Leadership and Change
Jeffrey J. Smith Ed.D.
Superintendent of Balsz Schools
Phoenix, Arizona
jsmith@balsz.k12.az.us
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Leadership and Change
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As superintendent you have many pressing
issues to deal with
Deciding what to change and how to lead
change is a major consideration for any school
system
The following are some helpful tips on how to
manage and lead change in your organization
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Positive Energy vs. Negative Energy
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Are you moving toward what you want or away from what you
don’t want?
Positive energy attracts momentum because you are working
toward a preferred future
Negative energy wears you down in ways you might not even
know. Wearing you down with worry, emotionally hijacking your
thoughts. When we are worn down emotionally we cannot make
the best decisions
“In my experience, men go to greater lengths to avoid what they
fear than to obtain what they desire”
Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code
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Changes are like Waves
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It seems only logical to be on the lookout for the next wave that
might swamp your boat but you might be surprised how many leaders
are not prepared when a wave of change swamps the organization
Be careful not to be so focused on present issues that you pass up
on incremental changes that can move you in the right direction
Putting together various strategies can bring synergy to an
approximation of your destination- kind of like tacking in the wind
“We can’t change the direction of the wind but we can change
the direction of our sails”
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The Change You Seek Should Matter
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The wrong fight can debilitate an organization, fighting over things that
don’t really matter, wasting time and energy
Big changes are about big things that have the potential to
fundamentally change the performance and success of your schools
Discussing things that matter engages people
No matter how conflict avoidant a culture may be in general, most
people are willing to fight for things that will dramatically improve their
well-being and that of their students
Things that matter stir passions and controversy
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Does the Change have a
Sense of Noble Purpose?
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A Noble Purpose energizes people to go above and beyond
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People have a more significant investment in the change
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It should affect all levels of the organization
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There should be no personal advantage to you
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You should be able to explain the change so the average person
understands and agrees with the need
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Navigating change involves a logical and cerebral discussion of
the facts. However successful change efforts also include an
emotional connection to the people in the organization
Noble fights are not always tidy, but they are worth the struggle
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Focus on the Future
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Make the change not only believable and desirable but compelling- so
compelling in fact that not making it happen becomes the problem
A truly compelling future vision focuses people so intently on real,
achievable benefits they are willing to work through the costs and
controversies associated with achieving those benefits
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Make gains explicit, especially at key moments in the process
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The key is always looking out in front of the organization and considering
every option
“Leadership is serious meddling in other people’s lives” Max Dupree
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Success and Failure
are a Result of Leadership
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One thing both successful and dysfunctional organizations have in
common is leadership
Successful organizations got there through leadership and failing
organizations got there through leadership
Some want to blame the families, the students and the environment
for the poor performance of students. The truth is that most of
the choices made that lead to a widening of the achievement gap are
made by schools
Develop a patient focus on building strategic intent into
sustainable reality
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Leadership is about
Authority not Power
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Power- (do it or else!) When we resort to power it is because our
authority broke down. Asserting power damages relationships
Authority- The skill of getting people to willingly comply because
of your personal influence
Give people what they need and they will give you what you need
Leadership is not about lighting a fire under people’s butts it’s about
lighting a fire in their hearts
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Make it Sport not War
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Characteristics of War
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Firestorms, friendly fire, collateral damage and civilian casualties
You risk devolving into a messy protracted civil war that can bog down
the district
Characteristics of Sport
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Timelines, rules of engagement, definition of the field of play including
what is out of bounds
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Sport involves consequential uncertainty
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Your role is to be cheerleader, coach and referee
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Judge behavior without regard to personal preference
The greatest conqueror is he who overcomes the enemy without a blow
-- Chinese Proverb
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Universal Reactions to Change
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People feel awkward and ill at ease
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They think about what they lose not gain
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They feel alone, even if others are doing the same thing
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They feel they can only handle so much change
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Everyone is at a different level of readiness for change
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Some are concerned they do not have enough resources
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When the pressure is off, people revert
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For any questions feel free to
contact:
Dr. Jeff Smith
Superintendent,
Balsz School District
jsmith@balsz.k12.az.us
602 629-6410
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