The 7 Most Common Leadership Styles (and How to Find Your ...  · Web viewThe real work and testament to great leadership is moving past the visioning process by developing a strategic

THE FIVE FINGER SOUTH AFRICAN EDUCATION REALITY – “WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE”

POLITICALLY

Abandon provinces – centralise education Reduce funding for education...increase health funding & basic services Professionalize Public Sector Redefine the state from Developmental to Radical Action Transforming (RAT) Remove ALL Constitution impediments to RAT Redefine certain crimes against the state as TREASON Union leadership must be regulated – elected officials to lead no longer than two terms (union

leadership was never intended to be a career but rather an opportunity to serve Review salaries and service conditions of all elected officials – see motivation abo

RESEARCH

Education District Offices are failing us Competent school management can make a difference School governance are failing us The more you test, the better the results The choice still is between access & quality More resources are necessary but not an imperative Stay the course – Vision-Mission Eat small pieces – “that is how you eat an elephant SA two-tier education & social systems – one for the rich the other for the poor Teacher quality (values, knowledge, experience) can make the difference We are all different – embrace our differences Change by coercion...not cooperation The home is failing us...”so why bother” Strengthen M&E – it heightens compliance in the absence of cooperation Consequence management of M&E Our teachers are not well prepared for the classroom

SYSTEMIC

Free education National feeding scheme Poverty is still the greatest cause of failure and lack of success Follow the research – unpack the assumptions of its recommendations Theory of change “The New Reality” – test assumptions – recommendations – conclusions –

outcomes – research design – social problem – “Current Reality” Create a direct link between HEI & Schooling – link CAPS/OBE School Development (contingent relationship) consists of school operational planning (SOP) &

school improvement planning (SIP) – “make sure you have the fit right”

Replacing existing infrastructure IS more expensive than maintaining existing infrastructure

GOLDEN RATIOS

35:65% (Pastoral x Curriculum) 50:50% (urban) & 65:35 (rural) – [District Office Support) 15:85% (SOP x SIP)

MYTHS

Formal schooling is your path to success & wealth We can all achieve the same We can all be “rich” and our sons & daughters “doctors” The individual can make a difference

SOCIAL ACTION – SPHERE OF CONCERN/CONTROL

Maximise (most of your energy) sphere of control Keep an eye (the remainder of your energy) on the sphere of concern

Revisit ideas!

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP***** action of leading/art of motivation to act/skills/qualities/styles-types

Verb or an adjective

Vested in a collective/board with fiduciary responsibility – individual/collective

Neglect or derelict of duty

Education law speak of individuals holding a post – given our history and current jurisprudence is must also be interpreted as the action or non-action of the team as a collective...democratic principles emphasize both rights and duty/accountability/responsibility

Smt as subject managers OR curriculum managers

Leverage Leadership by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo & Brett Peiser

Paul indicates that leverage leadership minute-by-minute is a paradigm shit Ask what makes education effective Paul responded; Great teaching! Great school leaders Paul argues

TEACHER &

THE LAW

SACONSTITUTION

PAM

LRA

BCEA

PAJA

SACE

ELRC

CCMA

PSCBC

CA

EEA

SASA

o Produce exceptional results that exceed expectationo Replicate the results

Paul spoke to the “Myths of effective school leadership”o Principals are administrators and fire fighters, not instructional leaderso Observations, walkthroughs, and teacher evaluations are sufficiento Change is slow; teacher development take 10 yearso There is a principal personalityo Culture comes before instruction...or instruction before culture

Seven Levers – “executing quality instruction and cultureo Instructional levers

Data-driven instruction Observation & feedback Instructional planning Professional development

o Cultural levers Student culture Staff culture Managing school leadership teams

Finding the timeo Lock in your weekly scheduleo Defend your time from distractionso Manage you daily and monthly tasks

DBE********

1

The 7 Most Common Leadership Styles (and How to Find Your Own) –

by Bruna Martinuzzi (Internet)

“Summarized & abridged”

Notice how the characterization of the various styles of leadership overlap.

You may think that some leadership styles are better than others but each leadership style has its place in a leader's arsenal. The wise leader knows to move from one style to another as the situation demands.

Leadership styles are on a scale, ranging from autocratic at one end, to laissez-faire at the other, with a variety of other styles in between.

The seven primary leadership styles are:

1. Autocratic Style The phrase most illustrative of an autocratic leadership style is "Do as I say." Generally, an autocratic leader believes that he/she is the smartest person in the

room and knows more than others. They make all the decisions with little input from team members. That's not to say that the style may not be appropriate in certain situations. For

example, you can use an autocratic leadership style when o crucial decisions need to be made on the spot, o and you have the most knowledge about the situation, o or when you're dealing with inexperienced and new team members o and there's no time to wait for team members to gain familiarity with their

role.

2. Authoritative Style

The phrase most indicative of this style of leadership (also known as "visionary") is "Follow me."

The authoritative leadership style is the sign of confident leaders who chart the way and set expectations, while engaging and energizing followers along the way.

In a climate of uncertainty, give guidance to people. They help them see where the school is going and what's going to happen when they get there.

Unlike autocratic leaders, authoritative leaders o take the time to explain their thinking: o They don't just issue orders. o Most of all, they allow people choice and scope on how to achieve shared

goals.

3. Pacesetting Style "Do as I do!" is the phrase most identified of leaders who utilize the pacesetting

style. This style describes a very driven leader who sets the pace in the pursuance of

common goals.. Pacesetters set the bar high and push their team members to run hard and fast

to the finish line. While the pacesetter style of leadership is effective in getting things done and

driving for results, it's a style that can hurt team members. For one thing, even the most driven employees may become stressed working

under this style of leadership for too long. An agile leadership style may be the ultimate leadership style required for leading

today's talent.

Should you avoid the pacesetting style altogether? Not so fast. If you're an energetic entrepreneur working with a like-minded team on developing and announcing a new product or service, this style may serve you well. However, this is not a style that can be

kept up for the long term. A pacesetting leader needs to blow off steam avoid causing team burnout.

4. Democratic Style Democratic leaders are more likely to ask "What do you think?" They share information with employees about anything that affects their work

responsibilities and that of the organization. They also seek employees' opinions before making a final decision. There are numerous benefits to this participative leadership style.

o It can engender trust and promote team spirit and cooperation from employees.

o It allows for creativity and helps employees grow and develop. o A democratic leadership style gets people to do what needs to be done

but in a way that they want to do it.

5. Coaching Style When you having a coaching leadership style, you tend to have a "Consider this"

approach. A leader who coaches views people as a reservoir of talent to be developed. The leader who uses a coach approach seeks to unlock people's potential. Leaders who use a coaching style open their hearts and doors for people. They believe that everyone has power within themselves. A coaching leader gives people a little direction to help them tap into their ability

to achieve all that they're capable of.

6. Affiliative Style A phrase often used to describe this type of leadership is "People come first." The focus is the people and then the task. Of all the leadership styles, the affiliative leadership approach is one where the

leader gets up close and personal with people. A leader practicing this style pays attention to and supports the emotional needs

of team members. The leader strives to open up communication that connects him or her to the

team.

Ultimately, this style is all about encouraging harmony and forming collaborative relationships within teams. It's particularly useful, for example, in smoothing conflicts among team members or reassuring people during times of stress.

7. Laissez-Faire Style The laissez-faire leadership style is at the opposite end of the autocratic style. Of all the leadership styles, this one involves the least amount of oversight. You could say that the autocratic style leader stands as firm as a rock on issues,

while the laissez-faire leader lets people swim with the current.

On the surface, a laissez-faire leader may appear to trust people to know what to do, but taken to the extreme, an uninvolved leader may end up appearing detached.

While it's beneficial to give people opportunities to spread their wings, with a total lack of direction, people may unwittingly drift in the wrong direction—away from the critical goals of the organization.

This style can work if you're leading highly skilled, experienced employees who are self-starters and motivated.

To be most effective with this style, monitor team performance and provide regular feedback.

Choosing Leadership Styles

Knowing which of the leadership styles works best for you is part of being a good leader. Developing a signature style with the ability to stretch into other styles as the situation warrants may help enhance your leadership effectiveness.

1. Know yourself.

Start by raising your awareness of your dominant leadership style. You can do this by asking trusted colleagues to describe the strengths of your leadership style. You can also take a leadership style assessment.

2. Understand the different styles.

Get familiar with the repertoire of leadership styles that can work best for a given situation. What new skills do you need to develop?

3. Practice makes a leader.

Be genuine with any approach you use.Moving from a dominant leadership style to a different one may be challenging at first. Practice the new behaviors until they become natural. In other words, don't use a different leadership style as a "point-and-click" approach. People can smell a fake leadership style a mile away—authenticity rules.

4. Develop your leadership agility.

Traditional leadership styles are still relevant in today's workplace, but they may need to be combined with new approaches in line with how leadership is defined for the 21st century.

Today's business environments are fraught with challenges due to the changing demographics and the employee expectations of a diverse workforce. This may call for a new breed of leader who is an amalgam of most of the leadership styles discussed here.

As the Chinese proverb goes, the wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher. An agile leadership style may be the ultimate leadership style required for leading today's talent.

2

10 Ways to Become a Better LeaderBy Skye Schooley, StaffAugust 26, 2019 (Internet)

“The leader as an individual - who wants to be a leader, and what does it take?”

Learning how to be a good leader can greatly impact the success of your team, your organization and yourself.

To be an effective leader, you must understand your own motivations, strengths and weaknesses.

Great leaders connect with their team by facilitating open communication, encouraging employee growth and development, and giving and receiving feedback.

Anyone can sit in a corner office and delegate tasks, but there is more to effective leadership than that.

Effective leaders have major impacts on not only the team members they manage, but also their company as a whole.

Employees who work under great leaders tend to be happier, more productive and more connected to their organization – and this has a ripple effect that reaches your business's bottom line.

"I think a great leader is one who makes those around them better," Dana Brownlee, founder of Professionalism Matters, told Business News Daily. "There are many litmus tests for a great leader, but I really look to those around them: Are they growing, becoming better leaders themselves, motivated, etc.?"

If you look around and see that your team members have become disengaged or stagnant in their work, it may be time to reassess and reform your strategies.

According to Brownlee, the following behaviors are signs that you may have a poor leadership strategy:

No one on your team has criticized one of your ideas in the past month.

You spend more time planning your own career progression than that of your team members.

You haven't had at least three completely non-work-related conversations with a team member weekly.

Different team members would provide different answers if asked your top three priorities for the year.

Team members are afraid to fail.

A recent study by the Center for Creative Leadership showed that roughly 38% to more than half of new leaders fail within their first 18 months. Leaders can avoid becoming part of this staggering statistic by incorporating good leadership strategies that motivate their team members to accomplish their goals.

We spoke with CEOs, directors and leadership experts to learn what those leadership strategies are and how you can incorporate them.

1. Engage in honest, open communication.

One of the most important elements of effective leadership is creating an open line of communication with your team members said Sanjay Patoliya (Teclogiq)

"When you are responsible for a team of people, it is important to be straightforward," he said.

"Your company and its employees are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior as a key value, your team will follow."

Brownlee added that great leaders are able to customize their interactions and communication styles “they take the time to figure out which communication mode is preferred by each team member – e.g., are they a text person, email, phone, or face-to-face?

They're also great listeners and are authentically interested in other people."

Displaying active communication skills and transparency can build trust among your team and improve overall morale.

Ruslan Fazlyev, (Ecwid), said that in all your communications, it's important to be genuine above all else.

"There are many leadership styles; there's no right and wrong," he said. "But there's genuine, and there's fake.

2. Connect with your team members.

Leading a group of people requires a mutual sense of trust and understanding between the leader and their team members. To achieve this, leaders should learn to connect. 

Terry "Starbucker" St. Marie , said that being a "more human" leader requires positivity, purpose, empathy, compassion, humility and love.

o These key traits will put you on the road to genuine connections with the members of your team.

o "Building a real, personal connection with your teammates is vital to developing the shared trust necessary to build a strong culture of accountability and exceptional performance," St. Marie said. "With that culture in place, the team can achieve a successful business, a happy team and a fulfilled leader." 

To build a connection with each of your team members, focus on getting to know their personality, interests, strengths, weaknesses, hobbies and preferences.

o This can give you insight into their goals and motivations. Patoliya said that successful leaders allow their teams to develop autonomy and

add value according to their own personal strengths. o "Being able to recognize the strengths of individuals within their team, and

allowing them to be responsible and accountable, not only increases employees' confidence in themselves and their leader, but also increases their performance."

3. Encourage personal and professional growth.

Acting as your team's cheerleader is an important part of being an effective leader. You should be invested in their success and growth.

Keri Ohlrich, the CEO of HR consulting company Abbracci Group, said that leaders should set aside a budget, if only a small one, to dedicate to the growth of their employees.

o "With options as varied as on-demand, virtual [and] in-person options, there's ample opportunity to continue learning new skills or further developing existing ones," she said. "Empower your employees to take the time to learn and infuse that in the work they do."

