Teachers as Leaders

Opening ThoughtOpening Thought

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.It knows it must run faster than the up.It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.fastest lion or it will be killed.

Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.starve to death.

It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.When the sun comes up, you a gazelle.When the sun comes up, you better start running.better start running.

Who or what are the lions and gazelles in Who or what are the lions and gazelles in your work setting?your work setting?

Confront the Brutal FactsYet Never Lose Faith

When…you start with an honest and diligent effort to determine the truth:• the right decisions often become self-evident.

You absolutely cannot make a series of good decisions without first “confronting the brutal facts.”

Brutal Facts

School districts are struggling to attract and retain qualified candidates for leadership roles.

There is a lack of qualified candidates coming from outside Frederick County.

Employees in some classifications have been placed in leadership positions without adequate training.

FCPS employee satisfaction survey indicated “opportunities for advancement” and “promotion for field-based and support staff” needed improvement.

Professional development evaluations indicate the need for more leadership training.

Objectives

Determine:• if you consider yourself a leader? • if you need to consider yourself a leader?

Analyze:• how your school stacks up against some of the most

successful organizations in the United States?• how you stack up as a leader against some of the most

successful leaders in the United States? • recent research and literature analyzing how individuals

and organization move from being good or effective to GREAT.

What is Leadership

• Mobilizing others to get extraordinary things done in organizations.

• “It’s about the practices leaders use to:• transform values into actions, • visions into realities, • obstacles into innovations, • separateness into solidarity, • and risks into rewards.” Kouzes and Posner

“Leadership is a choice not a position” Covey

Review of Literature and Research

Leadership is:• considered the single most important aspect of effective

school reform.• important in setting the tone in a school. Climate is the

best predictor if a school will have high achievement.• positively and significantly correlated to positive working

conditions. • cause for employees to have an overall increase in

satisfaction.  • a predictor of adequate yearly progress (AYP) status. • a powerful predictor of whether a school was included in

top school designation categories.

Evaluation ofLiterature and Research

These points demonstrate that:• each FCPS employee needs to recognize him or

herself as a leader.• Each employee needs to understand their

importance as a valuable contributor in the education and achievement of our students.

Why Some Organizations Why Some Organizations Make the LeapMake the Leap

AndAnd

Others Don’tOthers Don’t

Common Threads

Level 5 LeadersLevel 5 Leaders First Who, Then WhatFirst Who, Then What Confront the Brutal FactsConfront the Brutal Facts The Hedgehog ConceptThe Hedgehog Concept A Culture of DisciplineA Culture of Discipline Technology AcceleratorsTechnology Accelerators The Flywheel and the Doom LoopThe Flywheel and the Doom Loop

Level V LeadershipLevel V Leadership

Plow Horse

Or

Show Horse?

Level 5 Leadership

Level 5 leaders channel their egos away from themselves and into the larger goals of making the company or organization great.

These leaders are ambitious, but first and foremost about the cause, the company, the work—not themselves.

Partner #1Application

Are you a Level 5 leader?Are you a Level 5 leader? Amongst the leadership of your Amongst the leadership of your

school/work site, how many Level V school/work site, how many Level V leaders would you say are within your leaders would you say are within your setting?setting?

Think of a Level 5 you have known. Think of a Level 5 you have known. • How did he or she become Level 5? How did he or she become Level 5? • What can we learn from that person?What can we learn from that person?

First Who, Then What

People are not your

Most Important Asset

Rather

The right people are!

5 Criteria of the “Right Person” Share core valuesShare core values Not a person you need to manageNot a person you need to manage Key Positions – Could they potentially be the best Key Positions – Could they potentially be the best

in that position?in that position? Understand having a job and holding a Understand having a job and holding a

responsibilityresponsibility If it were a hiring decision all over again, having If it were a hiring decision all over again, having

worked with this person, would you still hire worked with this person, would you still hire him/her? him/her?

Partner #2Partner #2 Discussion Discussion

Is your school setting aligned with these findings?

How might you tell if someone is the right person?

How might you tell if someone is simply the wrong person?

Confront the Brutal FactsYet never Lose Faith

“There is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hopes soon to be swept away.” Churchill

Confront the Brutal FactsYet never Lose Faith

When…you start with an honest and diligent effort to determine the truth of the situation, the right decisions often become self-evident. Not always, of course, but often.

And even if all decisions do not become self evident, one thing is certain: You absolutely cannot make a series of good decisions without first confronting the brutal facts.

The Hedgehog Concept

“Know thyself”

Scribes of Delphi via Plato

And Now a StoryAnd Now a Story

The HedgehogThe Hedgehog The FoxThe Fox

The Hedgehog Concept

A Hedgehog Concept is not a goal to be the best, a A Hedgehog Concept is not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best, an intention to be the best, strategy to be the best, an intention to be the best, or even a plan to be the best.or even a plan to be the best.

It is an It is an understandingunderstanding of what you of what you cancan be the best be the best at within your business. The distinction is at within your business. The distinction is absolutely crucial.absolutely crucial.

The concept establishes unwavering focus around The concept establishes unwavering focus around what a particular organization does better than what a particular organization does better than anyone else.anyone else.

Are you engaged in work that fits your own Are you engaged in work that fits your own three circles: three circles: • Does this concept have a place in education?Does this concept have a place in education?• What you are passionate about?What you are passionate about?• Do you need to change? Do you need to change?

