LeaderTalk

Integrity, Our Stories, and Deliberateness

Cross posted at Ed Tech Journeys

“I’m an honest person and have always thought of myself as having integrity. I mean, relatively speaking. I mean I’m not honest all the time and sometimes I veer from my values and beliefs; but compared to some other people I know, I have much more integrity.”

Ah! herein lies the core of today’s post. My quote is a story I tell myself to rationalize my shortcomings in the area of integrity and honesty. The minute I start comparing myself to others, I am abandoning my own accountability for integrity. The minute I say I have integrity “BUT”, I am moving away from integrity.

My definition of integrity is ‘acting in alignment with my beliefs and values’. If I value honesty and then I cheat on my taxes, pad my resume, exaggerate my accomplishments, tell someone I am not upset when I really am…I am out of integrity.

If I say I’ll pay someone on the first of the month and I pay on the 12th and I rationalize it because I have been busy and other people delay their payments until much later than that, I am out of integrity.

It has as much to do with little things as big things.

If I value my health and believe that taking care of my body is an important part of being a leader, and yet after Aikido training on certain mornings I cross the street and go to the little breakfast place for a high calorie Danish and coffee, I am out of integrity. I rationalize my actions by telling myself a nice story… I had a good workout and deserve the reward. Does it hurt anyone? No. Is it a big thing? No. Should I beat myself up about it? No. Would I like to be more deliberate about my breakfast choices? Yes!

I believe in a clean environment but as I rush past a corner trashcan and shoot a balled up paper bag at it and miss, I keep going. I tell myself, that normally I’d pick it up; but today I’m late and there are so many people in the crowd, and it’s just one small piece of garbage, and I’m really pretty religious about being neat with my trash, and there’s plenty of other people’s garbage blowing around the street, and on, and on, and on.

Now, it may seem I am beating myself up about little things. It may seem like this is an exercise in negativity and self-criticism; but it isn’t. It is nothing more than waking up and becoming aware of the constant stream of stories I tell myself from moment to moment throughout the day. It is through the recognition that these stories are rationalizations that I start to breakdown their power.

I am a human being. I am not perfect. On the other hand, I want to continue to grow my integrity.

To be in integrity is to be deliberate about one’s actions.

So, armed with this awareness, every moment is a chance to choose to act in ways that are in integrity with my beliefs and values. I can choose to listen to the person standing in front of me, or I can let my mind slip into thinking about what is next on my schedule and pretend that I am listening by nodding my head and saying “Hmm!”

I can be angry and frustrated with someone’s behavior and make believe nothing is wrong while letting the anger and frustration cloud my behaviors, or I can choose to have the courage to speak with them about it.

The more we are out of integrity the more difficult it is for us to lead others.

If we say we value professional development; but make it the first target for cuts when the budget is under stress…

If we talk about transforming teaching and learning, but continue to spend all of our time and energy in putting out fires and dealing with day-to-day issues…

…when we stand in front of others and ask them to follow us, we may find that people hesitate.

Integrity builds trust, both in ourselves and in others.

It helps if we can wake up to the stories that we tell ourselves to rationalize where we are not in integrity. Once we are aware, we can decide to be more deliberate about the choices we make.

The more often our values and beliefs align with our actions, the more we feel the power of integrity. It is from here that we live a life that is ‘centered’ and ‘grounded’. It is from here that we can effectively lead others. It is from here that we can say…

…I am living life on purpose.

pete

Preparing for Meetings Using the Mind and the Heart

Cross posted at Ed Tech Journeys

Years ago I used to prepare for important meetings by taking a few moments to write down the key points I wanted to convey. I’d try to anticipate what people’s responses would be and prepare for those as well. In a sense, I was trying to do as much as I could to ‘script’ the conversation. I did this whether I was planning for a ‘one on one’ or team meeting that I felt was particularly important, or potentially emotional. Preparing like this made me feel clearer and reduced the prospect of me being surprised. Being unprepared made me feel vulnerable.

The problem was that often the conversation or meeting would take an unexpected turn. When that happened I was so locked into my agenda, that I was not effective at handling things extemporaneously. I was clumsy and stiff. Things would go badly.