In addition to investing in your employees' growth financially, you should invest emotionally. John Rampton, founder and CEO of Calendar, said that great leaders empower their employees to grow by giving them challenging opportunities and guiding them as needed.

"To motivate and inspire employees, leadership strategy is about empowering others to do their best and take on new challenges," he said.

o "Employees like challenges and feeling the satisfaction of overcoming them.

o Whether it's a tough client, a difficult sale, a hard situation or whatever the case, it's always good to let them take on these challenges."

When leaders believe in their employees and give them the opportunity to learn and grow, they might be surprised how much they can accomplish.

o Don't be afraid to delegate tasks and encourage freedom and creativity.  

4. Keep a positive attitude.

As much as leaders wish their team's day-to-day operations could run smoothly all the time, they're bound to run into the occasional obstacle. Whether it's a minor miscommunication or a major error, the way you handle a negative situation says a lot about your leadership skills.

Robert Mann, author of The Measure of a Leader (iUniverse, 2013), recommended focusing on the good in any set of circumstances. 

"Look at three positive things about a problem before you identify what makes it dissatisfying.

The more you look at the positives in a problem, the more positively people react with one another." 

In his research, Mann has found that after individuals point out things they're happy with in a problematic situation, they don't feel so strongly about the problem and are better able to think clearly and solve it. The same is true when a leader needs to improve their strategy. If you or a team member notices a particular course of action you've taken that just isn't working, figure out some things you've done in the past that have worked.

Patoliya added that focusing on solutions, rather than problems, can help your team maintain positive engagement. "A positive environment is more likely to create a more engaged and productive workforce. By displaying enthusiasm and confidence, a good leader will see the impact that they can have in their working environment."

5. Teach employees instead of giving orders.

An effective leader knows how to show others what is required, rather than simply telling them.

Luke Iorio, president and CEO of the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), said leaders should coach their team members toward a more collaborative, committed work environment – without coaxing them.

"[If you are] controlling people to do certain things in certain ways, you're not going to get the level of engagement that you're looking for," he said.

"Coaching is about helping the people you lead recognize the choices they have in front of them. People will [then] take a great deal of ownership over the direction of the project." 

As opposed to simply barking orders at team members, Rampton said that good leaders should encourage growth by teaching. "People wouldn't grow if leaders never taught them anything. Leaders need to be teaching so they can grow new leaders to take their place."

6. Set clear employee goals and expectations.

Setting clear goals and employee expectations for your team is key to employee success. When setting these objectives, encourage employee questions and feedback. Including them in the process can increase engagement.

Amish Shah, president of ALTR Created Diamonds, said that good leaders will also explain the company vision and how team member goals fit into that equation.

"For a leader to motivate and inspire, they need to keep their team in the know about their vision," he said.

"This helps employees understand the end result they're working towards as a unit. When goals are clearly set, everyone can track progress and identify achievements in a tangible manner." 

Ohlrich also stressed the importance of explaining how these goals impact the organization as a whole. She said that, regardless of seniority level, every employee should be able to articulate how the work they do supports the success of the company.

Don't let team member goals go static. Periodically revisit goals to modify or rearrange them as needed. This will let your team members know that you are present and aware of what they are working on.

7. Give direct feedback about performance.

Taso Du Val, CEO and founder of the Toptal freelance talent network, said direct, honest feedback – even if it's criticism – is the best way to guide your team in the right direction. You also need to know exactly where your business is headed so you can give them the right advice.

"If you're not direct, people won't know what you truly think about them and their work, and they will never be able to improve," Du Val said.

"If you don't know the precise direction your company is headed, no matter how much you've communicated to your employees and leadership team regarding their individual performance, they will flounder when it comes to making decisions and taking actions.

Once those basic principles are in place, deadlines, regular product plans, performance reviews, structure and processes can easily be put into place."

In addition to providing constructive feedback and performance reviews, highlight employee accomplishments. If a team member does something great, let them know. Celebrate their wins and thank them for their hard work.

"Positive recognition will create an environment of productivity," said Shah. "Acknowledging successes by outlining how it impacts the business, rather than with vague pats on the back, is not only encouraging but also helps a person work better in the long run."

8. Ask for feedback on your leadership.

Your team members aren't the only ones who can benefit from honest feedback. A true self-assessment of your leadership can be difficult, so mentors, fellow professionals and even your own staff are invaluable in evaluating your effectiveness. According to St. Marie, talking to friends and peers can give you necessary perspective on your leadership style and approach.

Leadership coaching can also help you discover areas where you need improvement. A professional who helps you develop a plan to achieve your leadership goals can be more motivational than books and seminars alone.

"Coaching allows leaders to make the connection and apply [changes] in a real-life setting," Iorio said. "You need time to integrate, process and reflect, and unless you go through those steps, you won't have sustainable change." 

Fazlyev agreed, noting that your team can give you critical insight into what's working, what's not working and what obstructions you must overcome to achieve success.

9. Be open to new ideas.

Good leaders have the emotional intelligence to understand and accept that change is inevitable. Instead of trying to maintain a status quo just for the sake of consistency, embrace change and innovation. Be open to new ideas and alternative ways of thinking. Everyone brings a unique perspective to the table, and that is something to take advantage of, not discourage.

"When you're open to hearing the thoughts of the talent around you is when you truly embrace every possibility and potential," said Shah. "See things through till the end. Understand that there will be errors along the way, but if something doesn't work, try to figure out why and how before scrapping it."

When solving a problem, encourage team members to provide their insights. When employees feel like they can openly bring new ideas to the table, true innovation, engagement and success can prevail.

10. Understand your own motivation.

If a person in a leadership position views their role as "just a job," it's going to show. To be an effective leader, you need the right motivation. Is it the money or the prestige you care about, or do you sincerely want to inspire people to do their best?

St. Marie advised leaders to really ask themselves why they want to lead. "I look at leadership as an honor and a vocation. If, in your heart, you feel leadership is your

destiny and how you'll make a difference in this world, then you are certainly starting from the right place."

In addition to what motivates you, Ohlrich said it is important to know what decreases your energy. "Knowing your strengths and weaknesses help you diversify your team and get a well-rounded portfolio of skills. It helps you not hire carbon copies of yourself and surround yourself with others who are not like you."

Your leadership style plays a role in how you interact with employees and should be evaluated as well. There are six different leadership styles, and the best leaders are able to adapt each style to their situations and employees. If you are currently in a leadership role and aren't sure where you stand on some of these qualities, you can take a quick leadership self-assessment quiz from the Leading With Courage Academy to assess your leadership abilities.

Remember that being a good leader takes time. Although some individuals are naturally inclined to have good leadership skills, it is something anyone can learn and improve upon. With hard work, dedication and strategic planning, you can lead your team to success. 

• Leadership and criticism

4 Constructive Ways Leaders Can Handle Criticism by Glenn Llopis

• Leadership and criticism

• Criticism is a natural part of leadership.

• If no one is criticizing your leadership – you are not leading correctly.

• Leadership is not a popularity contest.

• Leadership is about always doing what is in the best interest of the organization you are serving. 

• Leaders  get paid to make the difficult decisions.

• But many leaders don’t really know how to lead; they waste time trying to satisfy the agendas of others – rather than focusing on the goals and objectives of the organization and people they serve.

• This is why leadership is in crisis management mode.

• Authority is being over leveraged as a personal benefit to advance hidden agendas, rather than as a privilege and a responsibility to wield influence over adverse circumstances and turn them into opportunities. But the latter takes hard work and strategic focus.

• Leadership requires mental toughness. If you are not being criticized, you are not leading and guiding the organization to grow, innovate and explore endless possibilities.

• You need to be strong and objective to whatever criticism people throw your way.

• Much of what ultimately happens is out of your direct control.

• However, if you can see what others don’t and anticipate the unexpected -- as a leader you will find ways to influence outcomes that benefit those you serve.

• Effective leaders stay focused on confronting conflict head on – and move on to the next opportunity.

• When you get too personally vested, it becomes difficult to handle criticism and you eventually become stereotyped and your authority weakens.

• You lose momentum as you begin to make poor decisions trying to reestablish and validate your leadership to yourself and others.

Since criticism is never easy to handle, keep the following four ways in mind to ensure you handle it wisely.

1.  Don’t Play The Victim

When criticism strikes, never take on a “woe’s me” attitude.   People find it difficult to respect a leader who becomes the victim. The victimization mentality is not a leadership trait, but rather represents an individual that lacks the mental fortitude and composure to be in a leadership role.   When leaders play to the victim narrative, it exposes their lack of maturity and doubt rapidly begins to enter the minds of those they lead about their ability to endure the pressure, intensity and uncertainty.

Rather than play the victim, own the criticism and convert it into new opportunities previously unseen. Be a change agent and turn the negativity into a platform to enable growth, innovation and endless possibilities.

2.  Don’t React Impulsively

When faced with criticism, step back and assess the situation. Be patient, don’t react impulsively.  Too many leaders get defensive, focus more on their reputation and overreact, rather than evaluate the situation at hand.

Adversity my make or break you, but it primarily reveals you.   Leaders must practice patience when faced with criticism and show a high level

of composure and executive presence.   Criticism comes and goes.   How well you lead through it is what earns you respect from your peers.

3.   Don’t Take It Personally

I’ve been advised by my mentors not to care so much what people say.   This does not imply that I shouldn’t work hard or perform at my highest levels – it refers to the importance of not taking criticism personally.   As a leader, you must be mindful not to get overly attached to the business and the issues at hand.   When you take criticism too personally, it becomes more difficult to be objective towards meeting the needs of the business and the people you lead.

Leadership is not easy and handling criticism is an unwritten rule in the job description. It happens often and if you lead to win, advance others and the organization you serve – you should expect criticism and know how to handle it. Those leaders that take it personally will find their leadership role short lived.

4.  Turn Criticism Into Opportunity

Criticism is another way of saying “learning moments.”   Though you can never be perfect when leading, you must be open-minded enough to course correct along the way. Leadership requires you to pivot, renew and reinvent yourself. Though you may have experienced success in the past, leadership requires you to invest in yourself so that you can become a better, faster and more fluid change agent.

Great leaders and their organizations are often criticized. As the saying goes, “It's difficult to get to the top, but even harder to stay there."  Why is it harder to stay on top?   Because it’s easy to grow complacent – and it’s difficult to endure the critics that don’t believe you’ve earned the right to be there in the first place.   Staying focused is critical when you

are a leader and diffusing the noise by staying focused on the next level of evolution in your business will help you shut down your critics.

One of the most important qualities of leadership is being a good listener. And that applies just as much, if not more, when you are being criticized. Don’t try to shut it down. In fact, turn up the volume and really listen to what is being said. Too many times leaders turn the criticism around on the person speaking up, instead of seeing it as an opportunity to learn from someone else. Listening to criticism is a leadership responsibility that does not appear in the job description, but it can make you a more effective and trustworthy leader if you handle it constructively.

Five principles of high-performing teamsBy Prof Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe And Juliette Alban-Metcalfe on 18 May 2018 

Building a fully-functional team

In a volatile environment, organisations need teams that are engaged, productive and know what they’re working towards. How can we inspire team leaders to get the best out of their people?   

Few people at work are not part of a team. Organisations need to be agile and innovative when faced with

ever more complex business and societal challenges, and increasingly realise that good team leadership

can help them to achieve their goals.

The impact of bad team leadership can be severe.

In healthcare, research reveals that poor team working is significantly associated with increased

clinical errors and patient mortality.

Furthermore, teams need to be authentic to succeed. 

A study in the NHS found that while 96% of staff reported they worked in teams, only 53% said

they worked in “authentic”, well-structured teams.

But what makes an authentic team? We would argue that the three criteria for the latter are:

having shared objectives

members work interdependently

regularly reviewing team effectiveness.

Organisations are also increasingly looking to bring together multi-disciplinary teams, the assumption

being that the variety of knowledge, expertise, information and access to networks contributes to team

performance. However, this can have its downsides, too. The presence of expertise and professional

diversity may also lead to the formation of subgroups and cliques within teams, which is likely to

affect levels of engagement in the team, and, ultimately, reduce team effectiveness.

Indeed, the relationship between diversity in teams and team performance is not clear-cut.

Differences between team members (for example, in gender, cultural background, professional

values, length of time in team membership, and the like) can have a dysfunctional effect on

effective team working.

Success principles

Organisational psychologists have identified a range of key principles to increase the engagement and

wellbeing of team members, the effective functioning of teams, and their chances of success. They argue

that there are three dimensions of teamwork that constantly interact. Team leaders need to maximise all

three if they are to achieve sustained high performance:

1. The affective – individuals get emotionally involved in team processes and are motivated, or not, to

engage fully in the various activities involved.

2. Behavioural processes: These include information gathering, allocating roles and responsibilities and

updating information.

3. Cognitive states: Examples of cognitive states include having a shared understanding of issues facing the

team; reflection, and members learning from experience.