Partner #1Application

Refle

ct, W

rite,

St

and,

Sh

are

A Culture of Discipline

What is a Culture of Discipline?

A culture built around the idea of freedom and responsibility within a framework.

A culture filled with self-disciplined people who are willing to go to extreme lengths to fulfill their responsibilities. (They will rinse their cottage cheese”)

Technology AcceleratorsTechnology Accelerators

How do great organizations view technology?

Technology Accelerators

Great companies avoid technology fads. The key question about any technology advance is

where does it fit within the Hedgehog Concept. Used technology as an accelerator of momentum,

not a creator of it. 80% of the great executives didn’t even mention

technology as one of the top five factors. When they did, the median ranking fourth, with

only two of 84 executives interviewed ranking it number one.

Partner #2Partner #2DiscussionDiscussion

If technology cannot make or break a level of greatness, but only serves as an accelerator of greatness or demise already in progress, then why did everyone fall in love with technology for technology's sake during the 1990s?

What role does technology play within your classroom?

The Flywheel and

The Doom Loop

“Revolution means turning the wheel.” Stravinsky

The Flywheel Effect

Belief in “tremendous power exists in the fact of Belief in “tremendous power exists in the fact of continued improvement and the delivery of continued improvement and the delivery of results.”results.”

Point to tangible accomplishments (however how Point to tangible accomplishments (however how incremental) and show how these incremental) and show how these accomplishments fit into the overall concept.accomplishments fit into the overall concept.

When done in such a way that people see and feel When done in such a way that people see and feel the buildup of momentum, they will line up with the buildup of momentum, they will line up with enthusiasm.enthusiasm.

The Doom LoopThe Doom Loop

These companies pushed the flywheel in multiple directions.

They would change, searching for the “silver bullet.”

After years of lurching back and forth, comparison organizations fell into the “doom loop” rather than building and sustaining momentum.

WholeGroup Discussion

Can you think of a flywheel example at Can you think of a flywheel example at your school?your school?

Can you think of a doom loop example?Can you think of a doom loop example?

From Effectiveness to Greatness:How Individuals Make the Leap

And Why

Others Don’t

The Pain, The Problem, The Pain, The Problem, and and

The SolutionThe Solution

The PainThe Pain

People face increasing expectations to perform in an increasingly complex world and are limited in their use and talent.

People don’t think they can change much within their organization.

Execution Gap

Individuals within an organization:• 37% said they have a clear understanding of what the organization is

trying to achieve• 20% were enthusiastic about the work• 20% see how their work contributes overall to the work of the

organization• 50% were satisfied daily with their accomplishments• 15% felt organization enabled them to execute goals• 15% felt they worked in a high-trust environment• 17% felt the organization fosters open communication• 10% felt the organization held them accountable for results• 20% trusted the organization • 13% have highly trusted cooperative working relationships

The ProblemThe Problem

The main drivers for prosperity is materials, machines, and capital-

Things Often, we manage people like things! When managing people like things, they

stop believing that leadership is a choice.They think only those in authority can be leaders

The SolutionThe Solution

Learning and identifying our true nature and giftsLearning and identifying our true nature and gifts Knowledge of our gifts lets us take initiative and Knowledge of our gifts lets us take initiative and

take great understanding of the needs and take great understanding of the needs and opportunities around us. opportunities around us.

We meet needs that match our talents and tap out We meet needs that match our talents and tap out higher motivations and that allows us to make a higher motivations and that allows us to make a difference.difference.

Covey calls this finding and using our Covey calls this finding and using our voicevoice. .

Voice

Where would you like to make a difference? How will you know that you have made a

difference?or

Have you succumbed to “traditions of the past” and took the road to mediocrity?

How do you get everyone in an organization speaking with a single voice?

A Third Alternative

“Leaders do not avoid, repress, or deny conflict, but rather see it as an opportunity.”Bennis

What do you think? Do you? The third alternative is not my way, or your way,

but rather our way. What would your staff say was the environment of

your work setting? Complete application three

Leadership:Finding Your Voice

and Inspiring Others to Find Their Voice

The Leadership ChallengeThe Leadership Challengeis:is:

Inspiring Others to Find Their Voice

Four Roles of LeadershipFour Roles of Leadership

Each role directly or indirectly affirms people’s worth as whole people and empowers the unleashing of their potential.• Modeling (individual, team) – Inspires trust without expecting it.

Modeling produces moral authority.

• Pathfinding – Creates order without demanding it. Pathfinding produces visionary moral authority.

• Aligning – Aligning structures, systems, and processes the spirit of trust, vision, and empowerment. Aligning produces institutionalized moral authority.

• Empowering – Unleashes human potential without external motivation. Empowering produces cultural moral authority.

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” Albert SchweitzerAlbert Schweitzer

Thank you!Thank you!

For completing your evaluations and leaving them on the table.

For your time For being a learner For the work you do everyday!!!!!!!

Leaders are not born, they are made! Lombardi

An opportunity to soar……

Leadership Development

L

Bibliography

Collins, J. (2001). Collins, J. (2001). Good to GreatGood to Great. New York: . New York: Harper Business.Harper Business.

Covey, S. (2005). Covey, S. (2005). The 8The 8thth Habit: From Habit: From Effectiveness to GreatnessEffectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press.. New York: Free Press.

Kouzes, J and Posner, B. (2002). Kouzes, J and Posner, B. (2002). The Leadership The Leadership Challenge.Challenge. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.