A Reader Writes... (Advice for the First Year Principal - Part 10)

In response to the post, “Advice for the First Year Principal – Part 6” a reader writes:

Wow - # 4 was just what I needed to see in black and white ...

Thanks for the offer to call. Off to form conscious habits and watch my lips!

SC Response

Just so you know, we’ve been keeping tabs on you from the road. Great job handling your first crisis. Don’t let people who don’t have the backbone to make a real crisis decision get you down. Just ask them how they handled similar situations when they were sitting in your chair. That question separates the leaders, from the managers, from those who have never faced true adversity.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Advice for the First Year Principal - Part 9)

In response to the post, "Advice for the First Year Principal – Part 5," a reader writes:

I may agree with the writer, depending on what he or she calls “morale.” Based on my definition of morale, if morale drops it is because people do not have the skills, training, and confidence to carry out the leader’s vision. Or in the worst case scenario, the leader has no vision. This has NOTHING to do with happiness or being content.

SC Response

Morale, a useful tool for the effective leader, the Achilles Heel of the weak one. The effective leader recognizes that morale is a function of:

1. Belief in the mission of the organization.

2. Belief that the training provided by the organization will allow one to fulfill that mission.

3. Trust that leadership will place one in a position to be effective and valued.

The effective leader understands that performance leads morale.

The ineffective leader mistakenly believes that morale is a function of happiness, feeling good, and the absence of stress. The ineffective leader hopes that morale leads performance.

The ineffective leader says, “if only…” a lot. The effective leader says…

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Asks a PowerWalks Question

A New LYS Principal asks:

With PowerWalks, do we add comments of any kind? We have been told two different things. Some say, “Yes” to making comments and others say to “Hold off” on comments.

Please advise.

SC Response

1. If you send a comment to a teacher, it should be positive.

2. If you see something that concerns you in a classroom, send a note to yourself, to remind you to circle back and talk to the teacher.

Here are the appropriate uses of comments based on one short classroom observation:

1. Positive notes to teachers.

2. Reminders to yourself.

3. Behind the scenes communication for the purpose of solving problems (ex. Mr. Jones, Ms. Smith is having problems with her computers. Please check on that.).

Here are inappropriate uses of comments based one short classroom observation:

1. Negative notes to teachers.

Remember the power of the PowerWalks system is:

1. The trend data.

2. The coaching conversations that the trend data supports.

3. The problems that are solved when those who control resources actually observe a lot of instruction.

Hope this helps.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (The Great Ones Outwork Everyone Else - Part 3)

In response to the post, "The Great Ones Outwork Everyone Else – Part 2," a reader writes:

I agree that we must remediate or remove the "Non-compliants" in our field. To my knowledge the field of education seems to be the one field where those who "won't do" are allowed to stay.

It seems like an Artist would rise to the challenges no matter what surrounds them, but if the Novice and Technician need to be surrounded by those who engage in "purposeful work" my question is HOW do we get people who just show up, to just leave?

SC Response

Your comment raises a couple of good discussion points. First, I can’t say that we are the only field that tolerates those that “won’t do,” but many in our profession act as if “won’t do,” is a right that should be protected. The idea that just showing up fulfils our professional obligation is a cancer that is much more threatening to the future of public education that any campaign our opponents can wage against us.

Note: In this upcoming election, if you don’t vote, if public education isn’t your litmus test, you are just making your job even more difficult than it already is.

Second, in most settings, where there is no meaningful support and focus for teachers, the Artist (created by nature) can rise above, but soon leaves to find other Artists. I believe that Artist are born and can also be made. If you too believe this, then as a leader, a critical job function is to build a system that inducts, indoctrinates, trains, supports and builds Artists. This doesn’t mean that everyone can becomes an Artists, it just means that if I can reduce the odds of having an Artist on my campus from 1 in a 1000, to 1 in a 100, everyone in the system benefits.

Third, how do we get the people who show up, to just leave? The simple answer is that you quit letting them hide in the shadows of the organization. The standard model in most school systems is that I show up, I tell everybody how hard I work, I find some anecdotal evidence to advertise as proof of my success, and I have a ready list of excuses and scapegoats to explain away any failures or lack of performance that comes from my area of responsibility. This is a textbook recipe for creating a doom loop. The continuous improvement model is pure transparency. We set ambitious goals (rarely happens); we track mission critical data (rarely happens); we post our personal data (rarely happens); we problem solve, as teams and individuals, based on what the data reveals (rarely happens); we repeat the process six to twelve times a year (rarely happens). In this environment, those “who do” flourish, those who “won’t do” simply leave.

But here is the kicker; the continuous improvement model is the mortal enemy of the adult convenience model. Thus making leadership the catalyst for change, which gives you the following focus / results matrix:

Formal Leadership Focus	Informal Leadership Focus	Result
Continuous Improvement	Continuous Improvement	Increased Student Opportunity
Continuous Improvement	Adult Comfort	War of Attrition / Race Against Time
Adult Comfort	Continuous Improvement	Inconsistent Success / Slow Decline
Adult Comfort	Adult Comfort	Decreased Student Opportunity / Students Better Served in Another School or District

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

TASA/TASB Conference Summary

Another great Fall conference. As usual, the LYS booth was a hub of activity, with old friends and colleagues stopping by to catch up with and/or check up on other members of the LYS Nation. Some notable visitors included Dr. Richard Griffin, Coach Tim Edwards, Dr. Jerry Roy, Dr. Mike Laird, and Dr. Rod Paige.

We also distributed another 1000 world famous Lead Your School koozies, again running out before the conference ended. And as you can see from the picture, there was an extended meeting with roots of the three major branches of the LYS Family Tree – Brezina, Brown and Berry.

If we missed seeing you, we’ll rectify that at the TASA Mid-Winter Conference, the TASB Winter Conference, the AASA National Conference or the NASSP National Conference.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...