Courageous Leadership Muriel T. Summers West Virginia Principals Institute April 6, 2008.

Courageous Courageous Leadership Leadership

Muriel T. SummersMuriel T. SummersWest Virginia Principals’ Institute West Virginia Principals’ Institute

April 6, 2008April 6, 2008

How committed are How committed are we to change?we to change?

Commitment is what transforms Commitment is what transforms promise into reality. promise into reality.

It is the words that speak boldly It is the words that speak boldly of our intentions. of our intentions.

And the actions which speak And the actions which speak louder louder than the words.than the words.

Abraham Abraham LincolnLincoln

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The Nature of Leadership

We need men who We need men who can dream of can dream of

things that never things that never were.were.

John F. John F.

Kennedy Kennedy

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Leadership is about Leadership is about vision. vision.

But leadership is equally But leadership is equally about creating a climate about creating a climate where the truth is heard where the truth is heard

and the brutal facts and the brutal facts confronted.confronted.

Jim CollinsJim Collins

The only thing we The only thing we have to fear is fear have to fear is fear

itself…itself…

Franklin D. Franklin D. RooseveltRoosevelt

At a time when At a time when Americans seek Americans seek strength in their strength in their

leaders, (we) should leaders, (we) should find the strength to find the strength to speak hard truths speak hard truths

about our schools and about our schools and support essential support essential

changes.changes.Robert Robert

GordonGordon

How do we typically How do we typically handle Crucial handle Crucial Conversations?Conversations?

We can avoid themWe can avoid them

We can face them and handle them We can face them and handle them poorlypoorly

We can face them and handle them wellWe can face them and handle them well

Crucial Conversations, 2002Crucial Conversations, 2002

WhatWhatCourageous Leadership Courageous Leadership

Lessons Lessons Have We Learned?Have We Learned?

Leadership is about Leadership is about change. change.

It’s about taking people It’s about taking people

from where they are now to from where they are now to

where they need to be.where they need to be.

Model the WayModel the Way

How we spend our How we spend our time defines what time defines what

we value..we value..

““It is not enough to be busy. It is not enough to be busy.

The question is: The question is: What are we busy about?”What are we busy about?”

Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau

Our deeds are far Our deeds are far more important more important

than our actions…than our actions…

Beware the Beware the Paparazzi…Paparazzi…

A leader’sA leader’sactions speak louder actions speak louder

than their wordsthan their words

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Remember:Remember:People first follow the People first follow the

person, person,

then the plan.then the plan.

It is so easy to It is so easy to become pulled from become pulled from the school’s focus the school’s focus with a myriad of with a myriad of

things to be done. things to be done.

Focusing on what is Focusing on what is best for children is best for children is

key.key.

You can say that You can say that again….again….

Effective Effective Communication Communication

Demands Demands Quality and QuantityQuality and Quantity

Do we build the plane in Do we build the plane in flight?flight?

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Inspire a Shared Vision

Courageous leaders Courageous leaders breathe life into the breathe life into the hopes and dreams of hopes and dreams of

others and enable others and enable them to see the them to see the

exciting possibilities exciting possibilities that the future holds..that the future holds..

Is your vision known and owned

by all?

Does it inspire and motivate?

Is it propelling your school

forward?

If you don’t know where If you don’t know where you are going, any path you are going, any path

will get you there.will get you there.

Student performance Student performance will not improve over will not improve over

time without a time without a vision/mission that vision/mission that

means something to means something to the adults and the adults and

students in that students in that setting!setting!

The secret of success is The secret of success is constancy of purpose.constancy of purpose.

Challenge the Challenge the ProcessProcess

Old trees have deep Old trees have deep roots…roots…

Commitment to the Commitment to the past hinders change past hinders change

in the futurein the future

An object at rest An object at rest tends to stay at tends to stay at

rest…rest…

Resistance is Resistance is inevitableinevitable

Courageous Courageous leaders take risks leaders take risks

and look for and look for opportunities to opportunities to

innovate, grow and innovate, grow and improve. improve.

When Leading Change, When Leading Change, Consider the EnvironmentConsider the Environment

What do we want students to learn?What do we want students to learn?

How will we how they have learned it?How will we how they have learned it?

How will respond when they don’t?How will respond when they don’t?

What will we do when they already know What will we do when they already know the material?the material?

DuFour DuFour

KnowingKnowing

Doing Doing

GapGap

Knowing what to do is Knowing what to do is the easy part. the easy part.

Actually doing it is Actually doing it is what is hard. what is hard.

Why don’t we do Why don’t we do what we know in what we know in our heart is the our heart is the

right thing to do?right thing to do?

Do we have the courage Do we have the courage to remove those barriers to remove those barriers that prevent all students that prevent all students from being successful?from being successful?

If we want to change what If we want to change what teachers do in the teachers do in the

classrooms, then we need classrooms, then we need to focus on those actions to focus on those actions

directly.directly.

Dylan WilliamDylan William

Do we have the Do we have the courage to say, courage to say, “We are not in “We are not in

Kansas anymore?”Kansas anymore?”

Enable Others to Enable Others to ActAct

The role of the principal The role of the principal in the 21st century is to in the 21st century is to be a leader of leaders….be a leader of leaders….

Rather than a leader of Rather than a leader of followersfollowers

It takes a village….It takes a village….

Organizations Organizations change when the change when the

people within them people within them changechange

If they build it, they If they build it, they will come…will come…

People support what People support what they help to createthey help to create

Do we have the Do we have the courage to ask the courage to ask the questions that will questions that will

tell us what we tell us what we often do not want often do not want

to hear?to hear?

No involvement, No involvement, no commitmentno commitment

An object at rest An object at rest tends to stay at tends to stay at

rest…rest…

Resistance is Resistance is inevitableinevitable

Leadership must Leadership must be a relationship.be a relationship.

Encourage the Encourage the HeartHeart

Get to the heart of Get to the heart of it…it…

Connecting to the Connecting to the head and heart builds head and heart builds

commitment commitment

Courageous leaders Courageous leaders recognize recognize

contributions by contributions by showing appreciation showing appreciation

for individual for individual excellence.excellence.

Who are Who are your your

Grants?Grants?

Do we have the Do we have the courage to light the courage to light the

way?way?

Christa McAuliffe

William Sanders

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