tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55608673646508907562023-11-25T14:36:38.915-08:00The Evolution of EducationTransforming Education One Post at A TimeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-2401067467340997512012-10-14T18:42:00.001-07:002012-10-14T18:43:03.295-07:00My Edscape Journey <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had the honor and privilege to attend my second <a href="http://edscapeconference.com/" target="_blank">Edscape</a>
conference this weekend. This conference
is the homegrown creation of<a href="https://twitter.com/NMHS_Principal" target="_blank"> Eric Sheninger </a>which he puts on at his very own
New Milford High School. The conference
offered over 60 breakout sessions featuring many people that I read, follow, and
look up to in the field of education. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23satchat&src=hash" target="_blank">#Satchat</a>
kicked off the morning with a hybrid chat session discussing global leadership
that began a full hour and a half before the official conference start. </div>
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It is always a surreal experience to meet, listen to, and
learn from someone who you have been reading or following for a longtime. This was certainly the case with this year’s
keynote speaker. <a href="https://twitter.com/coolcatteacher" target="_blank">Vicki Davis </a>opened the
event with a riveting keynote about the one thing we have control over in
education (our own actions). It was a
timely reminder as we often get bogged down with everything that is going wrong
and everyone that is doing wrong. We
have the unbelievable power each and every day to change our attitude, actions,
and outcomes. My favorite quote of many
from Vicki’s keynote was:</div>
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“In education we are not working on making copies…. We are
creating originals.”</div>
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Following the keynote I had the opportunity to present about
leading and learning from connections. I
know that I would not have the opportunities that I have if it was not for being
a connected educator. The opportunity to
learn and discuss key issues with people across the globe has certainly pushed
me to be a better educator. I always
weave the importance of being connected in presentations but this was the first
one designated entirely to the topic. The
smartest person in any room is typically the room itself. This was certainly the case as the group
engaged in a variety of topics and discussed how they were working over,
around, and through resistance.</div>
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My Edscape journey continued through lunch which was in
itself an impromptu breakout session as everyone at the table discussed their
work, challenges, and recent successes.
These conversations always leave you feeling like you need to step your
game up and do even more. I attended two
additional sessions in the afternoon learning more about the home/school
connection from <a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Mazza" target="_blank">Joe Mazza</a> and about creativity and innovation from <a href="https://twitter.com/erinpaynter" target="_blank">ErinPaynter</a>. Both these sessions were full
of ideas and questions to push your thinking.</div>
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Edscape proved to be an outstanding day of learning and
networking for me. You have to put
Edscape on your calendar for next year.
It will be held on October 19, 2013 at New Milford High School. I guarantee that you will leave
energized with the tools necessary to make a difference and the connections needed to push you to the next level.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-71942176505724483402012-10-04T11:20:00.002-07:002012-10-04T11:20:52.203-07:00Compliance is NOT the Same as Engagement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"First I got their ear and then I had their heart." </div>
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Jay Z<br />
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Have you ever heard someone go on and on about how engaging a lesson was? Invariably, they will talk about how everyone was on task and completed the assignment. I would argue that often times people are confusing <b><span style="color: red;">compliance</span> </b>with <span style="color: blue;"><b>engagement</b></span>. <br />
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Students for the most part sit where they are supposed to sit and do the work they are assigned to do. I don't worry as much about a student who acts out in class. I worry far more about the student who sits passively and complies even though the work lacks any type of relevance. <br />
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There is a fairly easy way to not use the terms <span style="color: red;"><b>compliance</b></span> and <span style="color: blue;"><b>engagement </b></span>interchangeably. You simply ban both words from your vocabulary when providing feedback on a lesson or in reflecting on your own lesson. Feedback should be both descriptive and nonjudgmental. Simply saying that everyone is engaged falls short of that criteria for effective feedback.<br />
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Your challenge...if you choose to accept it... is to remove the word <b><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: blue;">engagement</span></span> </b>from your vocabulary when describing what you are seeing in a classroom. Focus on being descriptive and asking questions that foster growth. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-78056812573811691152012-08-16T05:03:00.001-07:002012-08-16T05:05:54.635-07:00Are You Playing Buzzword Bingo?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today is Leadership Day 2012. Amazing leaders from all over the world are contributing to a powerful, dizzying array of posts that you can find <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnRphNkFHPvrdDRsZzExSTV1Z3lPRXI1NlR0SUhrWHc#gid=0" target="_blank">here</a>. For my <a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2012/08/leadership-day-2012.html" target="_blank">#LeadershipDay12</a> I have been thinking a lot about a game that many leaders do not even know they are playing. The video below best exemplifies the leadership game of "buzzword bingo".</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZIxcxfL5jas?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Listen carefully when people speak about the work that they are doing. </div>
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<li>Are they speaking in a series of code words that ultimately mean very little? </li>
<li>Are they playing buzzword bingo without even knowing it? </li>
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It is easy to fall into this trap since there is always a new word, term, acronym that describes the next greatest thing. Many leaders are focused on "preparing students for the 21st century" even though we are almost 13 years into the decade. You will undoubtedly read posts about #BYOD, #BYOT, or even #BYOB. You may start the new year with a focus on flipping, a multitude of mobile missions, or even an eye on iPads, iPods, and iTunes U.</div>
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The buzzwords mean very little by themselves. That's why so many reform initiatives or revolutionary ideas fail. We often never move past the words into the real actions that make a difference. Leaders must move beyond buzzwords and into the work that really matters. This work starts by framing the <a href="http://www.startwithwhy.com/" target="_blank">WHY</a> behind your initiatives. </div>
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For Example:</div>
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<li>Why are we going mobile? How are we going to do the work? What do we expect to accomplish?</li>