There was nothing wrong with preparing my agendas, or with being clear about what I wanted to achieve at meetings; but I completely ignored the deeper, more important part of the meeting; the part of the meeting that was not cognitive; but affective.

You see there are things going on at meetings…silent, under the radar things, that effect us whether we are conscious of them or not. Think back to a meeting that did not go well. What was it that made you feel that way?

The leader…

• let the meeting drift
• was so concerned with sticking to the agenda that he cut off some important discussion without resolution.
• had a personal agenda and was clearly pushing it at us
• wasn’t really listening to us
• doesn’t follow through, so no one puts too much ‘skin’ into these meetings
• seemed to be frustrated with us when he spoke
• although stating that she wanted a dialogue and conversation on the topic, did most of the talking
• is condescending
• is unorganized.

The list is truly endless.

Whether we are conscious of these assessments, or not; they are there. We feel them even if we don’t verbalize them.

After many years, I’ve learned to prepare for both parts of the meeting; but with much more emphasis on the silent  dynamics.

When I list the outcomes that I would like to achieve at the meeting, I include, not just the cognitive items that appear on the 'paper' agenda; but affective goals like:

• I want the person or team to develop trust in me and/or the team itself.
• I want to be open to what others have to say and not allow my personal agenda to
• close off possibilities.
• I want to be a good listener.
• I don’t want to be judgmental.

Think about it, isn't developing trust a key element necessary for effective leaders? Each meeting we have is an opportunity to build a little more trust with those we lead. Why not prepare ourselves by making this an affective goal for the meeting?

Beyond listing my desired outcomes, I spend a few moments preparing myself.

For example, if I have negative judgments about the person with whom I am going to meet, let’s say I feel they are lazy, self-centered, unappreciative, or incompetent; then I have to rid myself of the negativity, frustration, and anger that accompany that judgment. If I don’t, no matter how much I try to disguise my negativity, the other party, or the team, feels it… either consciously or unconsciously.

There are many wonderful practices to help clear oneself of the emotions tied to negative judgments.

If I want to engender trust or be open to others, I prepare by spending a few moments letting go of all my thoughts and plans, and do a practice to open my heart. I reconnect with my life’s purpose, my beliefs, my values, and my commitments. I feel the goodness in my own core and in so doing feel the goodness of others.

Preparing for a meeting by creating an agenda using my mind to identify the content that needs to be explored; AND preparing an affective agenda by using my heart to see beyond the words…

…has made me a more effective leader.

pete

A Few Words for New Teachers

Cross posted at Ed Tech Journeys

This Fall, tens of thousands of new teachers will begin their careers. If the national statistics hold true more than half of them will leave the profession somewhere within their first 5 years of teaching. It's a tought but rewarding profession. I wish them all well and offer some unsolicited advice.

You are an exemplar of what it is to be a learner. It takes courage to learn alongside your students. You do not have to be perfect. You do not have to know everything. In fact, if that’s the façade you put on, you will be doing your students a disservice. Never forget that you are the “living curriculum”. How you behave has more of a lasting impact than what you say.

Along the way you’ll meet all kinds of students. There will be shy ones like Kelly who can be crushed by criticism. You’ll meet students like Tim, who are outcasts, suffer greatly at home, and who need someone to believe in them. You’ll meet the Laird Bishops of the world, whose enthusiasm and curiosity can open new worlds for you. You’ll meet students who will put you in a place of honor that you may or may not deserve. Keep your eyes open, keep your mind open, keep you heart open.

Remember, that every student is unique and has a gift to offer. The behaviors, dress, and attitudes of some students can make this difficult to believe. Try to look beyond the exterior. Try to find that gift. When you find it, let them know about it. The teachers in my life that have made the most impact on my life were those that acknowledged my gifts and nurtured my confidence in them, and myself. The interesting thing about this is that it only takes a few moments of authentic individual attention to make a huge difference in the life of a student.

Teaching is about learning. You can teach all you want; but if the students aren’t learning, then look to yourself. What can YOU do differently? That’s not to say that students aren’t accountable for their own learning. They are.; but there’s a strange math that applies in this profession; you are 100% accountable for the success of your students and your students are 100% accountable for their own success.

Finally, reach out to your colleagues. Don’t suffer in isolation. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel. Teaching is a tough profession. Within five years, more than 50% of those who started teaching with you will have left the profession. Connect to the veterans who have experienced the gauntlet through which every beginning teacher must journey.

