Leading vs. Managing

This week I was on a campus that I work with on a regular basis and I observed an excellent practical example of the difference between managing and leading. This campus is divided into 4 semi-autonomous schools within a school. The schools compete against each other in an attempt to keep everyone motivated to do their best. Over time, Team A has consistently outperformed the other three. Team B tries to keep it interesting and Teams C and D just seem to be coasting until the end of the year. At this school, during breakfast the practice is for teachers to stay with their students and use the time to get their team ready for the day.

Here is the ton of bricks example. The Team A staff had their students in their classrooms eating breakfast and discussing what they needed to do to be successful that day. Team B was doing the same thing, just a little slower and a little more ragged. Teams C and D had combined both teams in the cafeteria. The students were eating quietly, the teachers were talking among themselves, one team leader was running around trying to do get everything done without infringing on the teachers and the other team leader was nowhere to be seen.

Teams C and D have figured out how to manage the students and reduce the workload of the adults.

Teams A and B have figured out that to be successful and compete that the adults have stay involved and hands on.

Teams C and D are stuck in management mode. Team B is in the “fake it until you make it” stage of becoming effective leaders. And Team A is experiencing first hand how leading trumps managing.

Come on, Teams C and D trust your training and step up.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…

Board Members on Campus

This past weekend I, along with a Superintendent and an Assistant Superintendent that I have worked with for a number of years, presented at a multi-state school board conference. In our session (a full house with over 75 attendees) we had school board members from Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. Our discussion centered on the role of leadership in bridging both cultural and learning gaps. We were very well received and the audience was lively, engaged and motivated by the subject at hand. I bring this up, because in the middle of the discussion a question was asked about school board members visiting schools and it presented a perfect compare and contrast between traditional school leadership views and the way that we believe.

The question was poised, “should school board members visit schools” and the room immediately became a den of noise. Quickly, an older gentleman spoke up and made his case:

He was a former superintendent and now he worked for a regional service center. He did not think that any good could come from board members visiting schools. They would not know what to look for and would not recognize it if they saw it. Board members need to let the professionals do their jobs.

Anybody who knows me and the type of people that I work with can guess that we had some areas of disagreement.

Here was our case:

1. School board members have a responsibility to visit schools on a regular basis. First there are the twin issues of transparency and trust. As professionals, we need to operate safe, effective and efficient operations 24/7 and the board needs to trust that we do that. Open access and regular inspections insure that both occur. Second, the schools belong to the community and their agent is the board. The board can’t fulfill it’s responsibility as a steward by acting like an absentee landowner.

2. The Board is the Senior Leadership of the district. Regular visits by senior leadership is good for staff morale and the visits also serve to bring insight and perspective to the Board’s decision making. For example, a covered walk-way is easier to approve once you have witnessed 400 elementary students get off the bus in the freezing rain. Just as it is easier to question if central office really needs 50 new flat screen monitors when you have recently visited the high school computer lab that hasn’t had any new equipment in the past 10 years.

3. There are some caveats. First the board member is there to observe only. Comments and questions must be routed through the Superintendent. Because of their position, board member comments carry too much weight and too many repercussions to be unfiltered. Second, the board member must understand that anyone with enough moxie to approach them is not just concerned or being friendly. They have a specific agenda they are advocating. Third, the board member is not there to manage anything, take credit or blame for anything and/or campaign for anything. If a board member does this, the other board members must step up and rein that person in.

So there it is in a nut shell, old school thinking vs. Lead Your School thinking.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your Turn…

A Reader Writes

In response to the post concerning Mr. Showell, a reader writes,

"It takes a lot of guts to take a stand for someone who is doing the RIGHT THING FOR KIDS and I appreciate you very much, THANKS from all the students that need that extra help."

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes

In response to the "Great Advice - Gant Wisdom" post, a reader writes,

"Sean your grandfather told you right in your early years of development about the importance of leadership.

Sometimes, I have to always say to myself that my leadership skills are based on research, experiences, relationships, education, plain common sense, and solid coaching.

Tiger Woods. Michael Jordan. Hank Aaron. Johnny Unitas. What did they all have in common? The answer I'm looking for is not" they all play a sport." The common denominator is that these great athletes all had coaches-mentors, to help them home their skills.

Having people to like me is great, but my goal is to help inspiring leader to excel and in the process of achieving this goal some inspiring leader my not like me.

Thanks Sean for being a great Coach and Mentor.

Think. Work. Achieve"

Reader, thank you for the kind words.

A Reader Writes...

In regards to the post on Primary GT classes, a reader writes,

"Honest teachers know the truth, and the truth is GT, Honors, "advanced", and other such terms are merely ways to track, which often leads to segregation. During my first year teaching I questioned the department chair about the "honors" and advanced courses at our high school. He responded, "you haven't figured it out yet? Its our districts way of segregation." The sad part is the department chair not only supported the process, but was instrumental in its ongoing implementation. "

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Great Advice - Gant Wisdom

My grandfather, who was retired military and a top executive in two large companies, shared this with me early in my development. He said, “Son, they don’t have to like you, they just have to work for you.”

This piece of advice has always kept me focused on what is truly important in leadership, that the mission of the organization trumps your personal need for feeling good.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...