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For <a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2012/08/leadership-day-2012.html" target="_blank">#LeadershipDay12</a> I am challenging all leaders to stop playing buzzword bingo. Drop the acronyms, forget the new catchphrase and focus on the work that needs to be done. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-87297612052489543782012-07-23T06:10:00.003-07:002012-07-23T06:10:37.592-07:00What Does Your Room Look Like?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6bin4Bm719UcSCxCytYPCISyf8v7Slak5YNaCV5g5zjjX0zd5JqOSgo0MepIZHaHvVTQCC4quos6Us4CLS6vc2aK1Sixy2pQmBKuRuVOXgpPa7BUtmSeEAbTVp6ii0cHl_TjtE4stGE/s1600/empty+room.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6bin4Bm719UcSCxCytYPCISyf8v7Slak5YNaCV5g5zjjX0zd5JqOSgo0MepIZHaHvVTQCC4quos6Us4CLS6vc2aK1Sixy2pQmBKuRuVOXgpPa7BUtmSeEAbTVp6ii0cHl_TjtE4stGE/s320/empty+room.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"If you ever find that you're the most talented person in the room, you need to find another room" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- Austin Kleon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I spent a great deal of my childhood in my room (mostly because I was sent there as a punishment and a few times by choice). I never really got any smarter in my own room because I was by myself and I also spent most of the time plotting an escape or how to take over the world. By default I was the smartest, most talented person in the room. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now I have the opportunity to work and learn in many different rooms both virtually and face to face. This opportunity is actually free to all yet still only a small minority choose to take advantage of it. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of the beautiful things about technology is you are now able to leverage the world as your room. You can connect, engage, and learn from experts in all fields of study. You can move from room to room dependent on the topic. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Right now on I am intensely learning in rooms focused on #edreform, #leadership, #literacy, and #mlearning. I am fortunate to learn from and with some of the most talented people in the world who are practitioners and experts in their respective fields. I am always looking for ways to expand my room and learn from the wisdom of the crowd. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As soon as you feel you have arrived and you know everything you need to know....It's probably time to go!</span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-70325493502603644042012-05-02T11:20:00.000-07:002012-05-02T11:20:41.489-07:00Gaslight Leadership<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This morning on my way in to work I noticed that my gaslight was illuminated. I typically pay little attention to the gas in my car on a day to day basis. I realized that I had gotten into the dangerous habit of waiting for the gaslight to tell me I needed gas. </div>
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I guess this isn't the worst practice if you are driving in a populated area with gas stations all around. It is fairly easy to stop once the light comes on and fill up. </div>
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What would happen if you weren't paying attention and the light comes on with no gas stations in sight? In essence, you would be stranded. I believe that this waiting for the light to come on phenomenon extends past the gas in your car and into the leadership practices of many.</div>
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Many leaders have become heavily reliant on the data that is fed to them while ignoring the critical daily data points along the way. I receive data reports that are delivered on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. This data is important but it has also lead to a gas light approach to leadership. The problem with waiting for data is that it often comes in too late to correct the course, change actions, and make a difference. </div>
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As a leader don't wait for your organization's gaslight to come on before you decide to alter your course. Focus on your daily practices, conversations, and observations. Pair this qualitative data with your data reports and you will be far more likely to yield positive results. It definitely beats being stranded on the side of the road with no gas station in sight. </div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-39367244870653062142012-04-20T11:26:00.000-07:002012-04-20T11:26:21.959-07:00A Leadership Flatline<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicO1AnvLltvKfIcnoaWU4B7ZOYvstQzFSGQRDYUAGhgCQcMHTzExqICoDPTTtQKRKUMV3zohoE2YNL6XkP7mZXwE6A9t0htCcsDz_a-gEFqt3D2sYpH-kpCc5tVKrd37jKWy6FFRET3XQ/s1600/flatline_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicO1AnvLltvKfIcnoaWU4B7ZOYvstQzFSGQRDYUAGhgCQcMHTzExqICoDPTTtQKRKUMV3zohoE2YNL6XkP7mZXwE6A9t0htCcsDz_a-gEFqt3D2sYpH-kpCc5tVKrd37jKWy6FFRET3XQ/s320/flatline_2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What would you want a doctor to do if this is what was showing on your monitor at the hospital?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Would you want the doctor to keep continuing what they were doing despite the results?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Would you want the doctors to spend their time diagnosing how the flatline was really the patient's fault?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Would you want the doctor to put together a long range plan to begin to get a pulse?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">OR</span></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Would you want the doctors to change their current method because of the data on the monitor?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Would you want the doctors to hold themselves personally accountable for changing the results on the monitor?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These questions may sound absurd considering that we are talking about a life or death situation. You would never want the doctor to behave according to the first set of questions. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The most effective leaders would not exhibit these behaviors either. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Replace doctor(s) with leader(s) in each of the questions above. The data would be around the goals of the organization that the leader is in charge of. How many leaders have you seen behaving according to the first set of questions? Many organizations are exhibiting flat lines and yet the leader continues to act in the same manner that brought on the failure.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Leaders must lead differently to spike a flat line in data. How can you as a leader begin to bring your organization back to life?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You may need to grab the paddles...countdown and <span style="color: lime; font-size: large;"><b>CLEAR</b></span> your leadership practices.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-90832982874730234702012-03-21T11:15:00.001-07:002012-03-21T11:16:43.241-07:00Asking the Right Questions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EbPCn1Lacbp-Xw6kAZMEGOuLB3mzt24wReeof2UpacyCJAHFilfo0EWr83GF8kh6SxBxvKNCo-8mg_cTSB8ifP4C5ZzsJ70qQR06gtRE3WBOG3SnQ0V6H7knfW-35eIPEW7aqmBi8Ng/s1600/why+worry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EbPCn1Lacbp-Xw6kAZMEGOuLB3mzt24wReeof2UpacyCJAHFilfo0EWr83GF8kh6SxBxvKNCo-8mg_cTSB8ifP4C5ZzsJ70qQR06gtRE3WBOG3SnQ0V6H7knfW-35eIPEW7aqmBi8Ng/s320/why+worry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I am a proponent of a leadership style that involves a great deal of teaching or coaching versus a style that requires telling or directing work. I have even written about this belief of <a href="http://theevolutionofeducation.blogspot.com/2010/12/teach-dont-tell.html" target="_blank">Teach Don't Tell</a> before. One of the most effective ways to coach or lead is through the use of questions.<br />
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People generally try to provide a response to the questions that you ask. The validity and reliability of the responses may be subject to question though. How do you as a leader move people and the organization forward? It will not be done on<br />
