableIntuitiveSincereTrustworthyRisk takerAction OrientedFocused on ResultsKnows core coaching competencesCurious

What are the attributes of someone who can be coached to improvement?

Open to improvementSelf-confidentRisk takerPersistentOpen-mindedTrustingSkilled listenerEffective communicatorLooks into the futureGoal setting and goal completer

AWSP Workshop (2006)

What are the system benefits of leadership coaching?

Increased organizational strengthIncreased leadership retentionIncreased productivityIncreased qualityImproved working relationshipsImproved teamworkImproved job satisfactionReduced conflict Increased commitment to the organizationIncreased personal and professional growth

Reiss (2007)

What are the personal benefits of coaching to the coach? To the coachee?

Strengthen their leadership competencies Increase in their confidenceImprove in their performanceFurther develop a skill strengthExplore a new approach to leading and

learningPrepare for a new positionTarget a specific weakness for improvementBalance personal and professional

relationships

Reiss (2007)

Benefit of coaching to school system

“School systems that embrace coaching can experience stronger, more confident

leadership, more aligned systems, and a continuous improvement culture that involves all educators working toward

significant goals, everyday.”

Reiss (2007)

Creating the Magic at Walt Disney World

“The highest customer satisfaction is recorded in those areas of the company where cast members rate their leaders as ‘outstanding’ at

coaching, recognition and

listening, empowerment.”

Thoughts on Leadership• Listen to me• Put me in the game• Some assembly is required• Stay on main street• Inspire me• Share the big picture• I’ll perform when I’m “on stage”• Make me feel special• Bring out the best in me• Coach me

Leadership

With a partner, share evidence of how you have:coached someone to improvement,

listened for understanding,

recognized the efforts of others, and

empowered staff.

Break

“When I was very young, most of my childhood heroes wore capes, flew

through the air, or picked up buildings with one arm. But as I grew, my heroes changed, so that now I can honestly say, that anyone who does anything to help a

child is a hero to me.”

The World According to Mr. Rogers

It’s you I like,It’s not the things you wear,

It’s not the way you do your hair – But it’s you I like.

The way you are right now,

The way down deep inside you – Not the things that hide you –

Not your toys – They’re just beside you.

But it’s you I like,

Every part of you, Your skin, your eyes, your feelings

Whether old or new. I hope that you’ll remember

Even when you’re feeling blue That it’s you I like,

It’s you yourself, it’s you, It’s you . . . I . . . like!

- from the song, “It’s You I Like”Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood

Your Leadership Legacy – What Will It Be?

Lincoln was once asked how long it took him

to write The Gettysburg Address.

He replied:“All my life.”

Which will it be . . . a stumbling block or a steppingstone

Yes, isn’t it strangethat princes and kings,and clowns that caper

in sawdust rings,and common people

like you and meare builders for eternity?

Each of us given a bag of tools,a shapeless mass,

and a book of rules;and each must make,

ere life is flown,a stumbling-block

or a steppingstone.