Readers Write... (Quick Advice for AP's, Vol. 2 - Parts 2 and 3)

In response to the posts relating to “Quick Advice for AP’s – Vol. 2,” two readers write:

“I guess I missed the non-LYS’er AP dialogue and if the AP warning that B & B might visit their campuses was based on that information then I, for one, was certainly out in left field or right field and certainly not "centered" field. So, in the future, it would be helpful for an identifier "not for general consumption."

Can you just refresh my memory on that blogalogue? Also, are there official and unofficial LYS’ers?”

AND

“If that weak post killed your mood, check yourself. As a veteran LYS principal, I have questioned Brezina and Brown. Cain knows this. But I have never disagreed with them (especially publicly).

Why? Because every time I have doubted them I have found out later (battered and bruised as a result of my poor decision) that Brezina and Brown don't give advice lightly. You are free to accept or reject. Occasionally, I rejected. I paid. You don't have to.”

SC Response
The short version of my post was that disagreeing with Brezina and Brown is not the most prudent move for an inexperienced leader. Plus, there was a reminder to keep in mind that if they show up on your campus, someone way above our pay grade wanted them there.

Are there official and unofficial LYS’ers? That’s a good question. In my mind there are Old School LYS’ers, New LYS’ers, Anti-LYS’ers, and What are LYS’ers. Old School LYS’ers are just a loose band of school leaders that were never satisfied with yesterday’s performance. They found each other and competed against each other. They can usually trace their roots back to the likes of Brezina, Brown, Schaper, Richardson, Hooker, Neeley, Donaldson, Guthrie and Berry.

New LYS’ers either found the blog and joined in because it resonated with their beliefs or had Brezina, Brown, or one of the people they trained, work with them, their campus or their district. New LYS’ers can eventually become Old School LYS’ers.

Anti-LYS’ers are generally focused on process, feelings and complexity. In “Good to Great” terms, they are the foxes. Or in the worst case scenario, they are threatened by LYS’ers because they are comfortable or uncoachable.

What are LYS’ers don’t even know that we exist.

Finally, the second writer drives home the point I was trying to make. There is a reason why Brezina and Brown are legends. They have walked the walk. And unlike their peers, they continue to go to schools everyday to find the answers that that we are all searching for. I don’t expect anyone to blindly accept what they say as gospel. However, if all you bring to the table is limited experience and a “feeling,” listening and taking notes might be your best course of action.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...