We need you. The children need you…

…all of you!

The complete you… body, mind, and soul.

It will take nothing less.

In gratitude and appreciation,

pete

Decisive Action: Using the Sword

Cross-Posted on Ed Tech Journeys

Not long ago I received an e-mail from an old friend,

“Pete, our administrative team is a mess. We have a new superintendent who is being undercut by one of the principals, who just happens to be head of the administrators’ bargaining association, and is also personal friends with the Board president. We need your help.”

I connected with my old friend for lunch and heard the whole story in great detail. Eventually, after a few meetings with the superintendent, he invited me to work with his team.

I found the team to be very complimentary to each other. They had an extremely high opinion of themselves and they presented a unified façade that said “everything is okay here”. There wasn’t a lot for me to work with, so I set up private meetings each of them.

In these private meetings, the administrators started to open up. It turned out that everyone knew that this principal was undercutting the Superintendent. He had applied for the Superintendent’s job and been passed over. Many of the young administrators expressed fear of this principal who had been in the district for more than 30 years and had a ‘back door’ to the Board of Education. When pressed, they admitted that there was little trust on their team because of the way this principal wielded his power; in secret, rewarding those he liked, and stealthily undermining those he didn’t.

It was clear to me that the behavior of this individual was at the root of the team’s dysfunction. There was no trust. If the superintendent wanted to lead an initiative that this individual didn’t like, he would quietly sabotage it with other administrators, parents, and, of course, the Board President.

I met with the Superintendent and shared with him what I had found in my individual interviews. As I thought, the Superintendent was not surprised. He knew this was going on. He had chosen to ignore it. My suggestion was to remove this person from the team. The individual was of retirement age and maybe we could entice him to leave with “an offer he couldn’t refuse.” The Superintendent wanted to take some time to think about it.

A month later he still had not made up his mind. Later still, he declared that he thought the individual had “turned a corner” and was no longer undermining him or sowing the seeds of distrust with the team. He had made up his mind that it was better to do nothing than to face the problem and take action to fix it.

Many leaders take this route. They have a difficult choice to make and eventually they choose not to act. It’s so easy to live with that status quo, even if it is not ideal. It’s so easy to convince ourselves that things, or people are changing. It’s what we want to believe. It colors our thinking to the point where we ignore reality and find ourselves living in hope.

I’m sure the Superintendent in this story felt, that had he acted, there is no telling the hornet’s nest he might have riled up. The person he was trying to get to retire might have taken it as an insult, he might have stirred up the Board and parents against him. On the other hand, it was imperative that the Superintendent do something to rescue his team and himself from this unacceptable situation. Imagine trying to captain a boat with one of the crew stealthily poking holes in the hull.

So, the new Superintendent decided to live with things as they were. He decided to keep his ‘sword’ sheathed.

When I checked in recently I wasn’t surprised to hear that the Superintendent was not finishing his contract. He was “retiring”. What happened to his old nemesis, the administrator that few trusted?

He was the new Superintendent.

My friend who had sent me the original e-mail of distress let me know that many of the youngest and most promising administrators had “jumped ship”. They were taking jobs in other districts.

Sometimes we need to un-sheath our swords and take decisive action for ourselves, our teams, and most importantly…

…for the kids we serve.

pete

My Daydream: A Student's View of One to One Computing

Cross-posted at Ed Tech Journeys

I closed the cover of my Asus eee, tucked it into my backpack, and headed off to English class.  I didn’t eat much today. I wanted to see the MIT lecture on Mitosis and Miosis because we were going to be spending some time on this in Science class this afternoon. Lucky for me, Mrs. Woodruff’s class was just around the corner from the cafeteria where I had just finished lunch.Anyway, I wanted to get there early to ‘IM’ Jamie Milledge, who was helping me build out my “Fahrenheit 451” wiki.

Jamie would be up by now. I live on the East coast and she goes to school in Torrence, California. She is a major Ray Bradbury fan. We met up about a month ago when I found some of her science fiction writing on the Fan Fiction web page. Turns out she was the same age and studying “451” in her English class the same as me. We Face Book each other all the time now.

I get to class and whip open my computer.