So how do these principles work in practice?

Principle 1: ‘Identify what unites us’

Principle 2: Work together on how to achieve the shared vision  Principle 3: Building team potency

Principle 4: Be clear on roles and responsibilities

Principle 5: Create a culture of learning and psychological safety

To deal with the increasing demands and complexity of challenges facing teams, a degree of adaptation,

experimentation, and probably innovation is required, which inevitably means the frequency of mistakes

will increase.

6 Essential Leadership Responsibilities that Build Effective TeamsBy JEFF WOLFMARCH 3, 2015By Jeff Wolf

Everybody in business, at one time or another, and probably more than once, has witnessed the results of poor leadership: listless and confused employees leading to stagnating sales, excess costs, and crumbling profits.

It happens at every level of the organization, from frontline supervisors right through the top echelons.

Teamwork is key, but it doesn’t happen automatically.

To create a fully functional team, the leader needs to exhibit six (6) leadership traits:

1. Build trust

Trust is a three-way street:

A. You must be able to trust each member of your team. B. They, in turn, must be able to trust you. C. Team members need to trust one another.

Trust is earned, so set the stage for success by creating regular and ongoing team-building opportunities. You can start with small projects involving two- and three-person teams. In due course, you‘ll want to expand team size and the scope of assigned projects.

Never compromise your team‘s trust in you by assigning a task that is well beyond their skills level. This managerial mistake sets them up for failure, and it can irreparably damage your relationship.

In their book Leadership Styles: A Powerful Model, professors Pierre Casse (Moscow School of Management), and Paul Claudel (IAE University) advise leaders to ask these questions before assigning a team project:

Are my team members prepared to complete the task? Am I sure they have the required skills and experience? Do they understand the stated goal, as well as how it fits into our departmental or company mission? Are they reliable and committed?

2. Communicate

You can’t expect your team to understand and execute a task without clearly communicating your goals and objectives. In some cases, you will be a hands-on leader, participating in the task and offering close supervision. In other instances, you may assign a team leader, who will be charged with keeping you up to date on the task’s progress.

3. Offer sufficient resources and autonomy

Teams fail when members lack the time and resources required to complete their assignment. Perform a reality check.

Ask yourself how much time and how many tangible resources you would need to fulfill the project‘s demands. Next, determine whether your team, based on members’ experience levels, requires more, less or the same amount of time. Seek input from team members, asking them to honestly assess how long specific components of the task will take. Your goal is to develop an accurate, realistic timeline.

If you have chosen a team captain to lead a task, allow this person to delegate responsibilities as he or she sees fit. Make sure the captain knows the difference between delegation and abdication. The team captain’s job is to set the vision, delineate strategies (often with the help of other team members), and provide the conditions and support needed for success.

As for autonomy, don‘t micromanage your team (or team captain). Give members an attainable goal and enough autonomy to complete it. Monitor progress, but avoid being overly intrusive. You’re a manager—not a babysitter. Let team members feel empowered enough to embrace responsibilities and enjoy a sense of ownership. Remind the team that you are available if anyone needs a consultation.

4. Build self-efficacy

Team members must know that you have confidence in their abilities to complete a task. They, in turn, must feel secure in meeting your goal.

If an employee feels uneasy about his role on the team, consider pairing him with a high-performing peer. This strategy can help boost the self-assurance of an employee who has not yet achieved self-efficacy — an individual’s judgment of his or her ability to successfully complete a chosen task. Team members’ self-efficacy will affect the choices they make when working on a task, as well as their doggedness when setbacks occur.

It‘s your job as leader to uncover employees‘ fears and barriers to success and alleviate their concerns, including shyness, self-consciousness, poor communication skills, fear of conflict, impatience with, or dislike of, other members of the team, and bias (gender, racial, ethnic).

5. Hold team members accountable

Every team member should be held to the same standard of excellence, regardless of training or years of experience on the job.

While each person‘s precise task will vary, all team members’ commitment to completing the job should be unwavering.

6. Conduct routine debriefings

Debriefings should focus on high and low points during the project‘s run. When you review your team’s completed work, note individual performance and provide meaningful praise. Team members should be rewarded when they cooperate, coordinate, and share knowledge with co-workers.

And when a team member fails to cooperate or complete his task, speak with him in your office. The meeting should be private, but team members should know that it is taking place — and that there are consequences for failing to pull one’s weight or working well with others.

Before ending a debriefing, ask each team member to share thoughts on improving performance in the future: What would they change? Which steps could have been streamlined? Were any of the steps unnecessary? Were any steps overlooked? Are any procedures archaic … performed simply because they’ve always done it that way? Is a technology update in order? Was there any overlap or redundancy among team members’ jobs?

• The leader as change agent – understanding the change journey and influencing the culture of the organization.

What are “change agents” and why are they the future of organisational culture?The leader as change agentBy Simon Swan December 19th 2018 (Internet)

Organisations are currently undergoing a fundamental shift, away from how they were traditionally structured towards a structure that embraces digital transformation.

But the question for many organisations is:

How can they adapt to the changing nature of organisational culture and new processes?

There seems to be a growing need to attract diversity in the hiring of employees that can challenge existing company structures, provide leadership, and continue to champion the “voice of the customer”.

What organisations need to be addressing

is the need for organisation-wide collaboration,

breaking down siloes,

driving cross-office working, and

initiating internal workshops, presentations and initiatives that help to drive the awareness of the customer and the changing external market across the organisation.

This is not a task that can or should be siloed to a specific department; it needs buy-in and understanding right across the organisation. This type of initiative  requires change agents to build and drive momentum – crucially not being led by the C-Suite, but rather sponsored or supported by it.

So, what do I mean by “change agents”, and what role do they have to play in the organisation of the future?

What are change agents, and why are they crucial?

The change agent is a movement that is slowly gathering pace; a role that has surfaced through the flux of changing organisational culture, and seems

to be the solution to bridging the gaps within changing organisational hierarchies.

Rather than talent acquisition or HR departments identifying this need, it is usually led by individuals that are operating within organisations and have the commercial and customer acumen of realising what work needs to be done, no matter where they are positioned (senior or junior).

The skills required to make someone a change agent are best summarised in the Digital Change Agent’s Manifesto, published by author and digital analyst Brian Solis.

According to Solis, a change agent 

o “can rise from anywhere in the organization….anyone who builds digital programs, infrastructure and capabilities as a part of their work or because they are passionate about digital can become a digital change agent.”

The manifesto also outlines four critical roles that change agents tend to assume some or all of within their organisations:

Data gatherer and storyteller Influencer Relationship builder Champion

All of these are functions that, in Solis’ words, “actively foster agility, instill confidence, and promote communication and collaboration”.

In the book Building the Agile Business Through Digital Transformation, authors Neil Perkin and Peter Abraham similarly recognise the importance of change agents to scaling agility within organisations. The first stage of organisational agility is described as follows:

“Restless change agents in dispersed areas of the business recognise the need for different approaches and start to question the status quo and agitate for change. This may initiate pilot projects or minor revisions in local areas [where] efforts are not joined-up and substantive change is difficult in the face of lack of senior support, and wider organisational complacency.”

Embracing change agents

A change agent needs the discipline to understand their internal audience – the decision makers, the internal business goals, worries and concerns of the C-Suite – and use these insights as a diagnosis to help plan.

It is the blending of skills in adopting a more generalist approach across many disciplines, as well as the ability to communicate and collaborate

across a number of organisational departments, that allows change agents to tie together and provide leadership and lead by intuition.

As a rule of thumb, generalists open doors. Specialists walk through them. Now more than ever, agencies need more generalists to open more doors. We need a bigger investment in recruiting and training all round marketing strategists coupled with brilliant specialism depth

Organisations large and small are beginning to identify the need to embrace and,

more importantly, retain their change agents:

people that are motivated by wanting to do the best and have a deep passion and purpose and

can view the organisation both from the needs of the external audience (customers) and the vision and objectives of the business.

Senior support buy-in can be perhaps the biggest hurdle to the success of change agents and the position they have in influencing organisational change – but is critical to helping drive the momentum they create.

Glenn Llopis (Internet)

o every leader must be a change agent

o Without strategy, change is merely substitution not evolution.

Every Leader Must Be A Change Agent Or Face Extinction by Glenn Llopis (Internet)

Leadership Strategy

every leader must be a change agent

Without strategy, change is merely substitution not evolution.

In a workplace infused with top down, hierarchical, departmental silos, change management is the new requirement for leadership success.   With a market comprised of fickle consumers and workplaces brimming with employee identity crises, leadership success requires more

patience, poise, and time-to-think – and the ability to seamlessly connect the dots of opportunity.   The marketplace requirements to compete are evolving so quickly that leadership is struggling to stay ahead of the course; unsuccessful efforts to be proactive and sustain organizational readiness will come at an extremely high cost.  As such, the demand for leadership that is willing and capable of tackling change management head-on – already in short supply – is at a premium.

Change management is no longer a term that denotes only operational improvements, cost efficiencies and process reengineering.    Change management has become a much bigger, more interwoven part of the overall business fabric – an embedded leadership requirement that plays into everything that we do, every day, and how we go about getting things done, regardless of hierarchy or rank.   In the end, every leader must be a change agent .

For many leaders, their primary roles and responsibilities have rapidly evolved.  For example, when was the last time you reviewed your job description?  Isn’t it fair to say that it has or soon will become outdated – that your company is changing so fast it needs a refresh?   How about your job title?  Does it really describe what you are accountable for?  In fact, the requirements to be a successful leader have forced many to reinvent themselves in order to reclaim their relevancy.   As a Fortune 250 executive recently told me, “If I don’t reinvent myself quickly, I won’t be around much longer.”

Without strategy, change is merely substitution not evolution.

If you don’t know where you want your business to go, how you want your employees and customers to grow, and what your plan is to get there – your intentions don’t really matter.   Unfortunately, many leaders

don’t take the time to define their strategy for change, as this represents the basis for ultimate accountability and action.   If leaders don’t feel comfortable with renewal and reinvention, they will begin to lose their impact and influence quickly.

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Change is the new normal for leadership success and all leaders must accept this fact.

Leadership  in the 21st century not only requires the ability to continuously manage crisis and change – but also the circular vision to see around, beneath and beyond the obvious in order to anticipate the unexpected before circumstances force  your hand.  As you embark upon your change management journey, here are ten things that will challenge your capabilities as a change agent and potentially become defining moments along your leadership success path.

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1.  Multigenerational Influence

Leaders can no longer be comfortable just gravitating to the generation they belong to.    Connecting the dots of talent, unique perspectives and experiences requires all leaders to change their attitude, approach and style to accommodate the needs and seize the opportunities that lie within a broader multigenerational reach.

Don’t get stuck within the confines of the generation that you are most familiar with.  Get out of your comfort zone and learn how to multiply the opportunities for growth and innovation; invest time to understand the insights in the broader field of talent and customers that lie around and in front of you.

I took this leap of faith 10 years ago when I started a new technology venture with a partner who was 15 years younger than me.   We agreed that our partnership would be  more successful if we mentored each other.  I would teach him about business/leadership and he would teach me about technology and digital platforms.  Not only did we develop a successful business model, but we both strengthened our core competencies because we accepted and learned from our generational differences.

Learn about the 5 Ways Young Professionals Want to Be Led.

2.  Cultural Intelligence

The opportunities embedded in the rapid demographic shift are endless, yet the lack of cultural intelligence is making it difficult for leaders to understand the new business models and best practice requirements that lie right within reach.  Success in today’s global market requires a leader’s ability to see the talent and consumer landscape as two sides of the same coin; they are interdependent variables that must work in lockstep for your workforce and business to flourish.

The 21st century leader must be more culturally intelligent about others (as well as themselves) in order to finally realize the value of the demographic shift.    Culture is the new currency for growth and leaders must change their perspectives about diversity from being a cost center (focused on the representation of women and minority groups) to a profit center (innovative new products, services and solutions).   The marketplace is teaching us all that talent acquisition and consumer engagement are about seeing through the lens of a mosaic that gives us greater strategic focus, not of a melting pot that gets lost in translation.

Eric Llopis, Senior Vice President at Aramark, sums it up this way: “In a world of mature categories and consumers with near-immediate access to information and substitutes, growth requires hyper-market segmentation and the ability to have deep and rich conversations with target consumers. Cultural intelligence is a critical variable to create value propositions that deliver solutions on their terms.”

Learn about America's Demographic Shift And 7 Ways Leaders Can Leverage It.

3.  Global Market Wisdom

The manner in which business is conducted outside of the United States is much different, yet many of today’s workplace leaders are not privy to the wisdom required to conduct business globally.  Business outside of the United States respects wisdom equally to knowledge, as well as proper conduct, tact and executive presence.   Conducting business abroad is about the total experience a leader can bring to the table that is consistent, original and true.  Self-promotion, lack of values and sensationalism will get you nowhere.

