“The Distribution of Leadership” (2 hrs.) – September 23rd - Randi Scott Howard
“Great leaders do not create followers; they create more leaders” – Tom Peters
In order for all members of an organization to practice ownership of the mission, vision, and goals, the structure of leadership within the organization must be designed flatly, rather than in hierarchy. Distributed leadership assumes a set of practices that “are enacted by people at all levels rather than a set of personal characteristics and attributes located in people at the top.” (Fletcher and Kaufer, 2003, p. 22) Which do you practice – Distributing or Delegating?
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“The Communication of Leadership” (2 hrs.) – October 28th - James Gordon
A great vision and strategy are only as good as how and when they are communicated. Commitment to specifically communicating what is envisioned motivates staff at all levels to make a great education possible for students. With poor marketing and ineffective school/district communication, visions would remain just that: visions. A great conversation requires mental control. "It's about trust, it's about being authentic, it's about communicating your vision but also at the same time listening to what employees have to say”, say Boris Groysberg. How does communication allow staff/teams to be part of an organization’s success?
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The entire purpose of leadership is to create a culture. Schools and departments reflect the ethics of the leaders who run them. The culture of the school, department, or organization determines how employees are treated, the service given, the partnerships that are established, and even how staff/teams actually get their jobs done. What's fascinating about culture, though, is that it exists regardless of whether the organization realizes or not. What are the effects of a great culture in schools/departments and what role does the leader play?
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To recognize that the leader is responsible for the culture in the school or on the team one leads.
Objectives of Session:
• To understand how the leader can set the culture and the benefit of a culture where everyone feels valued.
• To understand how leaders, communicate a clear vision to create an environment that attracts people who share their same values.
Most organizations view school/office politics as comprising negative workplace behaviors such as favoritism, back‐stabbing, avoidance, cronyism, and self‐interest. Thomas Cairns believes these behaviors are associated with power and status: those who have it, those who want it, and those who do not want to be hurt by it. Most people take a defensive position when it comes to office politics; they want to survive what they perceive to be the actions of aggressors. School/Office politics do not have to be a contest with winners and losers, but it does require what researchers are calling positive political savvy.
Successful networking is not a "talent," but something that takes practice. It necessitates going outside one's comfort zone and making a long-term commitment to the process. How can one’s political astuteness aid in success as a great leader?
Goal(s) of Session:
• Maximize one’s social capital as a leader, developing one’s face-to-face and virtual networks
• Build one’s network efficiently.
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Many organizations seek out people who are conscientious. Conscientious leaders are concerned about the overall vision of the organization. They are meticulous and want to get the job done in the correct way. These leaders are quite thorough when preparing for a project. They look at every possible outcome, focus on being accurate, and use anticipated details to create results which meet or exceed expectations. They for focus on “We” before “Me”—creating a climate of school/department/organizational success. How does one appreciate the success of the organization through their actions?
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When a school leader ensures that students, staff, and parents are not only informed but have an active voice in their school community, they build a culture of inclusivity, eliminating feelings of distrust, uncertainty, and hostility. As leaders, we must balance our intensity and desire to perform with compassionate attention to our team/faculty’s needs. Being more mindful of another’s stress and their tension points before they impact the work requires us to boost our emotional intelligence.
Listening is a leadership responsibility that does not appear in the job description. Those who do listen to their team/faculty, are in a much better position to lead the increasingly diverse and multigenerational workforce. The “one-approach-fits-all” way of thinking has become outdated and those who embrace the high art of listening and effectively communicating are destined to be the better, more compassionate leaders. How is effective listening essential in the framework of successful leadership?
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Are you a courageous leader? The question often leads the imagination to extreme examples such as rushing into a burning building without hesitation in order to save someone. And it’s easy to assume that someone simply has that ability to be courageous or they don’t. Yet not only is the example flawed, the subsequent assumption is flawed. Let’s make the question more relevant. Would you speak up for a coworker if your boss were speaking inappropriately about them, or is that something you just pretend you would do?
Courage is a critical yet complex component of character-based leadership, and has two components: physical and moral. We focus on the physical aspect of courage the most, because we think it’s the stuff heroes are made of. However, without the foundation of moral courage and wisdom, those actions might simply be reckless. Moral courage is at the heart of our resiliency to resolve internal strife, and it is all about choice not genetics. How can a lack of courage adversely impact one’s leadership practice?
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When it comes to leadership traits, "passion" is hard to pin down, but it is vital to engaging the hearts and minds of students, teachers, parents, and others. Passionate leaders have the spark that can foster commitment and determination in their employees. Leaders who understand and embrace passion in their school/departments have tremendous opportunities for empowering and engaging their staff/team to meet meaningful goals. They can create the kind of work environment where their staff/team share their enthusiasm and drive to achieve SCS/school/department/ goals. An effective leader knows how to show others what is required, rather than simply telling them. What energizes your work?
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