Jamie wassup?
Getting dressed.
Did you find the movie?
Yeah. Not easy to get.
Great.
What part do we want to use?
I love the RR tracks scene.
Where they all become their favorite books?
Yeah. So cool!
OK. I’ll upload it at lunch today.
You’re the best.

We chat until the class is ready to start.

Mrs. Woodruff is already leaning over a student helping them with whatever project they’re working on.

Last night I searched out some blogs that deal with “451″ and have added them to the RSS feeds in my aggregator. They may come in handy as we go through the book.

“Okay class, you can get into your teams now.”

Mrs. Woodruff speaks over the discussions that have already begun. I don’t know why she feels she has to say this every day because we never wait for her. We’re already in our groups.

Our group project is to build out a vocabulary blog for “451” . We each take a few chapters, find the more difficult words, and look them up online. Usually, when we do this we create a team blog where we post the sentence from the book that contains the word, as well as the definitions of the words. We organize it all by chapter. Here’s the vocabulary blog we did on our last book, “The Outsiders”.

(Courtesy of JIm Coe and Tom Woodward of the Bionic Teaching Blog)

This time, in addition to what we usually do, we decide to add some online photos from Flickr, drag them in Comic Life, and write the words used in funny contexts. Michael, our team leader, is really good at coming up with the funny stuff.

         

(This example courtesy of Jim Coe and Tom Woodward of Bionic Teaching)

After a bit, Mrs. Woodruff asks us to close our computers and report out on how we are doing. One group has done research on all the books that have been banned over the years. Marcy plugs into the projector and shows the Censorship website they’ve created. They’ve worked with the school library media specialist, and a number of outside organizations who are very anti-censorship. I’m surprised at some of the titles on the list. I copy the URL. I want to check it out when I get to study hall later today.

Another group shows the product they are creating in response to the “451″ WebQuest they were working on.

The other groups plug in to show their particular projects; but Terry’s group gets into trouble because they havn’t done much since the last time they presented. Terry says that they have been doing a lot of the work after school; but they havn’t had an online work session this week because a few of them had late sports practices. Terry’s team always has an excuse. The truth is they put in no effort. They do what they can during free time in school, but they almost never hold group work sessions at night. They’ve got to get themselves a better leader or they’re gonna get creamed at the end of the marking period.

I can’t wait to show the vocabulary site we created. Everyone laughs at Michael’s funny comments that are in the Comic Life bubbles. I also take a moment to show the “451” wiki site that Jamie from California and I have been working on. Believe it or not, Jamie has already uploaded a scene from the movie. I click on it and play a minute or so.

Mrs. Woodruff claps her hands, “Great job! guys. Now, let’s get to our writing projects.”

We all pull our desks back a few feet from the groups we were in so we can work on our own for awhile. I pull up the draft of the paper I have been writing from my virtual locker storage space. I’m working on an essay topic from an old Regents exam. I figure it’s good practice. We write in silence, saving frequently, as we have been taught to do. Mrs. Woodruff walks around giving some individual advice to different folks. I run my paper through the online Writing Evaluator. I like this because it picks up most of the simple mistakes I tend to make when I write. It saves Mrs. Woodruff some time, too.

“Class!” She says. We all look up. She walks to the SmartBoard in the front of the room and taps on it a few times. Up come the notes from last week. She enlarges the words THEME and PLOT.

“I see a number of you are getting theme and plot confused. What is the difference between the theme and plot?”

A few brave souls raise their hands.

“You know what? Rather than doing this verbally, I want you to e-mail me your explanations for homework tonight. Include the basic theme of “451” . I don’t need you to rehash the plot.”

Man, more homework.

Mrs. Woodruff continued, “We’re getting close to the bell, so just a reminder that I will be online for extra help on Thursday from 8:00pm till 9:00pm. Terry, I expect that at least one member of your team should be there. Your team needs lot’s of help.”

The bell rings. I sling my Asus into my backpack and dash out of the room. My science class is at the other end of the building; I’ve gotta hustle.

pete

This is a daydream. I’m sure there are many more creative constructivist ideas out there. The Asus and other products used in this post are for illustrative purposes only and not an endorsement.