It’s not about recognition, but about respect.   Relationships are earned, not purchased.   While your organization’s brand reputation carries weight, just as important is getting to know who you are as an individual, what you stand for, your leadership influence, and the intangibles that help you earn trust.

In many respects, the term “leadership” has become a commoditized term in the United States, while globally it holds more value, meaning, and purpose.

Learn about the 5 Ways Leaders Earn Respect From Their Employees.

4.  Consumers Demand Much More

As leaders, you must touch the business just as much as you lead it.    Leaders can never forget about the customers that contribute to the growth of their business and must never grow complacent about understanding their changing needs and demands.

Today’s consumer is much more fickle; they are drowning in the noise and clouded by the choices that are in front of them -- that are attempting to  sway them and influence what they  buy.    As such, consumers have become much more demanding and it’s more difficult to earn their loyalty and trust.

Leaders, regardless of hierarchy or rank, are affected by consumer behavior; therefore, they must change the lens that they see through in order to be more mindful  and educate themselves (and their teams)  about consumer demands – which are what ultimately change the course of action taken.   In many respects, leaders must become general managers of their business, knowing enough about how each part of the business impacts them directly and indirectly so they can be more proactive in their thinking, planning and execution.

Learn about the 6 Brand Strategies That Most CMOs Fail to Execute.

5.  Women Leaders Are Ready to Dive In

More women will assume senior executive leadership roles in the next 10 years, and if you are a male leader, be open to the new opportunities this represents.    Women are ready to command the leadership space by diving in, not just leaning in -- to solidify their influence in the business world.

Women see through a different lens then men and thus interpret the requirements of leadership differently.  Fortunately for women leaders,   their most undervalued natural leadership traits  are now in high-demand.

Leaders must carefully assess their approach and style and challenge themselves to think differently about how to best align their leadership attributes to the needs of the business and the marketplace as a whole.

Learn about the 5 Ways To Refresh Your Leadership Style.

6.  Entrepreneurial Attitude

The fiercely competitive marketplace has made it mandatory for leaders to be more entrepreneurial, connect the dots of opportunity and find

non-traditional ways for their business to grow and prosper.   Beyond creativity with the existing business at-hand, leaders must be prepared to get involved in new ventures that may require them to open up new markets, launch new products, and/or be involved in merger and acquisition activities.

Clayton Corwin, Founder and President of StoneCreek Company, an investment and real estate development company, "In today's world of specialization, successful leaders need to get out of their industry lane and see what is going on in other sectors that has application to their worlds.  This sort of cross-training creates valuable insights to otherwise missed opportunities for innovation and growth."

Because the market is changing so quickly, the entrepreneurial attitude is in high-demand and has become the new unwritten requirement in a leader’s job description.

Learn about how The Entrepreneurial Spirit is About Connecting the Dots that Don't Yet Exist.

7.  Technology

You may not be technologically savvy, but you must get to know the role that technology plays in the evolution of your business – beyond IT, social media, websites, apps, etc.    Don’t simply depend on your Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the way.  As a leader in your business, change your mindset and educate yourself and those around you.   If you plan on being in a leadership role for the rest of your career, the 21st century demands   that you be knowledgeable enough about technology to test it, engage with it and use it to harness the profitable evolution of your business.

When was the last time you asked about the role that technology plays in your business?  If it’s been a while, start to inquire and you will be amazed at how dependent your business is or soon will be on technology.

As Rich Melcombe, President & CEO of Richmel Media & Productions, advises, “Desperately clinging to the status quo is a recipe for failure.  Technology is here, and it can change, improve or evolve with the blink of an eye.  Embrace it or accept the consequences.  Your business will not be as competitive without it.”

Learn about the impact of technology on business.

8.  Crisis Management

More and more businesses are dealing with crisis management issues because their leaders didn’t have the circular vision to anticipate the unexpected.  Don’t let your corporate challenges become headline news.

Leaders must be more prepared to handle any crisis with nimble agility and elegant transparency.  The advent of social media – and a national media hungry to sensationalize any misstep – requires more leaders to have the necessary preparation, resources, and technologies to respond to a potential crisis in a timely and responsible fashion whenever needed.

Leaders must learn how to speak to the media and use those same skills when talking to their employees about any crisis situation.   Do you know what to say (or not to say), how to deliver a message and how to go about taking action when crisis strikes in your business?  Most leaders don’t and thus lose valuable time, putting their companies at risk.   Remember, not every company has advanced protocols and a large corporate communications team to rely on – thus putting the onus on their leaders.

Rich Melcombe adds: “People and companies have to be authentic. Anything that smells of being disingenuous devalues credibility.  It’s really quite simple: be forthcoming.  In a connected world, if you are not telling the truth, someone else will spin their version of it for you.”

9.  Thought Leadership

Today’s leaders must be bold, articulate and courageous visionaries that are not afraid to speak-up and change the conversation and/or introduce new ideas and ideals.   Being a constructively disruptive leader is important and if you are not pushing your organization, its employees and the industry at large to think differently, you will not only grow complacent – you will forget how to think like a leader and as a consequence your organization will become more vulnerable to its competitors.

Clayton Corwin adds: "Complacency is the silent killer that comes with success.  If you don't wake up every morning hungry and thinking how you are going to compete and win, you are already in trouble -- because that is exactly what your industry challengers are doing."

Thought leadership is about thinking differently and not being afraid to express those differences to keep people honest – to enable fresh-thinking and thought-provoking dialogue that challenges people to perform better and more creatively.   Unfortunately, most leaders use the thinking and ideas of others, rather than challenging themselves to create an original leadership identity/personal brand that has sustainable impact and influence.   In fact, leaders that lack the expression of original thought will soon find themselves losing their competitive edge, power, and decision-making authority – and the doors their job title once opened for them will begin to close.

Learn about the 10 Steps to Successful Thought Leadership to Elevate Your Career and Your Organization.

10.  Evolution of the Business Model

The examples of points 1 – 9 describe a business environment that is changing rapidly and that requires its leaders to change just as rapidly to keep up.    The result of these changes is the natural evolution of a company’s business model that now demands that its leaders serve as change agents to lift and lead the entire company.

As change agents, you must know how to sell change and this requires a set of skills that you may not have been originally asked to have when you first got the job.   As such, you must now learn how to be a change agent and assume the responsibilities that go with it.

Learn about the 5 Most Effective Ways to Sell Change.

Rich Melcombe concludes: “Running any business today is about relevancy and connecting to your market.  It begins with cultural awareness and reflection to formulate a competitive vision, which might change daily.  Technology, globalization, and a lousy economy have made dancing on the razor’s edge of change difficult.  Businesses need to rethink their value proposition and embrace innovation, and it starts with acknowledging reality and becoming a change agent.”

Email  or follow-me on Twitter @GlennLlopis. Like us on Facebook! Join our LinkedIn Group.

Glenn Llopis

• The leader as coach – how to move from compliance to enabling, through the coaching modality.

The Leader as Coachby Herminia Ibarra and Anne Scoular November–December 2019 Issue (Internet)

Once upon a time, most people began successful careers by developing expertise in a technical, functional, or professional domain. Doing your job well meant having the right answers. If you could prove yourself that way, you’d rise up the ladder and eventually move into people management—at which point you had to ensure that your subordinates had those same answers.

As a manager, you knew what needed to be done, you taught others how to do it, and you evaluated their performance. Command and control was the name of the game, and your goal was to direct and develop employees who understood how the business worked and were able to reproduce its previous successes.

Not today. Rapid, constant, and disruptive change is now the norm, and what succeeded in the past is no longer a guide to what will succeed in the future. Twenty-first-century managers simply don’t (and can’t!) have all the right answers. To cope

with this new reality, companies are moving away from traditional command-and-control practices and toward something very different: a model in which managers give support and guidance rather than instructions, and employees learn how to adapt to constantly changing environments in ways that unleash fresh energy, innovation, and commitment.

The role of the manager, in short, is becoming that of a coach.

This is a dramatic and fundamental shift, and we’ve observed it firsthand.

Over the past decade, we’ve seen it in our ongoing research on how organizations are transforming themselves for the digital age; we’ve discerned it from what our executive students and coaching clients have told us about the leadership skills they want to cultivate in themselves and throughout their firms; and we’ve noticed that more and more of the companies we work with are investing in training their leaders as coaches.

Increasingly, coaching is becoming integral to the fabric of a learning culture—a skill that good managers at all levels need to develop and deploy.

We should note that when we talk about coaching, we mean something broader than just the efforts of consultants who are hired to help executives build their personal and professional skills.

That work is important and sometimes vital, but it’s temporary and executed by outsiders.

The coaching we’re talking about—the kind that creates a true learning organization—is ongoing and executed by those inside the organization.

It’s work that all managers should engage in with all their people all the time, in ways that help define the organization’s culture and advance its mission.

An effective manager-as-coach asks questions instead of providing answers, supports employees instead of judging them, and facilitates their development instead of dictating what has to be done.

Companies are moving away from traditional command-and-control practices.

This conception of coaching represents an evolution. Coaching is no longer just a benevolent form of sharing what you know with somebody less experienced or less senior, although that remains a valuable aspect. It’s also a way of asking questions so as to spark insights in the other person. As Sir John Whitmore, a leading figure in the field, defined it, skilled coaching involves “unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance.” The best practitioners have mastered both parts of the process—imparting knowledge and helping others discover it themselves—and they can artfully do both in different situations.

It’s one thing to aspire to that kind of coaching, but it’s another to make it happen as an everyday practice throughout the many layers of an organization. At most firms, a big gap still yawns between aspiration and practice—and we’ve written this article to help readers bridge it. We focus first on how to develop coaching as an individual managerial capacity, and then on how to make it an organizational one.

The leadership as a coachYou’re Not as Good as You Think (Internet)

For leaders who are accustomed to tackling performance problems by telling people what to do, a coaching approach often feels too “soft.”

What’s more, it can make them psychologically uncomfortable, because it deprives them of their most familiar management tool: asserting their authority.

So they resist coaching—and left to their own devices, they may not even give it a try. “I’m too busy,” they’ll say, or “This isn’t the best use of my time,” or “The people I’m saddled with aren’t coachable.”

In Daniel Goleman’s classic study of leadership styles, published in this magazine in 2000, leaders ranked coaching as their least-favorite style, saying they simply didn’t have time for the slow and tedious work of teaching people and helping them grow.

Even if many managers are unenthusiastic about coaching, most think they’re pretty good at it. But a lot of them are not. In one study, 3,761 executives assessed their own coaching skills, and then their assessments were compared with those of people who worked with them. The results didn’t align well. Twenty-four percent of the executives significantly overestimated their abilities, rating themselves as above average while their colleagues ranked them in the bottom third of the group. That’s a telling mismatch. “If you think you’re a good coach but you actually aren’t,” the authors of the study wrote, “this data suggests you may be a good deal worse than you imagined.”

With the right tools and support, almost anybody can become a better coach.

Here’s roughly how these conversations unfold.

The executives begin with an open-ended question, such as “How do you think things are going?”

This invariably elicits an answer very different from what they expected.

So they reformulate the question, but this, too, fails to evoke the desired response.

With some frustration, they start asking leading questions, such as “Don’t you think your personal style would be a better fit in a different role?”

This makes the direct report defensive, and he becomes even less likely to give the hoped-for answer.

Eventually, feeling that the conversation is going nowhere, the executives switch into “tell” mode to get their conclusion across.

At the end of the exercise, no one has learned anything about the situation or themselves.

Different Ways of HelpingTo get managers thinking about the nature of coaching, and specifically how to do it better in the context of a learning organization, we like to present them with the 2×2 matrix below. It’s a simple but useful tool. One axis shows the information, advice, or expertise that a coach puts in to the relationship with the person being coached; the other shows the motivational energy that a coach pulls out by unlocking that person’s own insights and solutions.

Styles of CoachingMore info

put in1. Directive 4. Situational

Less infoput in

2. Laissez-faire 3. Nondirective

Less energypulled out

More energypulled out

At the upper left, in quadrant 1, is directive coaching, which takes place primarily through “telling.” Mentoring falls into this category.

That said, coaching is not always the answer. There may be times when all team members are productively getting on with their work, and the right approach to managing them is to leave them alone. This approach, which we call laissez-faire, appears in quadrant 2.

At the bottom right, in quadrant 3, is nondirective coaching, which is built on listening, questioning, and withholding judgment. Managers here work to draw wisdom, insight, and creativity out of the people they’re coaching, with the goal of helping them learn to resolve problems and cope with challenging situations on their own. It’s an approach that can be highly energizing for those being coached, but it doesn’t come naturally to most managers, who tend to be more comfortable in “tell” mode.

At the top right, in quadrant 4, is situational coaching, which represents the sweet spot in our framework. All managers in a learning organization should aspire to become expert at situational coaching—which, as its name suggests, involves striking a fine balance between directive and nondirective styles according to the specific needs of the moment.