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There are many different questioning strategies that leaders can employ. The easiest strategy is to change the first word in your question. Most people by nature ask "What" questions. These questions elicit responses that do not require much critical thinking. The best shift in questioning will occur when you stop asking "What" and begin asking "Why". The answers to "Why" questions are often more complex and get to the root of the issue.<br />
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Try asking three consecutive "Why" questions to seek a better understanding of a decision or a situation. By the end of the third "Why" you typically reach the core belief or root cause.<br />
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"Why" not try it and see if you get different results.<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-65609458891908206002012-03-15T05:45:00.000-07:002012-03-15T05:45:11.270-07:00Rules to Break: That's How We Have Always Done It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtrE8YHuTc2Y3_3KZBpXuwm9V7K5kYXFhAMz6auF3qROJq7oAh_kN3OxaQYU5NvRYWd7hG7ZBPHUEho7OgFPXieXkCPvMwRLcXWMqoamDx_fCtomrqdxlKScOGJFVxRWrMlsSpFuTPHU/s1600/bird-breaking-the-rules.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtrE8YHuTc2Y3_3KZBpXuwm9V7K5kYXFhAMz6auF3qROJq7oAh_kN3OxaQYU5NvRYWd7hG7ZBPHUEho7OgFPXieXkCPvMwRLcXWMqoamDx_fCtomrqdxlKScOGJFVxRWrMlsSpFuTPHU/s200/bird-breaking-the-rules.png" width="146" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">"You are remembered for the rules you break." -Douglas MacArthur </span> </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The MacArthur quote is especially true when you consider leadership. If you don't break any rules you will continue to do the same things every day. I thought I'd start a new series about the rules that leaders should be breaking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The first rule in the series is more of a habit many leaders fall into. It involves using the phrase "That's how we have always done it." This is the cornerstone for answers about initiatives, procedures, etc. that do not make any sense. If you are not convinced, try the following exercise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pick something in your organization that doesn't make any sense, drives your crazy or gets in the way of the real work.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ask someone who has been in the organization for an extended period of time the following question: Why do we do that anyway?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What answer are you likely to get? The answer will be some variation of, "I'm not sure. That's the way we have always done it."</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is unfortunately also the answer to the most important question (<span style="color: red;"><b><i>WHY?</i></b></span>) we can ask as leaders. These "that is how we have always done it" moments are also the things that are preventing change or improvement in organizations. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As a leader take inventory of all of your "that's how we have always done it" moments. </span><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Can you answer the </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: red;"><i>WHY</i></span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> question about your decisions, initiatives, and changes? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Does the answer to the </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span style="color: red;">WHY</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> question actually match up with your stated values and beliefs?</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Effective leaders move from "That's How We Have Always Done It" to "This is <span style="color: red;"><b><i>WHY</i></b></span> we are doing it." The <span style="color: red;"><b><i>WHY</i></b></span> must have a strong foundation in order to build an outstanding organization.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are many other rules that leaders should break. I'll try to capture more in the coming weeks. In the meantime...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What rules do you think leaders should break?</span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-78346914800868917322012-03-13T13:55:00.000-07:002012-03-13T13:55:20.366-07:00No One Has the Right To Waste a Minute of A Child's Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfiiXFhl_bT8Simh8jUMlst6CRauPEBZ2rPAPId2-kN-7pguAnebZB15X3gTUwhtQwtSJwh6lIrasQ0wL2-YIXNcQHqeL4kDd_CSh80BjtuJMhjdjQihRwZ3Jy_Veh-1MgBcAEFBipAM/s1600/DSC01324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfiiXFhl_bT8Simh8jUMlst6CRauPEBZ2rPAPId2-kN-7pguAnebZB15X3gTUwhtQwtSJwh6lIrasQ0wL2-YIXNcQHqeL4kDd_CSh80BjtuJMhjdjQihRwZ3Jy_Veh-1MgBcAEFBipAM/s320/DSC01324.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The title of this post is actually a line in an <a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov10/vol68/num03/Leaving-Nothing-to-Chance.aspx" target="_blank">Education Leadership</a> article from ASCD. I often come back to it as I work in and with schools. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">What would schools be like if we all embodied this concept? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">What if every moment was spent with this mindset? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">In the words of the great Dr.Seuss, "Oh, the places you'll go!"</span></span><br />
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</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-88091031587657042022012-03-12T07:24:00.000-07:002012-03-12T07:24:16.697-07:00Million Dollar Meetings and Minimal Results<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcmTDU0BqrCkrhG9hlajUzbJGsGYvlbzLgydamJWB7xn3vVsvMxKnjpb3rcFmmTOtsavXBIoA_HawdLJvgcTutumTPQnChRgwv9hlvPzCTJmTBGhzbRXGvEk4D2BsPvpvicOJ50YbwEg/s1600/boring-meeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcmTDU0BqrCkrhG9hlajUzbJGsGYvlbzLgydamJWB7xn3vVsvMxKnjpb3rcFmmTOtsavXBIoA_HawdLJvgcTutumTPQnChRgwv9hlvPzCTJmTBGhzbRXGvEk4D2BsPvpvicOJ50YbwEg/s320/boring-meeting.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- John Galbraith</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Meetings are looked at as a sign that work is getting done in organizations. You likely spend a lot of time in "event" meetings where it is scheduled on your calendar as a weekly, biweekly, or monthly event. Calculate the total salary that is tied up in these meetings. Now look at the results of these meetings. Does the investment in time and resources match the outcome or results? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sometimes the best decision a leader can make is not to meet. Take a closer look at your meetings through the lens of the following questions:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why are we having this meeting?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How will everyone be smarter as a result of this meeting?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What would happen if this meeting did not occur?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Is there a more effective/efficient way to gather and disseminate the information?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Is there an expectation that work occurs outside of these meetings?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How could the time set aside for "event" meetings be better utilized to accomplish organizational goals?</span></li>
