the tools for professional development. consider optimal board composition: mix of skills,...
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Ensuring the Board and Head’s Growth
The Tools for Professional Development
Consider optimal board composition: mix of skills, experience and personalities
Carefully analyze mix of personal styles to ensure harmony and a positive dynamic that avoids factions on the board
The ultimate mix: Work, Wealth and Wisdom!
The Board’s Growth and Development
Retain a critical amount of institutional memory since turnover on international school boards tends to be high
Be open to new board members who meet the criteria for service and who might be able to lead change that is needed
Balancing the right mix of keeping the board strategic while ensuring that they do read your reports and are engaged appropriately
The Balance of the Old and the New
The head must invest the time in getting to know every board member personally
The board must support the head publicly and privately until a decision is made to terminate him/her
The chair must be the head’s most public supporter and most private critic
Heads need to spend up to 40% of their time engaging, guiding and nurturing their board members
The Board/Head/Chair Relationship
Conflict Resolution
Delegation Skills
Strategic Thinking
Communication Skills
Team Building Skills
Decision Making Skills
Motivational Skills
Interpersonal Skills
70.8
72.9
43.6
50.7
41.2
27.2
17.7
28.3
Stanford University (August 2013)200 CEOs’ Professional Growth Priorities
Student Leader? Knows every child. You have charisma with children
Faculty Leader? You know faculty and curriculum and this was your path “up”
Strategic Leader? You understand high level theoretical thinking, and seize opportunities
President/External leader? You can sell, fund raise, and make the major “calls”
Can you move from one to another ? How to use your style to handle conflict,
delegation?
Head Development: What Kind of Leader Are You?
A Driver? These can be outstanding heads if they can outlast the upset that their pace of change often creates
An Amiable? These can be long-term leaders but once they leave, problems may be found under the rug, the social “glue”
An Expressive? Also charismatic but not a change agent, but build strong bonds
An Analytical? Often the most successful A Combination of the above?
What is Your Leadership Style?
More effective fundraising skills? Marketing? Financial management? Are you willing to spend your time on board
cultivation, development and guidance? Do you have a career path after being a
Head of School? Ability to reflect on and develop key growth
strategies for America’s CEO’s? Conflict Resolution and Delegation/Communication
What Do You Want to Learn?
One-on-one coaching and mentoring Targeted professional development courses and
conferences Sabbaticals Networking with colleagues Focused travel Reading Going back into the classroom Shadowing and being shadowed Boards allowing you to serve elsewhere to grow Professional “conversations”
How to Grow as a Leader
Competitive compensation Incentives to remain Sustaining the spouse/partner and children Growth opportunities within the
school/organization itself External work, foundation development,
networking with other businesses, corporations, opportunities for career growth and change, BEING HEARD
The Board’s Role in Head Development
Lead Yourself
Character and Moral Leadership
Priorities
Time Management
Shared Vision
Vision
Aligning Vision to Action
Getting the Best from People
Making a Difference Mindset
Feedback-Continuous Improvement
Problem Solving
Leading Change
Communicating and Motivating
Seeking First to Understand
Goal-Setting
Interpersonal Communication
Leading Others
Teaming and Collaboration
Conflict Resolution
Build from Strengths
Delegation
Launched by introspective/experienced Head
Seeking long term growth Starting with key strategies needed by all
successful executives/leaders Drilling down to discussion of specific,
sometimes high pressure, issues Moral, committed, intellectual leadership Vision driven, and having the courage and
tools to learn, to grow and to engage effectively
Coaching: One Example
Heads and Chairs need to be open to growing and learning, even if at the top of their game
Professional mentoring conversations, guidance and proven experience can help even outstanding leaders to handle complicated and unique challenges
Families come into play. How do you, we, keep our families engaged and supported to help us and be supported in turn?
Case Study: of conflict between two outstanding leaders: chair and head, leading to major problems in a search process
Coaching and Mentoring Model
John Littleford1-800-69-TEACH
Confidential: Intellectual Property of Littleford & Associates
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