The GROW Model

One of the best ways to get better at nondirective coaching is to try conversing using the GROW model, devised in the 1980s by Sir John Whitmore and others. GROW involves four action steps, the first letters of which give the model its name. It’s easy to grasp conceptually, but it’s harder to practice than you might imagine, because it requires training yourself to think in new ways about what your role and value are as a leader.

The four action steps are these:

Goal.

When you begin discussing a topic with someone you’re coaching, establish exactly what he wants to accomplish right now. Not what his goals are for the project or his job or his role in the organization, but what he hopes to get out of this particular exchange. People don’t do this organically in most conversations, and they often need help with it. A good way to start is to ask something like “What do you want when you walk out the door that you don’t have now?”

Reality.

With the goal of your conversation established, ask questions rooted in what, when, where, and who, each of which forces people to come down out of the clouds and focus on specific facts. This makes the conversation real and constructive. You’ll notice that we didn’t include why. That’s because asking why demands that people explore reasons and motivations rather than facts. In doing that, it can carry overtones of judgment or trigger attempts at self-justification, both of which can be counterproductive.

During this stage, a good reality-focused question to ask is “What are the key things we need to know?” Attend carefully to how people respond. Are they missing something important? Are they talking about operational issues but forgetting the human side of the equation? Or the reverse? When you ask people to slow down and think in this way, they often lose themselves in contemplation—and then a light comes on, and off they go, engaging with the problem on their own with new energy and a fresh perspective. This step is critical, because it stops people from overlooking pertinent variables and leaping to conclusions. Your job here is just to raise the right questions and then get out of the way.

Options.

When people come to you for coaching, they often feel stuck. “There’s nothing I can do,” they might tell you. Or “I have only one real option.” Or “I’m torn between A and B.”

At this point your task is to help them think more broadly and more deeply. To broaden the conversation, sometimes it’s enough to ask something as simple as “If you had a magic wand, what would you do?” You’d be surprised how freeing many people find that question to be—and how quickly they then start thinking in fresh, productive ways. Once they’ve broadened their perspective and discovered new options, your job is to prompt them to deepen their thinking, perhaps by encouraging them to explore the upside, the downside, and the risks of each option.

Will.

This step also doesn’t usually happen organically in conversations, so again most people will need help with it. The step actually has two parts, each involving a different sense of the word will.

In the first part you ask, “What will you do?” This encourages the person you’re coaching to review the specific action plan that has emerged from your conversation. If the conversation has gone well, she’ll have a clear sense of what that plan is. If she doesn’t, you’ll need to cycle back through the earlier steps of the GROW process and help her define how she’ll attack the problem.

Situational coaching involves balancing directive and nondirective styles.

The second part involves asking people about their will to act. “On a scale of one to 10,” you might ask, “how likely is it that you will do this?” If they respond with an eight or higher, they’re probably motivated enough to follow through. If the answer is seven or less, they probably won’t. In that case you’ll again need to cycle back through the earlier steps of the process, in an effort to arrive at a solution they are more likely to act on.

Of course, workplace coaching usually takes place outside of formal coaching sessions. Most often, it happens in brief exchanges, when a manager might respond to a request for help by posing a single question, such as “What have you already thought of?” or “What really matters here?” When more of those interactions occur—when you notice your managers growing increasingly inquisitive, asking good questions, and working from the premise that they don’t have all the answers—you’ll know you’re on the right track.

Coaching as an Organizational CapacitySo far, we’ve focused on coaching as a managerial skill. That’s a vital first step, but to transform your company into a genuine learning organization, you need to do more than teach individual leaders and managers how to coach better. You also need to

make coaching an organizational capacity that fits integrally within your company culture. And to succeed at that, you must effect a cultural transformation that involves the following steps.

Articulate the “why.”

Managers and professionals are busy people. If coaching strikes them as simply the latest fad being pushed by HR, they will roll their eyes and comply with the requirements as minimally as possible. If you want them to embrace coaching as not just a personal skill but also a source of cultural strength, you’ll have to make clear why it’s valuable for the business and their own success.

A good “why” inevitably connects coaching to an organization’s mission-critical tasks. Consider the example of the international law firm Allen & Overy. When David Morley, then the senior partner, decided to make coaching a key part of the firm’s leadership culture, he began talking with his colleagues about the importance of high-value conversations. Morley is an alumnus of one of our (Anne’s) leadership coach trainings. “My pitch,” he told us, “was this: ‘As a senior leader, you have roughly 100 conversations a year that are of particularly high value—in the sense that they will change your life or the life of the person you’re talking to. We want to help you acquire the skills to maximize value in those 100 conversations, to unlock previously hidden issues, to uncover new options, and to reveal fresh insights.’ That resonated. Almost everybody in a key leadership position at the firm recognized that they struggled with how to make the most of those conversations, and they could readily see that they lacked skills.”

• The leader as innovator – how to embed a culture of innovation in MSED schools.

Learning Transformed

by Eric C. Sheninger and Thomas C. Murray (Internet)

The leader as innovator – how to embed a culture of innovation in MSED schools.

Chapter 1. Creating a Culture of Innovation

Leadership and school culture lay the foundation.

The Role of Leadership

Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring

people to do things they never thought they could.

                                                                                                                                      Steve Jobs

The influence of leadership is second only to the influence of the classroom teacher in determining student success.

The effect of leadership is also greatest in schools with the highest levels of need (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, &

Wahlstrom, 2004; Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005).

So what is true leadership?

When people come across the word leader, it often precedes the word follower. Leadership is not about attracting

others to follow. This notion conveys a sense of power, authority, and control that might serve one well in the short

term (by getting others to fall into line through conformity), but it doesn't create the innovative conditions necessary

for sustainable change. The definition and resulting perception of leader needs a makeover.

Great leaders don't tell people what to do but instead take them to where they need to be. There is no agenda to

create a harem of followers or disciples. True leaders know that their success is intimately tied to the work of the

collective. As such, they encourage risk taking and create a culture of innovation and trust. One person doesn't win a

war, an election, or a football game. The pinnacle of success comes from a dynamic team approach where each

person knows that he or she has an important role to play—that the work has meaning. We can also say with

certainty that one person doesn't singlehandedly build a successful business. This same principle undoubtedly

applies to schools and districts, as school leaders must be creative and forward thinking in obtaining streams of

human talent and capital resources required to sustain their success.

The following acronym has been developed to add context to the evolving role of leadership in schools today. The

best leaders do the following on a consistent basis:

Learn

Empower

Adapt

Delegate

Engage

Reflect

Serve

LearnLearning is the heart of the work. Great leaders are committed to professional growth since they know there is no

perfection in any position—just daily improvement. Leaders engage in both formal and informal experiences to

improve their practice, which will ultimately have a positive effect on student learning (Leithwood et al., 2004).

Leaders make the time to learn and get better on a daily basis and, in turn, make their learning visible as an

inspiration to others. Leaders who love their work are always learning.EmpowerA key element of effective leadership is the ability to empower others to take risks, remove the fear of failure, and

grant autonomy to innovate. A recent study that surveyed 1,500 workers from six different countries showed that

humility is one of four critical leadership factors for creating such an environment (Prime & Salib, 2014). People

who are empowered find greater value in the work they are engaged in. Empowerment leads to respect and trust,

which builds powerful relationships focused on attaining a clearly articulated vision.AdaptContinuous change is inevitable. As such, leaders must embrace a sense of flexibility and openness to change when

the need arises. In fact, the best leaders will be proactive and "create change" before external influences force it.

Research has shown that the ability to adapt to an array of situations, challenges, and pressures is pivotal to

accomplishing one's goals (Yuki & Mahsud, 2010). The research illustrates that leaders need to have mental models

that facilitate understanding about the complex effects of their behaviors on multiple objectives and that stress the

importance of balancing competing values. Leaders need to appreciate and take advantage of opportunities to

increase their self-awareness of relevant traits, skills, and behaviors, and they need to develop necessary

skills before they are needed. In addition, they are comfortable navigating unclear situations while blazing an

unexplored trail. The research also shows the need to recognize responsibility for helping others develop and use the

skills and behaviors required for flexible and adaptive leadership (Yuki & Mahsud, 2010). Success in life is

intertwined with our ability to adapt in order to survive. Such evolution through adaptation creates better leaders.DelegateDelegation is an essential aspect of distributive and collaborative leadership; no leader can do everything by himself

or herself. Research has shown that extending leadership responsibilities beyond the teacher is an important lever for

developing effective professional learning communities in schools (Morrisey, 2000). Building greater capacity in

staff through purposeful delegation is also an important means of sustaining improvement (Fullan, 2001). The

decisiveness to delegate certain tasks and responsibilities is not a weakness. On the contrary, it enables leaders to

apply sharper focus to areas of greater importance. Collaborative leadership also builds confidence in others' ability

as coleaders of an organization—even when they don't have a fancy title or letters after their name.EngageIn today's global, sharing economy, access to relevant, up-to-date information is vital. Leaders understand this fact

and develop strategies to authentically engage with their stakeholders through multidimensional communication and

by taking control of public relations, developing a positive brand presence, and establishing an effective feedback

loop (Sheninger, 2014). One of the greatest challenges for today's school leaders is the ability to create an

environment that cultivates each person's intrinsic motivation. An ecosystem of engagement flourishes when leaders

understand the foundational drivers of human engagement—the need for trust, a sense of belonging, the need for

hope, and the need to feel invested in the work. Increased engagement results when leaders meet stakeholders where

they are, encourage two-way communication, and become the "storyteller-in-chief."

ReflectIt is difficult to find a great leader who does not regularly reflect on his or her own work and effectiveness.

Reflection, which can be defined as the process of critically thinking about your behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and

values, has been identified by numerous researchers as an important part of any formal or informal learning process

(Schon, 1983; Kolb, 1984; Mezirow, 1998). Leadership is learning, and learning is leadership—at both the

individual and group levels. The ability to reflect, however, is not necessarily an inherent attribute; it must be

cultivated over time. Unless one is actively engaged in the practice of reflection, it is doubtful that this capability

will develop on its own (Roberts, 2008). In a digital world, reflection can take many forms and results in greater

transparency. It's not how one chooses to reflect but an emphasis on consistently integrating the process that defines

a great leader.ServeBeyond the notion of titles and power, leadership is about serving others. The best leaders work diligently to meet

the needs of others, as they realize it's not about them; it's about obtaining the organizational vision; and for schools,

that's doing whatever it takes to serve the community and all of its children. Leaders must model the behaviors they

seek, empower people to expand their personal capacity, and put the needs of the organization above themselves.

Leaders flourish through their influence—not because of a fancy title. Serving others taps into one's heart and soul

as these leaders are driven by far more than a position of power or a paycheck. In a study done by Sipe and Frick

(2009), it was found that "servant leadership" was the predominant factor in an organization's level of success.

Ultimately, the best leaders don't add more followers; they develop and empower more leaders.

Ineffective leadership squanders opportunities to transform organizations in positive ways.

Leaders by title (LBT) often exhibit many defining characteristics such as egos, power trips, taking credit

for the work of others, handing down mandates/directives, invisibility (i.e., they're never seen or around

when needed), ruling by fear, and insecurity when their ideas are challenged in the open.

They commonly tell others what to do without having done it themselves or assisting in the process. LBTs

work to convince or mandate others to do something instead of modeling the way.

Changes that are implemented by LBTs are never sustained.

What scares us the most about LBTs is that they have the ability and designated power to inhibit the

changes that are so desperately needed.

The perception of what a leader is needs to change, and it begins with you.

As is evident with LBTs, titles don't create effective leadership. Simon Sinek has said that great leaders

don't wear the titles they have.

Dynamic leadership is composed of a mix of behaviors, mindsets, and skills, which are all used to empower

people to be at their best and operate at full capacity—far more than they thought possible. Such vision is a

relentless force—a critical anchor that propels decisions—and it determines actions. In the case of schools,

great leaders help others see the value of change by clearly articulating a compelling why and working to

build support through consensus.

As such, a laser-focused vision is a foundational prerequisite for any organization's success.

An effective leader also has the courage to step in and make the difficult decisions that need to be made,

since they previously calculated the risk-reward ratio.

These leaders also stand by and own their decisions in the face of adversity, and they leverage their human

capital to continuously refine and march toward the vision.

In our opinion, the best leaders have one thing in common: they do, as opposed to just talk.

Leadership is about action, not position or chatter.

Some of the best leaders we have seen during our years in education have never held any sort of

administrative title.

They had the tenacity to act on a bold vision for change to improve learning for kids and the overall school

culture.

These people are often overlooked and may not be considered "school leaders" because they don't possess

the necessary title or degree that is used to describe a leader in the traditional sense.

Nevertheless, the effect these leaders can have on an organization is much greater than an LBT. We need

more leaders by action (LBA). Make no mistake about the fact that you are surrounded by these people

each day.

They are teachers, students, parents, support staff members, and administrators who have taken action to

initiate meaningful change in their classrooms or schools.

These leaders don't just talk the talk; they also walk the walk.

They lead by example in what might be the most effective way possible: by modeling. They don't expect

others to do what they aren't willing to do.