</ol><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How did you do with your answers? Are you utilizing your time in a way that matches your stated priorities? Challenge yourself to rethink and revolutionize your leadership practices by asking questions about everything. Always start with <b><i><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">WHY</span></i></b>... </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Otherwise, you will be going through the motions with little movement to show for it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The way we have always done it is probably not the way we need to do it <span style="color: red;"><b><i>today</i></b></span> and is certainly not the way we need to do it <span style="color: red;"><b><i>tomorrow</i></b></span>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A great resource for revamping your approach to meetings in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Read-This-Before-Next-Meeting/dp/1936719169" target="_blank">"Read This Before Our Next Meeting"</a>. It is a quick, insightful read about the modern meeting standard.</span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-46182808607206404412012-03-09T12:39:00.000-08:002012-03-09T12:39:04.582-08:00The Secret Formula to Excellence and Expertise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_laoJioNzPccRXvmx2tVjJhJgLoEL0ffJcwFGRiu5u6EfkhwsWTjHcMsWJ5o9n8JISjX7MPJzlO8ydHJfxhLRw6P6EG98CsV6CQ-fiuYXNsyfT2bfsZsj1v1M6j0ngQyVc7OwEZ-GdyU/s1600/hours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_laoJioNzPccRXvmx2tVjJhJgLoEL0ffJcwFGRiu5u6EfkhwsWTjHcMsWJ5o9n8JISjX7MPJzlO8ydHJfxhLRw6P6EG98CsV6CQ-fiuYXNsyfT2bfsZsj1v1M6j0ngQyVc7OwEZ-GdyU/s200/hours.jpg" width="158" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- Malcolm Gladwell</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was rereading the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922" target="_blank">Outliers</a> recently and came across the quote above. There really is no easy road to expertise and excellence. Many people give up before they can realistically see improvement. The other scenario is that people get good enough and settle. Good is often the enemy of great in this scenario. This is true with piano lessons, diets, and in the workplace. People are often looking for the secret to greatness. The secret all starts with your personal passion. Once you understand that ingredient...the rest of the formula is as follows:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Your Passion + <a href="http://theevolutionofeducation.blogspot.com/2011/02/art-of-deliberate-practice.html" target="_blank">Deliberate Practice</a> + <a href="http://theevolutionofeducation.blogspot.com/2011/01/whos-in-your-starting-five.html" target="_blank">A Strong Starting Five</a> = <a href="http://theevolutionofeducation.blogspot.com/2012/03/excellence-is-never-accident.html" target="_blank">Greatness</a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Understanding the formula is not difficult. Putting the formula into practice is what ultimately separates good from great.</span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-56998021190809688012012-03-08T06:43:00.000-08:002012-03-08T06:43:51.609-08:00Excellence is Never an Accident<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Excellence is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was one of the world's biggest Michael Jordan fans growing up. I even had a life size cut out of him in my classroom when I began my teaching career. The greatest lesson I learned from following Michael Jordan's career is his pursuit of excellence. His story is a great example of the quote above. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/_-EyRUgp9Mk/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_-EyRUgp9Mk&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_-EyRUgp9Mk&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Take a moment to think about someone that you feel is the best at what they do. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now consider the following questions:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What does excellence look like at this person's level?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How long has that person been practicing the skills necessary to be excellent?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Was that person always great at what they do?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What obstacles did they have to overcome to get where they are today?</span></li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">People do not wake up as a master of their craft. It was no accident that they became the top person in their respective field. Thousands of hours of hard work is behind every expert in every field. This type of <a href="http://theevolutionofeducation.blogspot.com/2011/02/art-of-deliberate-practice.html" target="_blank">deliberate practice</a> is what separates mediocre from magnificent in every arena. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now consider the following questions as it relates to what you want to be excellent in:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How are you being intentional in both your words and actions?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What obstacles are currently keeping you from making progress?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How can you turn those obstacles into opportunities?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Who is in your </span><a href="http://theevolutionofeducation.blogspot.com/2011/01/whos-in-your-starting-five.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">starting five</a><span style="color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and how are they going to push you to be a better version of yourself?</span></li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Everyone has an opportunity to be excellent but it will never happen accidentally. That journey begins today.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, san-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is always a great deal of debate around educational reform issues. The rationale behind a lot of what we do in education is decades and even centuries old. We continue to settle for evolving when much of what we do goes against what we believe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For example:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We believe learning can occur anytime/anywhere yet we have bells that tell us when the learning starts/stops. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We know that students develop at different rates yet we put all students on a 13 year track (K-12).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We judge student/teacher/principal/school success on the ability to answer multiple choice questions yet we know it does not tell the whole story.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We force unsuccessful students to repeat the same grade/course in largely the same way and expect different results.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We know that many of our students are entering the workforce without the requisite skills yet we still teach in many places to a standardized test. In <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/stop-stealing-dreams" target="_blank">"Stop Stealing Dreams"</a> Seth Godin writes that there are only two tools available to the educator. The easy one is fear. Fear is easy to awake, easy to maintain, but ultimately toxic. The other tool is passion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have said before that <a href="http://theevolutionofeducation.blogspot.com/2011/04/creating-problems-solvers-who-need.html" target="_blank">"Nobody is Passionate about Bubbling in Answer Sheets".</a> What would happen if we began to operate from a place of passion instead of fear? Imagine what school and ultimately the world could look like then...</span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-50875230097091605682012-03-06T14:18:00.000-08:002012-03-06T14:18:32.744-08:00Future-Proof Education<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-q0SY7YBI8Myzt2DGBD14-LcraaAJsRWWYm8jVlI18feH5LM4Yyim75QqKmDeFTUj4InArkHJ4Jz1l5TwGumw5scmpvnO7FC8S73kkihkAWX-qHMzF4xXZP3FISY7T0hNzqQos7VTSo/s1600/sleeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-q0SY7YBI8Myzt2DGBD14-LcraaAJsRWWYm8jVlI18feH5LM4Yyim75QqKmDeFTUj4InArkHJ4Jz1l5TwGumw5scmpvnO7FC8S73kkihkAWX-qHMzF4xXZP3FISY7T0hNzqQos7VTSo/s200/sleeping.