50 Tips and Tactics to Support Courageous Leaders: What Extraordinary Leaders Do Differently Jim Grant Georgia Compensatory Education Leadership Conference Session #2 February 24, 2014 Savannah, GA Big Picture Outcomes Three Workshop Goals You will: 1. learn common sense tips and tactics to help you lead by influence. 2. learn 50+ inspirational tips, stances and strategies that will help define what extraordinary leaders do differently. 3. learn ways to distinguish yourself as an administrator by becoming a courageous outlier. 1. 2014 School Challenges: Policies, Practices, Mandates, and Trends Challenges include: __ 1. ongoing/drastic budget cuts. __ 2. the adoption of Common Core State Standards. __ 3. overreliance on high-stakes testing. __ 4. an increase in the volume of curriculum content. __ 5. an escalated (shoved down) curriculum. __ 6. the adoption of a “purist version” of Response To Intervention (RTI). __ 7. the new principal/teacher evaluation initiative. __ 8. the federal pay for performance mandate. 2. 2014 School Challenges: Policies, Practices, Mandates, and Trends Challenges include: __ 9. dramatic changes in the way today’s parents raise their children. __ 10. an increase in the number of children who are living in poverty. __ 11. an increase in the number of children who have been traumatized. __ 12. an increase in the number of children with special needs. __ 13. a dramatic increase in the number of students who have poor mental health. 3. Common Sense Leadership Tips, Tactics, and Stances Extraordinary leaders: 1. define themselves (see slide 4A). 2. have a 21st century mindset (see slides 4B-C). 3. have grit (see slides 4D-E). 4. have a career NOT a job! 5. are NOT heavy handed. 4. Character Traits Associated With Extraordinary leaders Courageous leaders: have common sense. are tenacious.* are creative. create a vision. have integrity.* are resilient.* are collaborative. are risk-takers. are effective. have persistence.* are change agents. have enthusiasm. have self-confidence. are passionate. are knowledgeable. are highly motivated. are truly courageous.* have self-responsibility. have a strong work ethic. are flexible. hold themselves accountable. are outliers. *performance grit traits. 4A. 21st Century Mindset Persons who have a 21st century mindset: __ have an optimistic perspective. __ are always up to a challenge. __ identify their own strengths and eaknesses. _ believe they are evolving and always have omething to learn (lifelong learner). __ stretch themselves when learning new things. __ have the persistence and effort to learn something over a longer time period. __ try doing things they couldn’t do before. __ view “good failures” as learning opportunities. __ are known for their reliability and commitment. Based on the work of: Carol S. Dweck, Angela Duckworth, Paul Tough, et al. 4B. 21st Century Mindset Effect A 21st century mindset will: __ reinforce your optimism. __ strengthen your perseverance. __ help you thrive during challenging times. __ reinforce your belief that you can change and grow. __ boost your tenacity and effort. __ foster the adoption of grit traits. __ stiffen your resolve when faced with setbacks, challenges, and disappointments. __ strengthen your resilience. __ solidify your determination and effort to be reliable and fully committed. Based on the work of: Carol S. Dweck, Angela Duckworth, Paul Tough, et al. 4C. What is Grit? Grit could be defined as a collection of hardy, timeless character traits that emanate from a 21st century mindset. These traits enable one to persevere in the face of setbacks, adversity, and disappointments in the pursuit of long-term goals. Firmness of mind or spirit… unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger ~ Merriam-Webster 23. 4D. Performance Character Traits Grit qualities may include, but are not limited to: ___ self-control (willpower). ___ persistence. ___ tenacity. ___ resilience. ___ hard work. ___ delayed gratification. ___ perseverance. ___ open-mindedness. ___ optimism. ___ conscientiousness. ___ social intelligence. ___ courage. Based on the work of: Angela Lee Duckworth, Laura Pappano, and Paul Tough, et al. 4E. Extraordinary leaders: 6. know when a staff member is in distress, and they take the time to understand the root causes (see slide 5A.). 7. engage in face-to-face communication (see slide 5B). 8. teach the younger generation of educators to first get the lay of the land. 9. take the time to reconsider their positions. 10. are coaches NOT critics (see slide 5C). 11. deal with “bus” issues while fostering team building (see slide 5D). 5. Understanding Human Distress: What’s Going On In The Person’s Life? bulimia separated homeless harassed depression obese pregnant abandoned No transportation substance abuse sleep deprived care giving for an elderly person feeling poor 5A. 55 percent of the emotional meaning of a message is expressed through facial, postural, and gestural means. 