The technology is transparent. The Asus is one of a number of sub-$500, mobile, wireless computers. WIreless access from everywhere in the school. VIrtualized desktops with access to all school applications and files from anywhere, including the home. Appropriate software. Engaged and empowered students, learning both in school and outside of school, formally and informally, collaboratively and individually. Learning partners that extend outside the classroom.

Special thanks to Tom Woodward and Jim Coe, two groundbreaking educators from the Henrico schools who are making the daydream reality.

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Tips and Techniques Approach to Leadership?

Cross-posted at Ed Tech Journeys

In seminar after seminar I encounter educators who are looking for a simple ‘tips and techniques’ approach to mastering the art of leadership. While tips, techniques, and the experience of others has some value; I believe that by itself, it is very limited.

Talk is cheap. Advice is plentiful. Yet, effective leadership remains rare.

Authentic leadership is less about what you know and more about who you are. Improving our effectiveness is not only about collecting more advice and information about leadership, it is also about the very difficult task of personal change. It requires commitment and practice.

It's only human nature to look for the "magic bullet" or the secret shortcut to being a great leader, so to illustrate my point I took a few minutes to pull together the highlights from just a small number of the books, blogs, and other resources that are happy give you the road map to success.

Seven Habits of Successful People -Stephen R. Covey
1. Be pro-active
2. Begin with the end in mind
3. Put first things first
4. Think Win/Win
5. Seek to understand, then to be understood
6. Synergize - collaboration
7. Sharpen the saw - balanced self-renewal

The Eighth Habit - Stephen R. Covey
Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs

The Six Secrets of Change - Michael Fullan
1. Love your employees & your customers
2. Connect peers with purpose
3. Capacity building trumps judgmentalism
4. Learning is the work
5. Transparency rules
6. Systems learn

The One Thing You Need to Know - Buckingham
Narrowing your focus is a fundamental element of success.

Do Schools Kill Creativity? -  Sir Ken Robinson
“If you are not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”

Turnaround Leader - Michael Fullan
Relentless instructional focus
Leadership depth
Capacity building
Non-Judgmental
Data Driven
Define closing the gap as the goal
Attend to the basics
Tap into people’s dignity
Be sure the best people are working on it
All successful strategies are socially based
Stay the course through continuity
Build internal accountability
Establish conditions for the evolution of positive pressure
Use the previous 9 strategies to build public confidence
Effective leaders are energizing - not just innovative
Recognize you are dealing with well-qualified and well-educated group of folks that deserve to be treated like mature adults
Don’t be afraid to compliment people for their efforts
Keep your ego in check
The term ‘principal’ used to mean ‘principal teacher’. Try remembering what it was like to be a classroom teacher.
Never use your authority to threaten, intimidate, or demean.
Lead the school with moral conviction.
Be humble.

If You Don’t Feed the Teachers They Eat Students - Neila Connors
1. Care and be concerned for others
2. Desire to be successful
3. Handle stress
4. Be in good health
5. Think logically

Leadertalk Blog
One can’t overemphasize the value of building relationships with colleagues
Taking notes makes a difference - simply ask to take notes during a conversation
If you don’t know something don’t try to fake it
Roles and value are not the same. We may have different roles but doesn’t mean we have different worth.

LeaderTalk Blogger’s Advice for New Administrators
I will do it. Volunteer to do just about anything
Tackle a major project
Get involved at the District/State level
Understand your School’s and District’s priorities
Model online collaboration and enabling others
“Staff your weaknesses” John Maxwell

National Ed Tech Plan
“For educators to get the most from the rapidly evolving development of information and communication technology, leaders at every level; must not only supervise, but provide informed, creative, and ultimately transformative leadership for systemic change.”

There isn’t much to argue with in all this advice. It’s like ‘mom and apple pie’.

The problem is, even if you memorized every one of these points, even if you discussed each item for hours with other prospective leaders, even if you wrote essays about them and gained a deep understanding of their meaning; it would not make you a better leader.

Knowing the elements of leadership in your mind is not the same as embodying the elements of leadership in your actions.

Like most things in life, there are no shortcuts to effective leadership.

Let's take one example from the lists above to illustrate this point. One of the "tips" is to 'be humble'.