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #777777; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #777777; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am currently reading "Stop Stealing Dreams" by Seth Godin. This free e book tackles the question "What is school for?" and is based on the premise that the economy has changed forever but school hasn't. If you haven't downloaded it yet, you can find it <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/stop-stealing-dreams" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #777777; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are an abundance of points that resonate with me. I thought I'd share my favorite quote so far below: </span></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>"The two pillars of a future-proof education: </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b># 1 Teach kids how to lead. </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b># 2 Help them learn to solve interesting problems."</b></span></span></div><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #777777; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #777777; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I couldn't agree more with those two pillars. How do we build schools around those pillars? That is a definitely a question to tackle in future posts. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #777777; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Download your copy and join the worldwide dialogue around "What is school for?".</span></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-74556655099852741132012-03-06T09:55:00.001-08:002012-09-04T10:41:22.971-07:005 Questions to Test Your Leadership Visibility<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBFtB3cyfYjc3DIaAg7Bvrb7VF3Of9OLiIfbgLqQVuwwB5oJxZClhWDCXtgtZnelolgdA8bJHA7LJwvAGIxm2QZYQ6OERUXPE6GJ4_UiQ6BW73KOs-G79Nf_BuwwP3AZ54u6vsdwWs6Q/s1600/invisible_man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBFtB3cyfYjc3DIaAg7Bvrb7VF3Of9OLiIfbgLqQVuwwB5oJxZClhWDCXtgtZnelolgdA8bJHA7LJwvAGIxm2QZYQ6OERUXPE6GJ4_UiQ6BW73KOs-G79Nf_BuwwP3AZ54u6vsdwWs6Q/s200/invisible_man.jpg" width="135" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I believe that every person in this world has dreamed of having the power to be invisible. It would be nice to have the power to strategically vanish (if only for a little while). As nice as it would be…the power of invisibility does not translate well into the world of leadership.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Visibility is a key part of being an effective leader. The visibility of a leader has been linked to overall organizational effectiveness, innovation, and to student achievement in schools. Most people think of a single question when the notion of a leader's visibility comes up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">Are <b><i>you</i></b> a visible leader?</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iEX8UEvC8KwD_kv6shLSFlLmJAFIYhoIoUzP0ydUyc_BubpK_R5wQgMNwRAPHxj3YGxIGFwLo5XzBiYfESc8a4EsTmUTvy5SA7421i_jbFdT4w4inWhEyKKJqX7_uQacczN6MkIvYUw/s1600/invisibility.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iEX8UEvC8KwD_kv6shLSFlLmJAFIYhoIoUzP0ydUyc_BubpK_R5wQgMNwRAPHxj3YGxIGFwLo5XzBiYfESc8a4EsTmUTvy5SA7421i_jbFdT4w4inWhEyKKJqX7_uQacczN6MkIvYUw/s200/invisibility.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I always find some fault with yes/no type questions because they do not require you to justify, prove or even think much. You can easily answer yes and still not be effective. This is often the case when we treat essential leadership traits as check marks. Each skill falls on a continuum with a never-ending cycle of improvement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Instead, consider the following five questions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How would people know what <b><i>you</i></b> value?<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How does your calendar reflect what <b><i>you</i></b> find is important?<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Where are <b><i>you </i></b>the most visible?<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Where are <b><i>you</i></b> the least visible?<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Does this match <b><i>your</i></b> stated priorities, key initiatives, data points, etc.?</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">These are just a few questions to get you thinking about visibility and moving in the right direction on the continuum. The world is in need of super leaders. We just don't need one with powers of invisibility. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Showing up and being visible is only the first step. Now you have to do something!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-37533086186438892942012-03-05T12:04:00.001-08:002012-03-05T12:12:50.426-08:00Surviving a Leadership Undercurrent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzd5-hfzVvxYFPJoDPJBi7JHyO7-p9UllIZzU_GXTy7VRBim9_i6VC9IiA-gTLap6d3ON_nF-1xO0KsMyFzUQgZY1w-UgwaMmfhnINhtx_X6dzO8yYx3DkjStlq9lQs-Z0hQIFko39rG4/s1600/undercurrents-sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzd5-hfzVvxYFPJoDPJBi7JHyO7-p9UllIZzU_GXTy7VRBim9_i6VC9IiA-gTLap6d3ON_nF-1xO0KsMyFzUQgZY1w-UgwaMmfhnINhtx_X6dzO8yYx3DkjStlq9lQs-Z0hQIFko39rG4/s200/undercurrents-sign.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span id="goog_1305393513"></span><span id="goog_1305393514"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My mother always scared me with stories of rip tides or undercurrents taking people out to sea. I believe her purpose was to keep me safe but it was also to show me the power of something that you cannot see. Undercurrents exist both in the ocean and in organizations of all sizes. People who are not cognizant of the undercurrent can be taken further away from the shore without even realizing it. Leaders who lack situational awareness can also be taken further away from the mission/vision of the organization by not understanding the signs around them. This type of situational awareness is an essential leadership skill</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is not surprising that the concept of situational awareness has been linked to both organization effectiveness and even student achievement. The researchers at <a href="http://www.mcrel.org/">McREL</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">identified 21 key leadership responsibilities that are significantly correlated with higher student achievement. The leadership responsibility with the highest correlation to student achievement was situational awareness. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Leaders must understand their staff and community members’ dispositions to the changes they are leading. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">This does not mean that you have to wait until everyone is happy and on board with the change. </span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">In truth, that moment will never occur because people naturally resist change. </span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">The key for leaders is to tailor their practices in stakeholder accordance with disposition and changes that are occurring. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Not every tool should be a hammer and not every problem is a nail. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> Some changes are easier for people to implement while others may be in direct opposition to prevailing attitudes. Effective leaders understand how the changes they are leading will be received and understood by all stakeholders. </span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> The most effective leaders take the understanding a step further and tailor their leadership styles to create a movement for these changes.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The following advice on undercurrents comes from <a href="http://www.trails.com/list_3855_tip-avoiding-undercurrent.html">Trails.com</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Undercurrents are real and you cannot always see them but you can sense and feel when they begin to take hold. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">As a</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">swimmer</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">if you do get caught in an undercurrent, don't exhaust yourself trying to swim against it. The best method for combating undercurrent is to attempt to swim perpendicular to the direction of the undercurrent. These rip tides typically exist in patches, and if you can swim out of the patch you will be able to return to shore.