It doesn't take a title or a new position for these leaders to be agents of change. LBAs drive sustainable

change and make the transformation of learning possible.

Never underestimate your own unique talents and abilities; they have the power to shape the future of our

schools and create a better learning culture that our students need and deserve.

Everyone has the ability to lead in some capacity, and our schools—and the kids who are being shaped

inside them—need more educators to embrace this challenge. Great leaders work to build capacity in these

people and empower them to lead change.

Let's not accept the notion that all leaders are born or appointed to a position of power. Leadership is a

choice and something that Stephen Covey (2009) has written about extensively.

Most of the great cultural shifts—the ones that have built great organizations that sustain long-term growth,

prosperity, and contribution to the world—started with the choice of one person. Regardless of their

position, these people first changed themselves from the inside out. Their character, competence, initiative,

and positive energy—in short, their moral authority—inspired and lifted others. They possessed an

anchored sense of identity, discovered their strengths and talents, and used them to meet needs and produce

results. People noticed. They were given more responsibility. They magnified the new responsibility and

again produced results. More and more people sat up and noticed. Top people wanted to learn of their ideas

—how they accomplished so much. The culture was drawn to their vision and to them.

The most influential and effective leaders are those who Model expectations.

Talk less and do more.

Create a shared vision and implement it.

Believe in taking calculated risks.

Do not fear failure and learn to 'fail forward.'

Work tirelessly to build positive relationships with others.

Collaborate for the greater common good.

Constantly learn and reflect.

Help others see the value in change.

Focus on solutions as opposed to excuses.

Intentionally designed schools are led by high-octane leaders who model the way, build capacity in others, and

create cultures of innovation. These leaders create the vision and make it happen. In their schools, learning is being

transformed.

From Vision to Action

Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change

the world.

                                                                                                                                                                              Joel A. Barker

There is often a great deal of emphasis on establishing a vision when beginning the change process, and rightfully

so. Effective leaders understand the importance of a shared vision and the need to articulate lofty goals and expected

outcomes. A clear, well-articulated vision sets the stage for the time and effort required to follow through on what

might be a long, arduous journey (Sheninger, 2015b). These leaders are forward thinking, and in order to effectively

lead change, a shared vision must be created. "The only visions that take hold are shared visions—and you will

create them only when you listen very, very closely to others, appreciate their hopes, and attend to their needs. The

best leaders are able to bring their people into the future because they engage in the oldest form of research: They

observe the human condition" (Kouzes & Posner, 2009).

John Ryan (2009) elaborates on how leadership success always starts with a clear vision:

Great leaders give real thought to the values, ideas, and activities they're most passionate about—and those are

the things they pursue, rather than money or prestige or options forced on them by someone else. The visions

these leaders have can be—and, in fact, should be—challenging to put into action. They realize them only by

setting realistic, demanding goals and then going after them relentlessly, with the help of other talented men and

women who are equally committed and engaged.

Ryan states that compelling visions can truly change the world, but staying invested in them can be extremely

difficult when hard times arrive. The real work and testament to great leadership is moving past the visioning

process by developing a strategic plan to turn vision into reality. We all have been a part of, or witnessed, one too

many visioning exercises that focused on the formation of a mission statement. The result, for the most part, is a

hollow vision, created by hours of debate and born out of a handful of statements, that ultimately is not supported by

action. Many, including us, would consider this type of exercise a waste of time. We would even go so far as to say

that getting people in a room for countless hours to develop a jargon-filled paragraph is more indicative of an LBT

than an effective school leader. Mission statements do not lead to sustainable change or intentionally designed

schools. Forward-thinking visionaries who persistently strive to implement a vision through actions do.

Developing a shared vision is an attribute linked to all great leaders, but the best leaders ensure that a strategic plan

is developed and then meticulously implemented. A vision has to result in a systematic plan that provides a focus for

the change initiative. The plan must then be monitored and evaluated if the desired outcome is sustainable change

that will lead to transformation. The real work comes after a vision has been established.

David Taylor (2014) outlines 10 crucial elements to successfully move from vision to actionable change:1. Make it a priority. Make innovation a priority for the organization.2. Strategize strategic success. Understand how the vision aligns with the strategic goals of the organization.3. Communicate a new reality. Communicate to the organization what achieving the vision will mean.4. Inspire the team. The leaders must inspire the organization to move from where they are to the promise that

the vision brings.5. Embrace the vision. The vision should be discussed and supported at all levels of the organization.6. Be loud and proud. Speak about the new changes whenever possible.7. Spread the word. Communicate the vision at every opportunity.8. Own it and live it. Leaders must live the vision and not just pay lip service to it.9. Drive the train; don't watch the parade. Leaders must get their hands dirty and get involved with the details.10. Don't just delegate everything. Leaders model desired practice.

Great leaders are never satisfied with simply developing a shared vision. They work tirelessly to model expectations

during the planning and implementation phases of the change process while empowering others to embrace the

needed change. It is easy to talk the talk. Great leaders walk the walk while helping others experience greatness and

success along the way. Great visions can, and will, lead to the development of a legacy. Your legacy will be defined

by how well you positively affect the lives of others.

Developing a "Culture of Yes"If we create a culture where every teacher believes they need to improve, not because they are not good enough

but because they can be even better, there is no limit to what we can achieve.

                                                                                                                                                                              Dylan Wiliam

One key to change is developing a "culture of yes." This does not and will never occur through an onslaught of

directives, mandates, top-down demands, or micromanagement techniques—nor is it a pass for low quality. As our

good friend Jimmy Casas shares, "You can't build capacity if people are always asking you for permission." As

educational leaders evolve, they must begin to rethink the change process by creating school cultures focused on

embracing change as opposed to buy-in (Sheninger, 2014). If educators understand and value why a particular

change is being implemented, then they are more prone to support and promote it. This is at the heart of successful

change leadership. When people understand the value of change, they are more intrinsically motivated to embrace it,

which results in sustainability and ultimately leads to transformation.

Change in any organization is often an arduous task, especially during the initial implementation stage. The onset of

the process is typically fraught with challenges, such as overcoming the status quo, a mentality of "if it isn't broke

why fix it," fear, a leadership void in the school hierarchy, lack of knowledge on how to initiate change, no clear

vision, too many concurrent initiatives, naysayers/antagonists, and a one-size-fits-all approach. We must realize that

change is difficult and that a commitment to see the process through is vital if the end goal is cultural transformation

that sticks.

Success also lies in a leader's ability to make difficult decisions. Leadership is not a popularity contest. True leaders

make tough decisions instead of trying to please everyone. I (Eric) fell victim to the allure of putting popularity first

early in my career as a young principal. After realizing the school was stuck in a rut, it took some self-reflection to

get myself on track and do the job I was hired to do. Personal reflection led to a mindset shift, and from that point

on, several sustained change initiatives resulted in a culture that worked better for our students and staff and

ultimately improved student learning outcomes and achievement (Sheninger, 2015b). Leaders are defined by the

examples they set.

You must develop a mindset for change in order to create a culture of yes. This process begins with a reflection of

why change is so hard and an assessment of why previous change has failed in your school or district. Every school

and district has its own culture and unique set of potential roadblocks. Pinpoint areas of difficulty that could morph

into challenges or excuses: time, lack of collaboration, finances, limited support, poor professional learning,

resistance, mandates/directives, and a history of frivolous purchases. Once the challenges and potential obstacles are

visible, begin to develop a roadmap for change by using the following questions:1. Where should we begin?

2. What are the school factors that influence student learning and achievement?

3. How do we change culture and move past the status quo?

4. How do we get educators and school systems to embrace change instead of always fighting for buy-in?

It is important for leaders to examine and seek answers for each of these driving questions. The questions

themselves focus on a leader's ability to initiate change. Utilizing this lens, a culture of yes can be cultivated through

the following drivers: strategic thinking, communication, meaningful work, key stakeholders, and a commitment to

learning. Effective leaders develop a shared vision with input from all stakeholders, including students. They then

craft and implement a plan for action that supports the purpose for the change. The glue that holds the entire process

together is a leader's passion for how the change will positively affect students and staff.

Strategic Thinking: After developing a shared vision, a plan for action must be developed. The plan identifies the

purpose and focus for the change, and it provides methods to monitor successful implementation and sustainability.

The best school leaders model the expectations they set for others. (For a systemic model of strategic thinking for

action planning, see Appendix A.)

Communication: The most effective leaders are effective communicators. The art of communication allows them to

accomplish tasks and get things done, disseminate important information, acquire new information, develop a shared

vision, reach decisions through consensus, build relationships, and motivate and empower people to embrace

change. In today's digital age, effective leaders also leverage available technology to transform communication.

Meaningful Work: With any change initiative, you must ensure that a solid foundation aligned to teaching,

learning, and leadership is in place. The work should be grounded in evidence and be aligned to the latest research

and best practices. As successes occur, it's important to celebrate with staff and students. Showing people how proud

you are of their hard work helps expedite the change process and assists in motivating others to embrace the change

effort.

Key Stakeholders: Successful change initiatives ultimately depend on moving the masses, but this can best be

accomplished by building positive relationships at the individual level. Empower staff to embrace change by putting

them in a position to experience the value for themselves. Provide autonomy to those who are already on board

while focusing more time and effort on supporting staff who are not yet willing to change.

A Commitment to Learning: The best and most effective leaders never stop learning; they understand that there

will always be work to do, no matter how much success is encountered. As Antoni Cimolino states, "There is

something to be learned every day, both by looking in the mirror at yourself and by looking at the people around

you" (Seijts, 2013).

Today's leaders have a great advantage over their predecessors when it comes to learning—social media. The ability

to learn anything, anytime, anywhere, and from anyone through Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)—something

we'll discuss in more detail in Chapter 5—is a game-changing resource to build effective leadership skills.

A great deal of time and effort (and a large number of difficult decisions) embody every successful change effort.

With that said, it is imperative that the changes you implement actually stick and don't become short-term blips on

the radar. Hargreaves and Fink (2004) provide some key points on sustaining change that will enable you to develop

a clear focus during the visioning and planning process. Change needs to focus on Improvement that fosters learning, not merely change that alters schooling.

Improvement that endures over time.

Improvement that can be supported by available or obtainable resources.

Improvement that does not negatively affect the surrounding environment (i.e., other schools and systems).

Improvement that promotes ecological diversity and capacity throughout the educational and community environment.

A culture of yes thrives when improvement is seen as the result of a collective effort to improve learning for all kids.

Empower Your People

Great leaders don't succeed because they are great. They succeed because they bring out greatness in others.

                                                                                                                                                                              Jon Gordon

Effective leadership is a continuous choice, and empowering your people is vital to intentionally designing schools.

So how can school leaders empower their team?

Adapt when needed. A great leader knows that his or her respective leadership style will never work for everyone.

Being able to successfully navigate different personalities and situations requires flexibility and a willingness to

change course on the fly.

Love the work. Enjoying the work provides the resolve to persevere when challenges arise. Most of all, great

leaders have fun and do what it takes to ensure others have fun as well.

Show appreciation. Sir Richard Branson has been known to say "Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat

them well enough so they don't want to" (Branson, 2014). Great leaders know that success is not isolated to one

person in an organization. Leadership is a collective effort wherein everyone plays a role. Great leaders go out of

their way to put others—not themselves—on a pedestal while consistently praising deserving efforts both in public

and private.

Eliminate excuses. Challenges and obstacles will always be prevalent in any organization, especially schools, and

they often morph into excuses about why certain initiatives can't be accomplished. As such, school leaders often

"no" themselves right out of innovative ideas. Great leaders clear the way for their staff by removing obstacles and

challenges through empowerment and autonomy. If it is important enough, a solution will be found. If not, an

excuse will be made.

Establish a focus through vision. A clear vision provides guidance not only to the goals at hand but also for how to

accomplish them. Great leaders work with stakeholders to develop a shared vision and resulting action plan that

keeps everyone focused on a goal of improved student learning. Great leaders also know that vision alone is not

enough.

Model expectations. A great leader never asks anyone to do what he or she isn't willing to at least try. Setting an

example by putting yourself in others' shoes provides the inspiration and motivation for staff to embrace change.

Start small. Great leaders don't set out to radically change school culture in one fell swoop. They understand that

success is the culmination of numerous small wins that build momentum for larger changes.

Know when to delegate. Common sense dictates that no one can do it alone. Great leaders exhibit trust in others

when certain tasks are passed along. This in itself works to develop more leaders throughout an organization. The

process of delegation also allows for more of a focus on the larger issues at hand.

Provide meaningful feedback. There is a big difference between meaningful feedback and criticism. Great leaders

articulate where their staff excel and highlight specific areas of growth. Meaningful feedback is the fuel for

improvement.

Communicate effectively. You won't find a great leader who is not also a master communicator. Great leaders

understand that listening, facilitating dialogue, asking questions, creating an open environment, and clearly getting

to the point are essential skills. They also understand the importance of a multifaceted approach to increase

stakeholder engagement.