38 percent of the emotional meaning is transmitted through tone of voice. Only 7 percent of the emotional meaning is actually expressed with words. Source: Stephen Nowicki and Marshall Duke,Nowicki 1992 Source: Helping the Child who Doesn’t Fit In, Stephen and Marshall Duke, 1992 5B. The administrator’s role is to be a coach Not a critic. It isn’t enough anymore to think of the administrator’s role as simpy identifying ineffectual teaching and documenting it. Coaching is about helping people improve their performance. 5C. Are There Any Bus Issues? Is the right person ln the driver’s seat? Is everyone on the bus? Is everyone on the right bus? Is everyone in the right seat? Does someone need to get off the bus? Are there too many seats? Do you need to add a seat (s)? 5D. Extraordinary leaders: 12. ask the right question(s). 13. know the first rule of holes! 14. understand The Possibility Effect. 15. know fair isn’t always equal. 16. know that zippers and people don’t respond to force. 17. know if they hear hoof beats, NOT to look for Zebras! (old medical saying). 6. Extraordinary leaders: 18. have a “meteorologist” side (see slide 7A). 19. know when to back up their tractor! 20. understand “innovation fatigue” and know when it’s time for a “Popeye moment” (see slides 7B-C). 21. know that “luck favors a prepared mind!” 22. live by The Brahmin Code! 7. Pay for Performance Common Core State Standards Increased diversity Increased in ELL & SPED students ELs know that taken together co-occurring policies, practices, and education fads tend to potentiate! ELs know that multiple co-occurring policies, practices, and education fads can create a “perfect storm.” 7A. Got Change? Major Reforms 2014-2015 __ Adoption of Common Core State Standards. __ Change to a new tests that align with state standards. __ Adoption of new curriculua to align with Common Core State Standards. __ Change to another new math program. __ Adopt a new teacher evaluation system. __ Adopt a new principal evaluation system. __ Agree to comply with the federal pay for performance mandate. __ Adopt a “purist version” of Response to Intervention (RTI). 7B. When is Enough, Enough! Many of today’s teachers and administrators are suffering from “innovation fatigue.” Lesson Learned… ELs understand “innovation fatigue.” They know when enough is enough! 7C. Extraordinary leaders: 23. know there is a time and place for a… “Walter Cronkite moment!” 24. know the No.1 reason why “smart people fail ” (see slides 8A-B). 25. trust their feelings of cognitive dissonance. 26. practice the Wake-Up-Call Effect. 27. question the concept of “Multitasking.” 8. Do you know why “smart people fail?” Cognitive Emotional Social Physical The Whole Person 8A. Leading From The Middle Central Office/School Board (The Source of Commands) Principals lead from the middle! Teachers 8B. Extraordinary leaders: 28. strive to fix the things that are wrong. 29. stay in touch with the trends (see slides 9A-B). 30. know that sometimes rules need to be broken. 31. look you in the eye when talking to you. 9. Emerging Future Trends 1. The number of children with learning disabilities will continue to increase. 2. Change in parenting styles will take a toll on the way schools do business. 3. E-textbooks will rapidly replace hardcover books. 4. Life factors and circumstances will redefine the family as we once knew it. 5. Blended learning will continue to take root and will redefine brick & mortar schools. 6. The Implementation Dip Effect associated with testing and state standards will catch school officials off guard. 9A. Emerging Future Trends 7. The “Purist” form of RTI will continue to under-serve at-risk students as well as a host of other unintended consequences. 8. Child poverty will continue to rise, thus creating unprecedented challenges to schools. 9. The obesity epidemic will create health problems that impact schools in a multitude of ways. 10. Tight school budgets will NOT abate for several more years. 11. Too much digital media as well as an overreliance on technology will create unintended consequences. 12. The pay for performance initiative will have unintended consequences. 9B. Extraordinary leaders: 32. know that patience is a virtue. 33. understand diversity, i.e., developmental, racial, socioeconomic, etc. (see slide 10A). 34. recognize the signs of a teacher who has “retired.” 35. never get into fights with ugly people! 10. Extraordinary Administrators Understand Diversity Factors and circumstances that create student diversity include, but are not limited to: __ 1. health/well-being. __ 8. trauma. __ 2. family circumstances. __ 9. home language. __ 10. learning disabilities. __ 3. poverty. __ 4. poor nutrition/obesity. __ 11. learning profile. __ 5. environmental toxins. __ 12. stress/anxiety. __ 6. various cultures. __ 13. chronological age. __ 7. prematurity/ low birth weight __ 14. gender. 10A. Extraordinary leaders: 36. never give up! 37. know the key to teacher buy-in. 38. know the “first secret ” to lasting change (see slide 11A). 39. take risks. 11. THE PROCESS OF CHANGE Understanding Teacher Buy In Turn-n-talk to your colleagues and rank the above 3 steps in order of progression. 