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now read the previous paragraph again and replace swimmer with leader and swim with lead. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Does it still make sense? </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">This advice holds true for both leaders and swimmers. </span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Leaders will exhaust themselves by going directly against the undercurrent. </span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Think about the undercurrent during your next initiative. </span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Your situational awareness will be key to not only surviving but also effectively implementing a new initiative to move your organization forward. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-60077639165523398662012-03-02T05:21:00.001-08:002012-03-02T05:23:09.481-08:006 Leadership Lessons From Dr. Seuss<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><div align="center"><img height="200" src="http://oldses.wcpss.net/media/images/dr-seuss-cat-in-hat.jpg" width="164" /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="padding: 5.6pt 5.6pt 5.6pt 5.6pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Today is the day that the legendary Dr. Seuss was born. Many images enter you head when someone mentions Dr. Seuss. You may think of your first book, green eggs and ham, or even that pesky Grinch who stole Christmas. When I think about Dr. Seuss I envision</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">leadership </span></b><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">lessons. Below you will find a series of quotes from the collective works of Dr. Seuss and a brief explanation of how each relates to</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">leadership</span></b><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">. </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Leaders should be </span><b><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">bold</span></i></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">, </span><b><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">take risks</span></i></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">, and </span><b><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">move organizations forward</span></i></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">. One of my favorite sayings is that managers do things right and leaders do the right things. That's the difference between fitting in and standing out. Dr. Seuss did not fit in and neither should you. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”</span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I believe that leaders have a responsibility to be the "Lead Learner". You set the tone for the rest of the organization through your actions. The best leaders are typically learners first. The great news is that you do not have to attend a conference or pay for an expensive workshop to get smarter. Technology allows leaders to leverage the wisdom of the world. You can even become smarter in a box with a fox or on a train in the rain.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.”</span></b><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The not-so-good street that many leaders end up on has to do with actions not matching words. A leader can have the best ideas and intentions yet go nowhere when the actions don't match up. A leader’s actions must always match even if your wardrobe does not match like many of the characters in Dr. Seuss’ imagination.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“Be who you are and say what you feel, </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">because those who mind don't matter, </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.85pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">and those who matter don't mind” <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">If everyone is happy with the work you are doing then you probably aren't leading much of anything. Leadership is about change and relentlessly seeking a better way. Somebody, somewhere will not be excited about change and a better way. Make sure you take inventory of those who mind and those who matter. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“You have brains in your head. </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">You have feet in your shoes </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.85pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">You can steer yourself <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.85pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">any direction you choose.” <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Do not be afraid to abandon an initiative that isn't working. Leaders often ignore signs that an initiative or project should change direction. Leaders can and should admit when a project has failed or an idea hasn't panned out. This type of transparency builds trust within an organization.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.”</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Everyone has a responsibility to lead. You are the only one that brings your combination of skills to the table. Nothing will get better without your leadership and today is the only day you are guaranteed.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">There were many more quotes that I could choose. </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So next time you are reading a Dr. Seuss Book </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Make sure not to snooze.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-73617226722440766212012-03-01T10:42:00.000-08:002012-03-01T10:42:52.551-08:00Impossible is Nothing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9wryGaGTKDu8HdmjEvzIFyDz2x9meRs4CfJC0pE4EAgz0BHJqFLNGkXipqQtay7QvQHUPKxsHnv-FCexC4j4E4uVh-MZGJwpVXIXUAGPVWJ-YlcvA_4A1o9PQvHw8CzRboCHsjKd72w/s1600/boxing_gloves1-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9wryGaGTKDu8HdmjEvzIFyDz2x9meRs4CfJC0pE4EAgz0BHJqFLNGkXipqQtay7QvQHUPKxsHnv-FCexC4j4E4uVh-MZGJwpVXIXUAGPVWJ-YlcvA_4A1o9PQvHw8CzRboCHsjKd72w/s1600/boxing_gloves1-300x300.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing." </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">- Muhammad Ali</span></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-87943078397791993262012-03-01T06:08:00.000-08:002012-03-01T06:08:21.860-08:005 Free iPad Apps that Bring the News to You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am a big believer in finding ways to be more efficient. I love to Google and wander through endless resources online but I find myself utilizing apps that feed news, blogs, articles, etc. more and more. Here are five apps that I am currently using to bring all of the smart information that is out there to me.</span> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iMC_5EGObT6m2iCuZETWgayymwoqNQzBGBqxiS0KlqQHCGzLEGkMCW3sVgGp40mCQJFBCPeMFDYuGYplVxHnXzK6MhAXX-n-aNGsdTYm-ULdZwm6m2xNtjb0rw1KFWx0Tzadof0XWUs/s1600/zite-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iMC_5EGObT6m2iCuZETWgayymwoqNQzBGBqxiS0KlqQHCGzLEGkMCW3sVgGp40mCQJFBCPeMFDYuGYplVxHnXzK6MhAXX-n-aNGsdTYm-ULdZwm6m2xNtjb0rw1KFWx0Tzadof0XWUs/s1600/zite-logo.jpg" /></a></div><span style="color: #b45f06;">1.<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zite-personalized-magazine/id419752338?mt=8">Zite</a> is a free personalized magazine that automatically learns what you like and gets smarter every time you use it. I have expanded my interests and discovered new authors, topics, etc. This app also allows you to share directly from the magazine. I can even save into Evernote, ReaditLater, Instapaper, etc. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><img height="193" src="http://eraccommons.ca/mobileapps/files/2012/01/sky-grid.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></span></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><span style="color: #b45f06;">2. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skygrid/id364187929?mt=8">SkyGrid</a> <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is billed as a beautiful and captivating way to stay up to date on your news. You can follow sources, topics and receive updates on the interests you care about. The customized Photo Grid™ is also a nice feature. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><img height="200" src="http://kara.allthingsd.com/files/2010/07/logo-final-2-275x275.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flipboard/id358801284?mt=8">Flipboard</a> also </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">creates a personalized magazine out of everything being shared with you. I love that you can flip through your Facebook newsfeed, tweets from your Twitter timeline, photos from Instagram and much more.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> The interface is both beautiful and functional.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><img height="200" src="http://www.talkandroid.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/news360_icon_playbook_large-300x300.png?3995d3" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">4. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/news360/id394648566?mt=8">News360</a> is a new app for me. It provides many of the same functions as the previous three. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">News360 for iPad aggregates more than 7000 different news sources around the web to bring you news stories in a concise and useful stream. I do like the way </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">News360 can learn from your Facebook, Twitter, Evernote & Google Reader accounts to automatically create an interest graph that you use to get the stories that are most relevant to you.</span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><img height="191" src="http://eraccommons.ca/mobileapps/files/2012/01/rss-reader.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">5. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobilerss-free-google-rss/id333925239?mt=8">MobileRSS</a> I'd be remiss if I didn't add a mobile RSS feeder to the list. There are many different ones out there. The one I currently utilize is very simple and straightforward. You can move directly from the reader to email, Twitter, ReaditLater, etc.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">I know that there are many more apps that you are utilizing to both become smarter and more efficient. Feel free to share!</span> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-2674957346383801402012-02-29T11:23:00.000-08:002012-02-29T11:23:14.432-08:00Leap Before You Look<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsa80AB_6JPpQq_XDmfRQyc1mom4SpIeiX09_xaJmf_0K827ooBHQiUYpVuMVeLR4IH9Gvu_awLGOv7t3BcfrLuEKS3hhS8Hi5N2ghl9E0inGhPqFVjMyEN6yW9A54Elxvaezo-mO7F8/s1600/leap3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsa80AB_6JPpQq_XDmfRQyc1mom4SpIeiX09_xaJmf_0K827ooBHQiUYpVuMVeLR4IH9Gvu_awLGOv7t3BcfrLuEKS3hhS8Hi5N2ghl9E0inGhPqFVjMyEN6yW9A54Elxvaezo-mO7F8/s320/leap3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This year is a leap year as evidenced by today being February 29th. It should also be a leap year for your leadership practices. I know you have heard the saying "Look Before You Leap" a million times. This concept was unsuccessfully drilled in my head throughout a series of leaping adventures growing up where both bones and many household items were broken. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">What if we were to flip that saying around during this leap year?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Instead of "Look Before You Leap" we would "Leap Before We Look". </div><br />
Many people spend so much time looking that they become paralyzed by fear and never leap. We also box ourselves into what people have done before and impose constraints that may not be necessary. We are in need of some big changes in education. Those changes will not be made by people who are afraid to leap. <br />
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Many changes are being made TODAY on the shoulders of teachers and administrators that have the courage to allow students to bring their own device, flip the classroom, engage students in service learning, and more. Our students need us to leap today so that they have the tomorrow they deserve.<br />
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I firmly believe that you can lead from wherever you are. Leadership is all about having the courage to leap forward knowing that failure is possible. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">This is your leap year. What leaps will you make to propel all of us forward?</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-25720083656082206402012-01-22T06:28:00.000-08:002012-01-22T06:28:45.488-08:00Leadership Essential: I'm Not Making Excuses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Excuses Change Nothing, But Make Everyone Feel Better." </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- Mason Cooley</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyk6RDP9_LPUflgl_JA7HzbGMbVEHlA7DTZCDeoqHcRAqACTGo_OtY1UvJsaUg-xUL4e1y0jsrMwpfUq399CEVz04h7gjxB7JRJ76Oz-n9cX72na2FrGlKhp3QJwniBrt1DeajdTvp1TA/s1600/excuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyk6RDP9_LPUflgl_JA7HzbGMbVEHlA7DTZCDeoqHcRAqACTGo_OtY1UvJsaUg-xUL4e1y0jsrMwpfUq399CEVz04h7gjxB7JRJ76Oz-n9cX72na2FrGlKhp3QJwniBrt1DeajdTvp1TA/s320/excuse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and they say, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">"I'm not making excuses but ....."?</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Perhaps you are even guilty of using this phrase yourself. What typically follows this phrase? If you listen closely you will indeed hear a long list of excuses about why the organization is not moving forward. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What would happen if this phrase was banned from your organization? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What if you were only allowed to focus on your initiatives instead of all of the obstacles? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What if we weren't really making excuses?</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe the results will be far more impressive than the reasons why we couldn't do it in the first place.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-55667742366966047302012-01-16T07:06:00.000-08:002012-01-22T06:39:32.157-08:00Leadership Lessons from Martin Luther King, Jr.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAC6iarEbRl6-njIJ8JTlD13xBKKWiOqyphlB2bBrjKZNsRXmtOERAG27NNa3B93LVBiNHcbFjOWQPzn4Z1Wf7bvYHnW4ewFCChDIoQKDPSbGU3qIJ-5lkTq1yuUNFuO_54FZcp6G6q4/s1600/march+on+washington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAC6iarEbRl6-njIJ8JTlD13xBKKWiOqyphlB2bBrjKZNsRXmtOERAG27NNa3B93LVBiNHcbFjOWQPzn4Z1Wf7bvYHnW4ewFCChDIoQKDPSbGU3qIJ-5lkTq1yuUNFuO_54FZcp6G6q4/s1600/march+on+washington.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">I have always been inspired by the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. This began at an early age when my mom showed me a napkin that he signed for her during a chance meeting. It has continued through my professional career as I often quote Dr. King in speeches and presentations. There are numerous lessons that one can learn from in studying the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. The following are leadership lessons taken from quotes attributed to Dr. King.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“We must use time creatively.</span></b><b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt;"> “</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">We are all given the same number of minutes each day. Furthermore, we get the same number of minutes a day that Dr. King had when he was alive. How are you using your time? A leader’s calendar will always show his or her true priorities. How does your calendar match up with your stated beliefs, priorities, and initiatives?