Let's agree that knowing that it is important to be ‘humble’ does not make you humble. If, in fact, you are not humble, you won’t become humble by just ‘wanting’ to be humble. Having the insight that humbleness is important to being a good leader  isn’t enough to change a lifetime of behaviors that make you the person you are. Learning to be humble will take a serious commitment to personal change. Real change comes through ongoing reflection and daily practices. It is a journey.

I’ll never forget the Principal who raised his hand during one of my sessions and proclaimed emphatically,

“I already know about leadership!”

I’m sure he did. He could probably recite the “7 Habits” or the “6 Secrets” with no problem; but as the rest of the class looked at him, it was clear that his leadership journey was going to be a very, very long one.

pete

Administrator or Leader?

There is a not so secret, ‘secret’ among educators:

While every school has at least one administrator, few have leaders.

A recent workshop participant paraphrased Peter Drucker and said it this way,

“Administrators do things right. Leaders do the right things.”

While that simple statement captures some of the gulf between leadership and administration, I think it falls far short.

I have a long list, developed over many educational leadership seminars, that outlines the differences between administrators and leaders; but let's start with the one element that seems to encompass so many others…

Leaders deal from their hearts as well as their minds; administrators work almost exclusively from the mental framework.

We’ve all encountered administrators who kick off the school year with speeches solemnly stating the districts goals and objectives, or by reciting well meaning and elaborate mission statements; but it is rare to find leaders who start the year by articulating a deep felt vision...or by inspiring their staffs to embrace that vision.

Administrators are comfortable speaking from, and appealing to, the cognitive domain; hoping others see the logic of their goals and objectives; while leaders want to stir the hearts, as well as the minds of those they seek to lead.

It is the power of the heart that injects a special life into the team. Leaders who use their hearts and minds when they speak have an authenticity that creates trust. Administrators who speak only from their heads may say the right words; they may have perfect scripts; but they appear less authentic, less fully committed, and therefore they create less trust.

Without trust it’s difficult to lead effectively.

I remember the Principal at my son’s eighth grade graduation ceremony speaking to the audience of proud parents and students. His first words were,

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here with you tonight.”

Unfortunately, he spoke these words in a monotone with no emotion (heart). Even worse, there was no smile, no crack in his bland and blank façade. He continued this way through the entire speech.

While I have no doubt that deep inside he meant every word he spoke; because he closed off his heart when delivered his words, it destroyed his message. It reeked of an administrator fulfilling his job requirements, when it could have been a leader expressing gratitude to his victorious 8th grade troops and sending them off to the high school full of inspiration and hope.

Not every leader needs to be a charismatic speaker. Even speakers who speak haltingly and uncomfortably, if they speak from the heart, touch the hearts of those around them; their authenticity comes through, and with that, trust flows. We feel their commitment.

One of the first steps in the transformation from administrator to leader is to access the power of the heart. Tapping into the heart is part of every aspect of leadership, not just in speaking. It is a way of tethering ourselves to something deeper than just our ideas and thoughts. It ties us to our purpose, values, and beliefs.

When we work from the heart, we are grounded. We don’t change directions every time the political breezes shift. We are more apt to go the extra mile, even if it seems risky. We walk our own talk. We don’t have hidden agendas, they’re all out there for people to see. When we work from the heart, we don’t make decisions based solely on complicated political calculations; but we factor in our deeply held beliefs and values.

Most importantly, when we are grounded in the heart, we have the courage of a leader. Interestingly, the word courage comes from the French root ‘cour’ or heart. As leaders we don’t avoid difficult conversations, or put off difficult decisions out of fear. We address them because they need to be addressed. The heart gives us the strength and passion to do the difficult things.

The transformation from administrator to leader is largely a journey of the heart.

pete

Spiritual Growth in the Workplace

Is there a connection between our own spiritual growth and our work? Most people keep them separate. It’s pretty common to feel that 'work is work' and anything spiritual doesn't belong in our professional lives. I know that this is a delicate conversation; but I am convinced it's worth having.  In fact, many organizations are developing a contrary view of what it is to be a working professional and an effective leader.

The poet, David Whyte has written a beautiful book, "The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America". Whyte asks this simple but profound question:

What would our days be like if we came out of hiding and brought our fears, loves, and dreams directly into the workplace?"

The answers to this question are deep and complex.