11A. Extraordinary leaders: 40. are trained “elephant spotters” (see slide 12A). 41. don’t mistake motion for action. 42. know the First Law of Horse Back Riding. 43. trust, but verify! 12. Focus on Schools Helps Finns Build a Showcase Nation The Finns long ago decided that seven is the right age to begin school, so in every grade the children are a year older than they would be in the United States. Six-year-olds have kindergarten (and a high percentage of Finnish youngsters come to school from state-run-day-care-centers, which are also generously staffed and supported). But according to Raili Rapila, a kindergarten teacher in Arabia, there is no pressure to begin reading before first grade. Three of ten in her class are readers, she said, but all ten love to be read to often, every day. “social skills and learning to play are more important than reading” for the six-year-olds, she said. Robert G. Kaiser Washington Post Staff Writer March 24,2005 12A. Extraordinary leaders: 44. know The Law Of The Farm. 45. know nothing is ever the way it looks. 46. first define the problem. 47. say the Serenity Prayer every day (see slide 13A). 13. God grant me the serenity to accept the things ITurn cannot to your neighbor. Tell him the change, change thefact you learned in most important this presentation. things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr, Theologian 13A. Extraordinary leaders: 48. stand united. 49. can spot a red herring (see slide 14A). 50. include teachers in the decision making process (see slide 14A). 51. DO NOT stay silent. 14. Red Herring A fallacy in which an irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue; by leading attention away from the argument and to another topic. Teachers NOT Included “How can any reform succeed when teachers, who are responsible for putting the reforms into practice in the classroom, aren’t included in the equation?” ~Harold W. Stevenson 14A. Extraordinary leaders: 52. know everything takes longer than expected. 53. contact federal and state lawmakers. 54. find their “Murphy” side (see slide 15A). 55. are optimistic (see slide 15B). 15. Understanding The Power of “Negative Thinking!” Extraordinary leaders know too much positive thinking can inadvertently blind us to pitfalls, obstacles, and challenges! 15A. 42. The Courage to Be Optimistic A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities; an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. ~Reginald B. Mansfield 15B. Extraordinary leaders: 56. know denial is a powerful force. 57. create solutions. 58. trust their “radar screen.” 59. know people tend to be different in an economic down turn. 16. Extraordinary leaders: 60. don’t procrastinate! ELs live by Elvis Presley’s business motto (see slide 17A). 61. know why some folks just can’t understand something. 62. temper data with common sense. 63. watch their time! 17. T C B This is the logo on Elvis Presley’s private jet as well as his bronze grave marker. Taking Care of Business In a flash 17A. Extraordinary leaders: 64. assess their workload and pace on a regular basis. 65. plan on plan B. 66. know the detrimental effects of political correctness (see slide 18A). 67. are themselves… because they know everyone else is taken! 18. Ultimate Dishonesty… Political Correctness! Political correctness tends to highjack common sense and logic! ELs know political correctness can be a form of suppression and intimidation. PC may be a deceitful way to censor, restrict, and/or avoid honest discussion acknowledging reality. Sometimes “politeness” can have unintended consequences. Politeness is the slow poison of collaboration. Dr. Edwin H. Land, Inventor Land Polaroid Camera 18A. Extraordinary leaders: 68. create a caring school culture (see slide 19A). 69. don’t wait for things to happen. 70. know a sound education trend from a passing fad (see slide 19B). 71. are aware of the consequences of the Hansel and Gretel Effect. 19. The principal is in charge of The Teacher “climate control!” I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or hurt, humor or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized. Haim Ginott — 1972 19A. Sound Concept or Education Fad? The 3-Way Filter Is the education innovation/practice/policy: Yes No educationally sound? good for kids? doable? When ELs check NO to the last one, they DON’T do it! 19B. Extraordinary leaders: 72. are aware of the John Henryism Effect (see slide 20A). 73. agree to the spirit of compromising. 74. fully understand The Nomad Principle of administration. 75. know… If You’re Riding A Horse And It Dies, Get off! 20. The “John Henryism” Effect “John Henryism” starts when you’re responding to stresses beyond your control by working extra hard; despite your hard work, the stresses keep you from succeeding, pushing you ever harder. Adapted from: John Rothman THE COST OF WINNING The mighty railroad worker, John Henry took on a new steam-powered hammer in a contest. He won, but the effort killed him! Reachable Goal “Striving is good for you only when success is possible.” Joshua Rothman 20A.