EFFECTIVE LEADERS KNOW:
 Managerial “stuff” gets in the way.
 You can’t do it alone.
How did you get to
be as good as you
are?
BUILDING CAPACITY
 Think of a successful leader you have
worked with.
 Jot down the traits and behaviors that
made him or her effective.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
Talents
KNOWLEDGE
Context
(workplace)
Context
(life)
SKILLS
ATTITUDES
Motivation
How do you get
better?
st
21
Century Principal Skills
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Setting Instructional Direction
Teamwork
RESOLVING COMPLEX PROBLEMS
Sensitivity
Judgment
Results Orientation
Organizational Ability
DEVELOPING SELF AND OTHERS
Understanding Own Strengths and Weaknesses
Development of Others
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Oral Communication
Written Communication
THREE CONSISTENTLY WEAK
AREAS:
 Setting instructional direction
 Written communication
 Development of others
Because effective leadership practice is critical
to school reform, principals and other school
leaders must encourage aspiring leaders and staff
members to engage in personal examination and
development of their own professional capacity.
In doing so, educators grow personally as they
contribute to the sustainability of improvements
to their schools.
Breaking Ranks: 10 Skills for Successful School Leaders, NASSP
Not everyone can be a
secondary school
principal.
Most people don’t
have the will to do
your job.
252 business organizations were
studied, and ¾ of the executives
interviewed were concerned
about the quality of leaders they
were getting.
SETTING INSTRUCTIONAL DIRECTION:
A DEFINITION
Implementing strategies for improving
teaching and learning including putting
programs and improvement efforts into
action. Developing a vision of learning
and establishing clear goals; providing
direction in achieving stated goals;
encouraging others to contribute to goal
achievement; securing commitment to a
course of action from individuals and
groups.
BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS
 Articulates a vision related to teaching and learning
 Articulates high performance expectations for self
or others
 Encourages improvement in teaching and learning
 Sets clear measurable objectives
 Generates enthusiasm toward common goals
 Seeks to develop alliances outside the school to
support high-quality teaching and learning
 Acknowledges achievement or accomplishments
 Seeks commitment to a course of action
HOW DO YOU PUT IT IN ACTION?
To begin to assess your capacity in
setting instructional direction, reflect on
what it looks like when you perform
each of the behaviors. List some
specific examples from your own
practice as evidence that you can and do
perform each behavior.
REFLECTION
 In which skills do you feel you are
strongest? Give an example of why you
feel this way.
 Which skills will need further attention?
Why?
 What will you plan to do in order to
increase your leadership capacity?
ADDITIONAL READING
 Mindset by Carol S. Dweck
 Transforming School Culture by Anthony Muhammad
 Leaders of Learning by Richard DuFour and Robert
Marzano
 Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
 Good to Great by Jim Collins
 Confidence by Rosabeth Kanter
CONTACT INFORMATION

Phil Lewis
PhilLewis@moassp.org
573-445-5071

Kathie Lewis
kathleenlewis@ymail.com
417-437-4614

LaVietta Prichard
LaViettaPrichard@hotmail.com
417-438-0629
LEADERSHIP: IT’S A PROCESS