Leadership Connectors – Chapter four: Competence

What do I really need to know and how can I learn it?  What a great section.  Social/emotional intelligence, communication skills, reflection, kindness/respect, knowledge of learning theory and teaching methodology, organization/prioritization, systemic thinking, shared vision, and humility are all the skills one must master if he/she wants to be a successful leader.  I believe I have spent the past 15 years of my career focusing on several of these strategies but I have failed to leave out the reflection portion of it.  I have always reflected on why my team won or lost a game, or why a class didn’t do well on a test, but I have never taken the time to ask others for their perceptions and then use what they say.  Why would I do that?  That would open the doors for potential hurt or pain and cause me to feel vulnerable.  This would require being able to handle the constructive criticism and possible judgments.   I’d like to sit down with a colleague someday and try this.  I would have to find someone that is trustworthy and honest.  That is a challenge in itself.  It is difficult to receive criticism and sometimes hard to give it. 

Leadership Connectors – Chapter three: Safety

It’s 2:00 am and my heart is racing.  That sounds familiar.  I don’t recall my heart racing but I have had many sleepless nights because of the amount of work I felt I needed to get done.  Sometimes it feels as if there's not enough minutes in the day.  I am going to begin to focus on the five thoughts that came from school leaders that successfully sleep through the night.  Practice compartmentalizing, prioritize, make a list of the things I do to relax, make a practice of listing all of the things that go well each day, and continue to develop a network of colleagues, family, and friends that I trust.  Prioritizing will be the most difficult for me.  I am the type of person that wants to get everything done right away.  I don’t like to keep people waiting.  My goal is to use the example from the text, the three drawer strategy.  One drawer for the things that need immediate attention, one drawer for things to complete over a period of time, and one drawer I can use to explore new ideas and increase my general knowledge. 

Leadership Connectors - Chapter 2: Support

Leadership Connectors – Chapter two: Support

Working in three different districts has given me the opportunity to experience several different types of leadership.  Support is a word that can be interrupted in many different ways.  I have been in situations where my administrative team believed they were providing me with the support I needed, when in fact I had never felt so alone.  At that time in my life I believed it was like that in every district.  I am now surrounded by leaders that empower me which encourages me to continue to give 100%. Reading Leadership Connector has given me the opportunity to realize that great leaders surround themselves with good people and they realize that it is virtually impossible to do the job alone.  Leaders set the tone, and they find something good in everyone.  My personal challenge is to find that “good” in everyone, even if I have to dig a little deeper.

Leadership Connectors - Chapter 1: Communication

Leadership Connectors – Chapter one: Communication

Reading this chapter on communication allowed me to reflect on my own communication skills.  I have learned the importance of “Framing It”.  Leaders can use framing as a powerful tool.  According to the text, a leader can frame a situation as a catastrophe or as a noble challenge, as a problem or as an opportunity.  As leaders/teachers/coaches we are faced with problematic situations daily.  It is our responsibility to turn that situation into an achievable challenge.  

Listening is another powerful communication tool that continues to resurface in our program.  Sometimes teachers simply want to feel, heard.  I have learned that listening can sometimes fix a problem without having to address it. 

By applying the listening principle I will be able to truly hear what my colleagues are saying, think about it, and then do something about it.