<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">”</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">Leaders often search for consensus when beginning new initiatives or reaching critical decisions. The idea of searching is quite passive. Think about when you search for something on the internet. Sometimes you are able to find it easily while other times you get distracted with different things you found. The best leaders take control in critical situations and actively mold consensus. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">”</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">Leaders know where they want the organization to head before many of the other stakeholders. There are many similarities between innovation and leadership. One of the key ideas that both concepts have is that if everyone is happy and content then neither is taking place. A leader is responsible for continually moving an organization forward. This will likely be in direct conflict to people who really like the way things currently run. A leader has to be okay with people not agreeing and directly opposing initiatives. Many people cannot see the staircase and therefore refuse to budge.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">”</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">Leadership is about passion. The best leaders in history were passionate about the initiatives they were leading. Dr. King is the perfect example of this belief. What are you passionate about? </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt;">Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">People often look for the quick fix as it pertains to all areas of life. This is no different when it comes to leadership. The best leaders engage themselves and others in hard, solid thinking around critical initiatives. The easy way is also the route that most other people are currently taking. The path to excellence is never easy but always worth the work.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">”</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">Nowhere in this quote is the mention of bubble sheets, minimum standard assessments, and a deluge of data. Leaders often set the bar too low in an effort to ensure success. True leadership is about taking some risks in order to achieve greatness. Greatness begins with an education system that teaches students to think both intensively and critically. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #002060; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“</span></b><b><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">”</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">My father believed that if you weren’t going to do your best at a task (any task), then you shouldn’t even attempt it. This also holds true for leadership. The people whom you lead will both notice and emulate your relentless approach. Similarly, they will also notice and emulate your approach if you are putting forth less than your best. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div style="line-height: 23.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">These are just a few of the leadership lessons from a man who made a tremendous impact in the face of overwhelming adversity. How will you employ these lessons into your leadership practices?<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-62149262471101242552012-01-14T16:52:00.000-08:002012-01-14T16:52:28.686-08:00This is What Happens When People Don't Understand the WHY Behind Technology Integration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfga28O080d0nqrqyPdcUbM28S0oUXH-gW-_eJ_S46frDNpLQMYcDBa6vDiMxpFVuafH5hZUApl_3w-m1PznkGv4MIkZgEmU04i0kfQimj22B6PuYV69mrEoIAihKVa1Y9fubZKX23LhQ/s1600/IMG-20120109-00013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfga28O080d0nqrqyPdcUbM28S0oUXH-gW-_eJ_S46frDNpLQMYcDBa6vDiMxpFVuafH5hZUApl_3w-m1PznkGv4MIkZgEmU04i0kfQimj22B6PuYV69mrEoIAihKVa1Y9fubZKX23LhQ/s320/IMG-20120109-00013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5560867364650890756">Preview</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-6261471481298277852012-01-03T13:35:00.000-08:002012-01-03T13:35:16.421-08:00Leadership Essentials<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">ALWAYS</span> Make Sure That </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Your <span style="color: red;"><i>ACTIONS</i></span> Match Your </span><i style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">WORDS</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiawMJkvye5j2mnt_mnyqzX5wyFjOKT4H3ZfT-BVCde72qYPIREqiFQ0PAa9M9F85TNZ9LydLeeu3Z8yG0wr2p5k4OAw-Bk-tqFdDoSPlrauyKHwztrua235_98kz5LOG5uz3C8i38l4/s1600/Mismatch+Shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiawMJkvye5j2mnt_mnyqzX5wyFjOKT4H3ZfT-BVCde72qYPIREqiFQ0PAa9M9F85TNZ9LydLeeu3Z8yG0wr2p5k4OAw-Bk-tqFdDoSPlrauyKHwztrua235_98kz5LOG5uz3C8i38l4/s320/Mismatch+Shoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">CC licensed photo shared by Flickr user charlottel </span></div><h1 id="yui_3_4_0_3_1325626205907_497"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></h1>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5560867364650890756.post-88837565276727438872012-01-03T07:28:00.000-08:002012-01-03T07:28:07.945-08:00Making the Most of Mistakes<div style="text-align: center;">"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Albert Einstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfu4TUEsP25FujhbyTmeF_rkdejhFmlFsn5aPCJ-cNQOtVK3KercN_LLvp8dP0VyheT21GPC2Pjvi6w0PXHwbsRLa1NHrMVpE5z0w7kHC23FqRe7J32oQa1yl5XfC5vJSv41TjbRWxvs/s1600/unsuspecting-toyota-_460x0w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfu4TUEsP25FujhbyTmeF_rkdejhFmlFsn5aPCJ-cNQOtVK3KercN_LLvp8dP0VyheT21GPC2Pjvi6w0PXHwbsRLa1NHrMVpE5z0w7kHC23FqRe7J32oQa1yl5XfC5vJSv41TjbRWxvs/s320/unsuspecting-toyota-_460x0w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Earlier this week I began writing about the second new year for leaders. You can read the introductory post for more background information <a href="http://theevolutionofeducation.blogspot.com/2012/01/second-new-year.html">here.</a> We have already admitted that the beginning of the school year has not been exactly perfect and mistakes have been made. That brings me to the following question:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">What do the best leaders do when they make a mistake?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>Run in a different direction</li>
<li>Blame somebody else </li>
<li>Hide from anyone who knows the truth</li>
<li>Ignore the mistake and it will go away</li>
</ul><div>Unfortunately, none of these would be the correct answer. Even worse, these are strategies employed by many leaders when they are facing their mistakes. The best advice I ever received around making mistakes involves the quote that began this post. As a leader you are striving to make your organization a better place. This will invariably mean making quite a few mistakes along the way. </div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>If you aren't making mistakes along your path; you really aren't doing anything new or innovative.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">What should a leader do with his or her mistakes?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Own the Mistake - The most important thing you can do is to own the error. People want to follow someone who not only makes mistakes but is brave enough to own it. This also encourages others to take risks and push the envelope without fear of repercussions or blame.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Decide the Lessons Learned - Failure is only beneficial if you learn something as a result of it. Think about the following questions once you have owned the mistake. Make sure you talk to other people and get their insights as well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Did you learn anything from your mistake? </li>
<li>Will it get you closer to the desired outcome? </li>
<li>What would you do differently the next time? </li>
<li>How will you use this information to propel your organization forward?</li>
</ul><div>Failure is the key ingredient to success and innovation. Your second new year will bring many more failures. The power will be in how you handle each failure as a leader.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10082501243392401445noreply@blogger.com0