In my experience I find that we are most fulfilled when our life’s purpose and our work are aligned.

Robert Frost says it brilliantly in the last stanza of “Two Tramps in Mudtime”

My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future’s sakes.

Aren’t leaders most effective when they inspire those around them to their best work?

Inspiring others isn’t something that comes from authority. Authority produces compliance. Inspiration is not something that we can't fake or think through with our minds.

The etymology of the word inspire is "to breath life into". It is the ability to access the deepest parts of ourselves; and in so doing touch the hearts, as well as the minds, of those around us. Accessing the peace of the heart, speaking from that sacred place, and touching the hearts of others is a key attribute of great leaders. The ability to inspire others can be developed; but it is a deeply personal exploration, some might say a spiritual one.

Aren’t we most effective when we can stay grounded and present during chaotic events at work?

This is more than just ’staying calm’, it is the ability to let our 'purpose' guide us, to be totally present to what is happening, and to take appropriate action. The deeper we feel our 'purpose' at work, the easier it is to navigate chaos. Being effective int he midst of chaos requires that we have trained ourselves to stay grounded, to keep our minds from racing and worrying, and to see the situation clearly without the filter of emotion and judgment. The more we can stay present, the better the chances we will act appropriately. Finding our purpose and training ourselves to be grounded and present during stressful moments is a spiritual journey that can have positive outcomes in our work.

If we connect with people and we are truly present with them, aren’t we more apt to build trusting relationships with them?

Being present means not thinking about what we are going to say next, nor is it having silent judgments about what they are saying, “That’s not right.” “That’s naive.” “That’s a great idea.” It is listening, actively and openly. Training our minds to be present is the underlying concept of meditation, a deeply spiritual endeavor.

The workplace may be the very best place for us to engage our spiritual selves. It is in our work with others that our deeper selves are truly tested. The connection between our spiritual journey and the effectiveness of our work lives is impossible to sever. We may think we can compartmentalize our spirit from our work, but over time the artificial barriers break down. After all, we can’t help being who we are.

Whyte says,

Like water flowing from an underground spring, human creativity is the wellspring greening the desert of toil and effort, and much of what stifles us in the workplace is the immense unconscious effort on the part of individuals and organizations alike to dam its flow.

Aren’t we most effective and most fulfilled when we are fully human, fully ourselves…even at work?

pete

The Three "E's"

This was cross-posted at edtechjourneys:

In a recent post I laid out a host of strategies that have been put forth by educators in an attempt to 'fix' whatever is ailing our schools. I asked, "What would you do?". I understand that we need to do more than one thing at a time; but one key area I'd change is our orientation to the three "E's" of public education

The first E is "Entertainment".

In this scenario the teacher is entertaining and fun and therefore the kids enjoy the class. The teacher is labeled 'cool". Everyone's happy. We've all had "cool" teachers like this.

The second E is "Engagement".

The teacher is still entertaining; but now he/she has stepped to the side a bit more and lets the kids get more involved and more active. There are more projects, more discoveries, more creativity, and more construction on the part of students. The teacher is still "cool" and entertaining; but the kids are doing more of the work. Many educators feel this is where we need to be...ed tech folks see that technology can play a big role in creating this environment...and it is a huge step from the traditional classroom.

...however.....

The problem that I see with both of these strategies...is that the teacher "Owns" the learning. The kids attend, and they may be entertained and engaged; but it's still the teacher's gig. When I look at videos of classrooms in turmoil (see Dangerously Irrelevant), I clearly see students who do not "Own" their own learning. They could care less. They have decided not to "play school" with us anymore, and that is frustrating for everyone...especially the teacher.

They might not be aware of it on a conscious level but their unconscious dialogue go something like this,

"You educators set up this stupid school, decided what you were going to teach without asking me, chose to put me in this class, and then told me to shut up and take notes. I may not have much power; but I can shut you and your dumb system out. You can't force me to learn. The stuff you're teaching me doesn't have any relevance to my life. As a matter of fact, acting out in school is the one place in my life where I can exert some power, even if I'm the one who loses out in the end."

A sad comment; but understandable for a disenfranchised and dis-empowered student.

That brings me to the third E, "Empowerment".