Change Agents Build Relationships: A Key to CultureLeadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.

                                                                                                                                                                              Simon Sinek

As mentioned, change is a word that is spoken about in education circles more and more each day. But herein lies

the problem: talk and opinions get us nowhere. The fact of the matter is that education has to change dramatically,

but how this is initiated should no longer be a contentious topic for discussion or debate. The best leaders don't just

talk about change. They make it happen. It is relatively agreed upon that the structure and function of most schools

around the world no longer meet the needs of today's learners. There is a quiet revolution gaining steam as more

educators and students push back against the traditional policies and mandates that have been forced upon them.

Leaders need to decide if it is worth it to conform or to forge their own path and provide students with the education

and learning experiences they deserve.

Meaningful change has and always will begin at the individual level. It is at this level where change is sustained to

the point that it becomes an embedded component of school or district culture. The hardest, but most gratifying,

work in which a leader might ever engage is empowering colleagues to change. School leaders need to remove

barriers to the change process, eradicate the fear of failure, provide autonomy, and empower teachers to drive

change at the classroom level. Dynamic relationships propel this change to happen.

Consider trying the following strategies to help your colleagues begin the process of changing their professional

practice. Lead by example even when (initially) it might be a lonely place. Real change comes from colleagues modeling

expectations for one another.

Share current research and practices that support the change you are championing.

Encourage colleagues who might be resistant to change to attend professional learning opportunities with you. Get them involved in high-quality professional learning related to the change effort. At the very least, make sure you share your experiences during a faculty meeting or in personal conversations.

Tackle fears head on to alleviate concerns.

Help others see the value of the change on their own.

Clearly articulate how the change will improve professional practice and result in improved student learning and achievement outcomes.

Be patient. Like you would your students, treat your colleagues with respect and remember how satisfying and rewarding it is when you help students succeed. Adult success offers tremendous rewards as well.

Get your students involved. There is no better way, in our opinion, to convince educators to change than when they can see firsthand the impact it has on kids.

Work on building better relationships. This could lead the way to embracing change that otherwise might have been resisted.

Successes can then be promoted within the school and district to serve as a catalyst for cultural transformation. The

same holds true for both teachers and administrators when it comes to students, who are our primary stakeholder

group. Schools should be designed to meet the needs of students, but if they are not given a seat at the table or

allowed to be a focal point of change efforts that ultimately affect them, then a golden opportunity is missed. Never

underestimate the power you have to make your school, district, and entire education system better—regardless of

the position you hold. Be the change you wish to see in education, and others will follow.

There is some debate about the difference between school culture and school climate, but both affect the operational

functionality of the inner workings of the school. School climate reflects how members of the school community

experience the school, including interpersonal relationships, teacher and other staff practices, and organizational

arrangements. It includes factors that serve as conditions for learning and that support physical and emotional safety,

connection and support, and engagement. A positive school climate reflects an attention to social and physical

safety; support that enables students and staff to realize high behavioral and academic standards; and the

encouragement and maintenance of respectful, trusting, and caring relationships throughout the school community.

The U.S. Department of Education (2016) indicates that students learn best when they are in environments in which

they feel safe, supported, challenged, and accepted.

We'd make the case that teachers are also at their best in such environments. A positive school climate fosters trust,

respect, communication, and cooperation among students, staff, parents, and the school community. By improving

school climate, schools lay the foundation for improving student achievement and building vital positive

relationships with staff.

The role of a change agent is to provide relevancy, meaning, and authenticity in the teaching and learning process. It

hinges upon your ability to provide an environment and activities that unleash students' passion for learning and

allows them to demonstrate conceptual mastery by creating artifacts with the tools of their choice. Additionally, it

relies on a bold vision to grant students and educators the autonomy to take risks, learn from failure, and adapt as

needed. We need to realize that sometimes it's our own lens that gets in the way. It's our own mindset that can inhibit

our ability to see things differently and ultimately redefine what's possible. Meaningful change—transformed

learning—will happen only if we give up control and establish a culture built on trust and respect.

If our goal is to prepare the next generation of thinkers, doers, inventors, and change agents, then we must abdicate

some control, trust students and educators, and work to develop a better system that will produce these desired

outcomes. Educators must acknowledge the real challenges with which they are faced each day and work to develop

solutions to overcome them. Challenges should not be seen as insurmountable obstacles to change but rather

opportunities to do things differently and better. There must also be a desire to embrace new thinking and strategies

that not only address higher standards but also prepare students for the world they will face upon graduation. The

end result will be the proliferation of uncommon learning strategies that, in time, will become common.

Shift the ParadigmIf you want something you never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done.

                                                                                                                                                                              Unknown

The world continues to evolve and progress as a result of technological advances. Only a few years ago, it would

have been impossible to predict some of the foundational shifts that have become embedded in our daily lives. As

we outlined in the Introduction, the speed at which such changes have taken place continues to grow exponentially.

For example, in 2003, the idea of a smartphone began with Blackberry, only to be eclipsed by Apple and the release

of the first iPhone in 2007. Disruptive innovations, such as Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb, have begun to dramatically

alter consumer behaviors—in many cases for the better. These innovations have completely overhauled entire

sectors of the economy. Make no mistake about it, technology is shaping the world in ways that we could never have

imagined only a few years ago. The types of disruption we are seeing are improving effectiveness, efficiency, and

results for people who are now globally connected. As such, competition has flourished, and there's been an

exponential growth in innovation. We must either adapt and evolve or risk becoming obsolete and extinct.

Therefore, it's incredibly perplexing, to say the least, to see so many schools (really, education as a whole) remain

static when it comes to change. Walk into the average neighborhood school and, for the most part, you will see the

same structure and function that has dominated education for the past 100 years. The pressure to conform to a world

that equates school success to standardized metrics is, for all intents and purposes, one of the main reasons we are

not seeing disruptive innovation in today's classrooms. However, if schools and leaders do not learn from history

and the effect of disruptive innovation, then it's only a matter of time before they suffer the same fate of

obsolescence, which would be catastrophic to our economy and the world as we know it.

As Thomas Kuhn (1970) argued, scientific advancement is not evolutionary but rather a "series of peaceful

interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions," and in those revolutions "one conceptual world view is

replaced by another" (p. 10). Thus, a paradigm shift constitutes a change from one way of thinking to another—a

mindset shift—which spurs a revolution that transforms learning and professional practice. This sounds great in

theory, but as time has proven, it doesn't happen on its own. For a paradigm shift to occur and be sustained over

time, it must be driven by change agents (in classrooms, schools, districts, and other educational organizations) who

are willing to disrupt the status quo.

In a world where people use technology in almost every aspect of their lives, it is incumbent upon leaders, regardless

of their position, to replace the conceptual view of school with a more meaningful one. This is where the concept of

digital leadership really comes into play. By carefully analyzing current components of professional practice,

educators can begin to make the necessary paradigm shifts to replace existing practices with more effective and

relevant ones. The following are some specific ideas in relation to the Pillars of Digital Leadership (Sheninger,

2014).

Student Engagement, Learning, and Achievement: We can ill afford to teach and lead in the same ways we were

taught and led. It is important to sift through the fluffy ideas that abound (and set aside the allure of new tools) and

begin to integrate technology with purpose. Success is contingent upon sound instructional design, high-quality

assessments, and an improved feedback loop. When implemented correctly, digital tools can transform education.

Learning Spaces and Environments: Desks in rows, LCD projectors used as glorified overhead projectors,

uncomfortable furniture, poor lighting, and inflexible arrangements can no longer be the acceptable norm. In order

for students to think and solve problems in the real world and beyond, they need to learn in spaces and environments

that emulate today's reality. Research on learning spaces has shown that redesign can empower learners and affect

student learning (Barrett, Zhang, Moffat, & Kobbacy, 2013), a topic we will discuss at length in Chapter 4.

Professional Growth: As we will discuss in Chapter 5, traditional forms of professional learning such as "sit and

get," one-size-fits-all, and training that lacks accountability all lead to a significant waste of time and money.

Technology enables professional learning to take place anytime, anywhere, and with anyone around the world. No

longer are time and location the barriers to growth they once were. Combining improved professional learning

experiences with the power of a PLN sets the stage for meaningful improvement that can be transformational.

Communications: Most schools still heavily rely on traditional means of communication (e.g., email, newsletters,

phone calls). The shift here is to begin to meet stakeholders where they are and engage them in two-way, real-time

communication. As we highlight in Chapter 7, this blended approach will result in more transparency, exposure, and

amplification of the vision.

Public Relations: If you don't tell your school's story, someone else will. Do you really want to roll the dice and

take a chance with that? Everyone has access to the same video, image, and text tools and has the ability to become

a storyteller-in-chief. There is a considerable amount of power in stories that focus on students' successes and staff

members' accomplishments. No longer does any educator have to rely on the media alone to share the daily

awesomeness that occurs in classrooms and schools.

Branding: Communications + public relations = branding. This is not a business-minded concept focused on

selling; instead, it's a method of telling stories and consistently sharing a positive narrative about what happens in

your district each and every day. This results in greater support and appreciation for the whole child approach that

many schools are now focused on.

Opportunity: As the saying goes, if opportunity doesn't knock, then build a door. The digital world allows us to

build and open doors like never before. The paradigm shift here will naturally result with a sustained focus on the

other six pillars.

It is evident that a paradigm shift in learning, teaching, and leadership is needed to improve our education system.

Opinions, talk, and ideas alone will not do the trick. To intentionally design schools, and ultimately transform

learning, it is imperative that we raise the bar so holistic improvement becomes the norm—not an exception.

You are part of the solution.

Innovative Practices in ActionCoachella Valley Unified School District, California

Dr. Darryl Adams, Retired Superintendent

Recognized by the White House in 2014 as one of the Top 100 Innovative Superintendents

I believe that the three main components of managing change in an organization, business, or institution are trust,

relationship building, and effective communication.

Trust: Without some level of trust, constituents, team members, customers, teachers, and staff will not believe

you or believe in you!

Relationship Building: Just as important is the need to cultivate positive relationships. As you establish trust, you

build positive relationships, and you build positive relationships by getting to know people and letting them get to

know you.

Effective Communication: People will trust you and be willing to build a relationship with you only if you are

willing to make them feel important, look them in the eye, and speak plain truths in a personable, engaging way.

If you are trustworthy and authentic, and if you are willing to share your strengths and weaknesses, then you lay

the foundation for managing the change needed in your school, organization, or business.

Establishing Trust

Establishing trust is essential in managing cultural change. People will support you and trust you if they are

congruent with and can identify with what you stand for and with what you value. One way to establish trust is

always to be open, honest, and ethical. As a role model for your organization, people will watch you and analyze

your every move and decision. People will also watch what you allow, and if it is not in line with your values, you

will begin to lose trust. Members in the organization will also scrutinize how you make decisions and who is

included in the decision-making process. Just as there is no I in team, there is no leader without followers and no

change without trust! Leaders who manage change effectively should not work in isolation but in concert with

their team and with constituents, board members, upper management, union leadership, and so on. These

interactions help establish and maintain trust; remember that you are being watched, so handle your business

honestly and ethically.

Cultivating Positive Relationships

Building relationships is another key component of effectively managing change. Team members, customers, and

constituents want to trust you, but they also want to know you. Do not be afraid to share parts of your life that are

applicable to who you are and what you stand for. Until I shared my upbringing of being born and raised in a poor

section of Memphis, Tennessee, most of the people in my school community thought I was from a privileged

background. But after sharing stories of trial and tribulation and how those experiences shaped my life, we all

realized we had much more in common than not. I was also open and honest about failures and disappointments in

my life and how they helped me become a better person and leader. As I opened up, team members opened up and

we all began to build empathy toward each other and a camaraderie that insulates us from apathy and negativity.

Effective and Personable Communication

Effectively communicating the vision, mission, and goals to a school community, business, or organization helps

promote a change in culture. When I came to my district, I quickly realized that a change in culture was necessary.

I sought to find the one common denominator that we all would look at and say that needed to be changed. I

began to speak about the one data point that raised concern, and I knew it would also raise concern in our school

community. And that data point was this: approximately 30 percent of our graduating students went on to college

but only 16.5 percent graduated from college.

By using this information, I was able to show the community that something needed to change in our culture and

in our expectations. I spoke about how that statistic was unacceptable, especially since I had students coming back

to me and complaining about being placed in remedial English and math classes in their freshman year in college.

It was quite clear to me and to everyone that something needed to change academically and culturally. Effectively

communicating the need to transform our entire system of educating, our way of thinking, and our expectations

led to a change in culture that has seen our graduation rate go from the mid-60-percent level to the 80-plus-percent

level. Our college-going rate has increased to 50 percent, and our college graduation rate has also increased. Our

culture now and our primary reason to exist is known to everyone, and that culture expects "All students will

graduate prepared for college, career, and citizenship!" This change in culture is shared by the entire school

community as a whole.

In conclusion, managing change to change culture is possible if one can establish trust while building positive and

productive relationships and communicating in a personable and engaging way. The more these principles can

permeate throughout your school, organization, or institution, the more successful you will be in serving those

who rely on your products or your service.

(Dr. Darryl S. Adams was selected by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education as one of the Top

100 Innovative Superintendents in America and was praised by President Obama for the district's 1-to-1 iPad

initiative and innovative Wifi-on-Wheels program, which ensures equity and access to technology and the

Internet. Dr. Adams was also named by the Center for Digital Education as one of the Top 30 Technologists,

Transformers, and Trailblazers.)

Greenwood Elementary School, Minnesota

Dr. Brad Gustafson, Principal

2016 Minnesota Distinguished Principal of the Year

I believe all students deserve innovative schools. I also believe that teachers are the true difference makers in

delivering on the promises of the digital age. They are the ones who champion relationships, relevant learning,

and connectedness. In order for a culture of innovative learning to emerge, teachers need to feel supported and

experience the power of connecting in a digital sense firsthand.

This is precisely why we, as school leaders, need to pull our "learning weight" by modeling, providing tangible

support to staff, and practicing connectedness ourselves. When a school's culture says "yes" to connectedness—

one of the single greatest drivers of innovation—it is ultimately our students who will win. Over the course of the

past several years, I have observed students' innovation increase more than I ever thought possible.

A few short years ago, I never would have imagined our students assembling a 3D printer on their own, creating

codable mini-golf courses for robotic droids, or producing cross-state collaborative podcasts with kids across the

country. The learning our students have led does not stop there. They are creating innovative challenges using

quadcopters (drones), presenting to people in other states (in person and via Google Hangouts), and inventing

creative contraptions using a fleet of mobile MakerSpaces. Truth be told, I was largely unaware that many of

these learning opportunities ever existed prior to becoming connected in a digital sense.

In order to create world-class experiences for kids campuswide, educators must be connected to new ideas,

emerging research, cutting-edge tools, and one another. My doctoral research findings showed that when school

leaders model connected learning, innovation is incubated like no other leadership behavior (Gustafson, 2015).

Most schools have pockets of innovation, but what separates good schools from world-class learning institutions

is the nature of the learning that's occurring.

The nature of learning is a derivative of pedagogy. Teaching and learning that is purposeful and connected is

oftentimes more innovative than what traditional leadership practices produce. Moving from the practices that

served students well the better part of the previous decade requires intentionality. When I reflect back on our

team's journey, I can identify several milestones we've accomplished together. Each step along the way propelled

us toward a more relevant and student-centered learning paradigm.

First, our early-adopters modeled what it meant to be "connected learners." We took risks and began practicing

"connectedness" by sharing the work students and staff were immersed in beyond the walls of our school. Next,

we sought ideas and additional perspectives from educators using the professional learning networks we were

developing. During this time, our team created a space on Twitter marked by a simple hashtag (#GWgreats)

where the school community could celebrate learning, exchange ideas, and share professional resources.

Flat-screen televisions were installed in the entryway and office area to livestream staff tweets. This made

everyone's learning that much more visible. Teachers who stopped by the office could also virtually visit their

colleagues' classrooms by checking out the livestreamed tweets. Now students stop by the televisions to check out

photographs of their classmates' learning. By displaying some of the digital collaboration our team was involved

in, we were also modeling digital leadership for students, but the learning did not stop there.

Next, we planned a series of professional learning sessions that delved into why and how learning can be

transformed when it is connected. During this time of professional learning (which has spanned several years),

parents were also part of the process. Annual parent seminars about social media provided additional support to

parents who sought to navigate a new and connected landscape. These meetings were recorded and/or

livestreamed to increase accessibility for those families unable to attend in person. In addition to the parent

seminars, a social media support booth was staffed each fall during open house.

I'm convinced that social media can be learning media when it is leveraged to make learning visible. In fact, we've

seen our school demonstrate how connectedness can enhance collaboration by transcending traditional barriers

like time and proximity. This powerful understanding has even manifested in our school's youngest learners. For

example, when a kindergarten class was discussing coding using a Bee-Bot with their teacher, one student

suggested that the class "Ask Twitter" for help with a question she had about the Bee-Bot. (When the 5- and 6-

year-olds in a school begin to recognize the potential value in connecting beyond their walls, you know the

teachers have done an incredible job modeling!)

Our team has made a habit of saying "yes" to relevant tools and pedagogy. We refuse to limit learning based upon

what we don't know. Instead, we model a true growth mindset by looking beyond our own limitations and

connecting with others to grow … and occasionally contribute. Learning that is grounded in a connected

pedagogy has the potential to unleash innovation and ignite an insatiable curiosity in kids … and that's exactly

what digital-age students deserve!

(Dr. Brad Gustafson is an elementary school principal and author of Renegade Leadership. He is passionate

about creating innovative schools that serve today's students. Brad is a Digital Innovation in Learning Award

winner and was also recognized as Minnesota's 2016 National Distinguished Principal.)

Copyright © 2017 by ASCD. All rights reserved. No part of this publication—including the drawings, graphs, illustrations, or chapters, except

for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles—may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from ASCD.

• The leader as decision-maker – how to use data to set goals, drive performance and make decisions.

Great Leaders are Great Decision-Makers

Three Qualities to Take the Paralysis out of Decision Analysis

The leader as decision-maker – how to use data to set goals, drive performance and make decisions.

BY LARINA KASE, PSYD, MBA

Great leaders understand how to balance emotion with reason and make decisions that positively impact themselves, their employees, their customers and stakeholders, and their organizations.

When we think of what makes someone a great leader, one characteristic that comes to mind is decisiveness. We do not envision successful leaders standing around appearing unclear and uncertain. Instead, we view them as people who are able to quickly arrive at their decisions and communicate the goals to others.

Leaders often have to make challenging decisions, such as what direction to move their company in; whether to keep an employee, reposition them or let them go; whether or not to share “bad news” with stockholders, and many other such challenges.

Great leaders understand how to balance emotion with reason and make decisions that positively impact themselves, their employees, their customers and stakeholders, and their organizations. Making good decisions in difficult situations is no small feat because these types of decisions involve change, uncertainty, anxiety, stress, and sometimes the unfavorable reactions of others.

Great leaders also know when to move quickly and proceed with the available information, versus when to take more time and gather additional information. When leaders opt to pursue additional information or avenues, they must also know when to stop. While a large amount of data may be desirable in a perfect world, the data gathering process can utilize too much time, and the vast amount of data can also be paralyzing and take attention away from the big picture or key data points.

This article will explore three crucial qualities that great leaders must develop to become great decision-makers: emotional intelligence, the ability to handle uncertainty, and the ability to weigh evidence with intuition. The article concludes with a step-by-step process employing these characteristics to arrive at the best possible decision given the many variables that can and will come into play.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage your emotions and those of others, is one of the most important qualities a leader must possess.

Emotional intelligence consists of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

Self-awareness is the foundation for all aspects of emotional intelligence. It involves being able to accurately assess yourself. Before you can change, you must be aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Self-management entails the ability to understand and control your emotions, adapt to change, and adopt an optimistic outlook.

Social awareness is similar to self-awareness but the focus is external and involves understanding the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others, as well as how to relate to other people.

Relationship management is crucial for great leadership and includes qualities such as being influential and inspirational and developing others.

Emotional Self-Control and Decision Making

Imagine that you were presented with a critical high-stakes situation with a significant potential downside and you needed to make a decision and take action right away. You would likely have a significant emotional reaction, including feelings such as anxiety, fear, or anger. Unfortunately emotions such as these cloud our ability to make good decisions. When we get into the emotional part of our brain, our innate reaction is to protect ourselves. We get an adrenaline rush or flight-or-fight response, and short-term survival is the immediate goal. As you can imagine, being in this state is not particularly conducive to making strategic, long-term decisions. This is why emotional self-control is so important. Great leaders are aware of their emotional state and are able to manage intense emotions so they can make smart decisions.

Reigning in Emotions for Strategic Decisions

In order to make strategic, long-term decisions, we must know how to bring down the intense emotional reaction so that we can engage a different part of our brains (the prefrontal cortex), which is responsible for looking at the big picture and long-term planning. Paradoxically, the way to do this is to accept and allow whatever emotional reaction we are having and choose to focus on the facts as much as possible.

Trying not to experience an emotion is like trying to pull a rollercoaster backwards as it heads down the hill. It takes a lot of effort, which ultimately backfires and we feel worse. Instead, simply jump on board and ride it out. The intensity of the emotions will quickly pass and then you can think logically. The goal, however, is not to take feelings out of the decision-making process. It is simply to keep them from taking over and losing emotional self-control.

Managing Uncertainty and Choices

Why is it so difficult to make decisions? Perhaps it is because the variables and the outcomes are often uncertain. We do not like uncertainty. Uncertainty creates discomfort and analysis paralysis. We try to analyze the situation from every angle to alleviate the sense of uncertainty. These efforts are often futile and waste valuable time and energy because so often we must make decisions in the face of uncertainty.

The Lengths We Go to Avoid Uncertainty

We are often paralyzed by uncertainty and end up basing our decisions on things that aren’t even related.

Question your attempts to find certainty before making decisions because you may be seeking a false sense of security.

If we are able to accept the uncertainty rather than try to resolve it, we can focus our limited time, energy, and money on making the best decisions in the face of an uncertain outcome.

This does not mean that you should not bother to analyze a situation before making a decision.

Various analyses can be helpful in providing the information necessary to make the best decisions in the situation.

The key is to know when what you don’t know is important, and if so, how to go about gathering the necessary information to resolve the uncertainty.

If what you don’t know is not important, then the next step is to accept the uncertainty and proceed in spite of it.

Limit Your Choices

One of the decision-making mistakes we commonly make is to give ourselves a lot of options.

We figure that if we consider every possible alternative, we will have better choices and make the best decision.

Sometimes we do this exhaustive search as a way to resolve uncertainty. We assume that if we go through everything, no stone will be left

unturned and there will be no uncertainty. The problem is that we are likely to get overwhelmed and make no

decision. To help yourself and others effectively and efficiently make decisions,

limit your options. Keep options fewer than five and you will find it much easier to make a

decision.

Trusting Your Intuition

Excellent leaders often say that they go with their gut to make decisions. They are able to trust themselves and their expertise and not get stuck in

the cycle of over-thinking. The more you know about a subject, the more reliable your intuition will

be. Make yourself an expert in your field and your intuition will be your best

guide.

Intuition Leads to Satisfaction with Decisions

We can rationalize our way into anything, but our first impressions often tell us how we really feel.

How to Hear Your Intuition

You may have heard intuition described as a nagging little voice inside you.

It typically speaks softly rather than screaming out at you. Unfortunately in our non-stop, busy, technology-filled worlds, it can be

easy to not hear our intuition. It is always speaking, but we are often not listening.

Hone your skills at listening to your intuition by building some form of meditative practice into your daily life.

It doesn’t have to be actual meditation; it can be a few moments of reflection, a warm bath, a walk with your dog, and so on.

We are typically so bombarded with information all day (television, radio, Internet, cell phone, Blackberry…) that we miss out on opportunities to notice ourselves thinking and feeling.

To hear your intuition you must have some time when you’re a human being, not a human doing.

Build periods of quiet into your life and you will be surprised at what you hear.

Decide Your Way to Great Decisions

Great decision making takes practice. As you now know, this process requires a certain level of comfort with

discomfort. We could play it safe and defer important decisions to others, spend hours

and hours analyzing and agonizing over every option, or we could accept the level of risk and go for it.

Many people are afraid of making a bad decision or the wrong decision. We can only do our best with the information we have available to us at

the time. There is typically not a right or a wrong answer. In the worst-case

scenario, however, you select the wrong option. Even if you choose an option that reveals itself to be inferior in the short-term, you will learn that you can handle the outcome and make the best of it. You may even find unexpected opportunities by going down the “wrong” path.

Practice this process using the following steps:

1. Decide whether to take action quickly or gather additional information. If you decide to gather additional information, create parameters to determine what information is essential and when to cease your information-gathering process.

2. Be aware of the emotions that come up as you proceed with your decision. Accept the emotions and allow them to guide you without controlling you.

3. Recognize the uncertainty elements in the situation and decide how much of the uncertainty needs resolution. Know that most situations cannot be calculated with complete certainty and, even though it may be uncomfortable, it is often necessary to accept the uncertainty and proceed.

4. Allow yourself to hear your intuition. Do not over-think important decisions because you may talk yourself into something that goes against your instincts and experience.

5. Seek out opportunities to thoughtfully and proactively make challenging decisions. Recognize that even “negative” outcomes may be better than you expect, and gain confidence in your ability to make great decisions.

Be a leader in your personal life and career by committing to make difficult decisions in a timely manner. The best way you can inspire others to change is by making changes yourself. Practice this process and become a confident leader of yourself and others. Just think of all of the time and energy you will save in the process, and how great you will feel as you remain calm, trust yourself, and make great decisions.