In this approach students are part of the system itself. They participate in decisions about what is taught, what they would like to learn, and what strategies and tools they would like to use in the learning process. Some may decide to work more independently, some in groups; but they are part of the process of deciding what goes on in their own learning.

This is a radical step forward from "Engagement" which seems to be the ed tech mantra right now..."Engage me or Enrage me." But students need more than engagement. They need to be empowered. They need to feel like they are not the just "bricks in the wall". They need to feel they are the architects, masons, (and yes) the laborers that are building the wall.

Educators don't need to feel threatened by this because we still maintain our own ownership and accountability; but to educate the disaffected, angry, and powerless students in many of our traditional classrooms, we must open the circle of power to include the learners themselves.

John Taylor Gatto says,

We have turned our students into parasites. It's an ugly word but absolutely true. By reserving them in school rooms and having them think that they have nothing to give back to the world for 18 years....We need to give them real responsibility. Doing your homework is a fake responsibility."

Empowering students is not a magic bullet. We will still need qualified teachers who know how to build trusting relationships with students and handle the many challenges that kids will present. We will need parents that are part of the empowerment circle and are involved with their children's education. We will need the best technology tools; and school facilities that show society's commitment to our children's futures. We need all these things....

But without taking steps to empower learners to "own" their own learning, we will continue to see classroom dynamics that doom us to failure and to continued classroom turmoil...

...and that serves no one.

pete

Leaders and Apologies

I was dismayed by the resistance of the team of volunteers who were working on generating new ideas for improving our organization. They had been in a negative mood for many months and they were not moving forward with any sort of commitment. I began asking different people I trusted what they thought was going on.

A few days later one of the members of the team came to my office.

“Pete, do you know why the team is not doing well? Why we’re just going through the motions”?

I answered, “No, I don’t.”

“Well, remember about 6 or 7 months ago we came to the Leadership Meeting and reported out some of our ideas?”

“Yes”, I replied.

“Do you remember how you treated us?”

“Yes, I asked you questions about how you got your ideas, and how you thought they would help the organization.”

“Well, yes; but to us it felt like you were attacking us. It felt like all the work we had done up to that point was insignificant. You made us feel like our ideas weren’t very good.”

I was stunned, “I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I’ve known you for a long time, Pete. I know you didn’t mean it that way; but that’s how they took it. I can tell you honestly, that they are really mad at you.”

“But that was almost 6 months ago.”

“Pete, They still haven’t gotten over it. They’re angry.”

I was embarrassed. I knew that what this person was telling me was true. The questions I had asked were okay; but I had a pattern of asking them in a way that made people defensive. It felt like a hostile interrogation rather then supportive clarification. It was one of the major elements of my leadership style that I was working to improve.

I realized I owed the group an apology.

I called the team together, and after they got settled, related to them that I had noticed that something was wrong and that they seemed angry. I told them that someone had told me it stemmed from the meeting earlier in the year when they reported out to the Leadership Team and I jumped on them with a lot of hostile questions.

I centered myself and apologized. I didn’t mean for my questioning to produce what it did. I explained that it wasn’t the first time that I had been overly aggressive when I was questioning a group and that I could see why they were angry. They had a right to be angry. I let them know that I was truly appreciative of their work and that I was committed to not having this happen in the future.

I felt an immediate shift in the energy of the room. My authentic apology had punctured the pent up animosity of the team. They felt acknowledged, and they felt my heart and my commitment to change. They were willing to allow trust to be rebuilt.

On the way out of the meeting room almost every person on the team shook my hand and thanked me for acknowledging my error and for my apology.

I learned so much from this incident.

First, leaders can have 'blind spots'; behaviors that are so ingrained that they don't even notice it when they are indulging in them. I was oblivious to my interrogation style questioning when I was doing it.

Second, teams can get into moods that can last a long time. When people get angry their mood doesn't just 'blow over'. It lingers. As a leader, I needed to pay attention to the moods of teams, committees, and the individuals around me. I tended to acknowledge only the words and organizational niceties that often hid what was really going on.

Finally, I learned that a heartfelt and authentic apology was a way to put everyone on the road to rebuilding trust relatively quickly. It's amazing how forgiving people can be when they sense that you are truly sorry for your mistakes and are committed to changing your behavior going forward.

Real apologies have tremendous power to mend wounds both old and new.

pete