How Clear is Your Vision?

"Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others"

Jonathan Swift

One of the cornerstones in propelling organizations forward is having a "Clearly Defined/Articulated Vision".  This is referenced in journal articles and in any Leadership 101 course.  Leaders that successfully transform organizations repeatedly cite the importance of a clear vision.  With the research being so clear I ask the following question:

How Clear is Your Vision?

If you aren't sure, I'll give you some indicators to go by.  

• Can you articulate the vision of your organization in a way that anybody walking in would understand the work that you are doing?  
• Can you do it in less than 3 minutes?  
• Can you do it in 1 sentence?
• More importantly, can other people in your organization clearly articulate the vision?
• Is the vision reflected in the decisions you make as a leader?

Here are some ideas about how to create a clear vision just in case you answered no to any of the indicators above.

• Project forward 3-5 years and imagine your ideal organization.
• What does it look like? 
• What steps can you take today to turn your vision into your reality?
• Involve key stakeholders in the process of developing a collective vision.
• Deliberately tie every decision and action back to the vision of the organization.

Vision is critical to a leader's success.  Communicating your vision does not always come down to the words you speak.  You should strive to get to the point that your actions speak so loudly that you no longer need to say anything...

Leadership, Morale, and a Snow Plow

Today we are having another snow day in Newport News, Virginia.  I'm really looking forward to flying out to San Antonio for #gtadmin and #ascd10 tomorrow.

As a 12 month employee I still come in on days like today.  My drive into work this morning had me thinking about the #edchat morale conversation  and how I contribute to it as a leader.  I came up with a snow plow analogy that may or may not work for all but I thought I'd throw it out there.

The snow has prevented my students and staff from having a regular day today.  There are many days that everyone does report to school but other obstacles get in the way of real learning.  These obstacles can include an overcrowded curriculum, high stakes testing, or even equipment that isn't functional.

My role and responsibility as a leader is similar to the snowplow that I saw on the road this morning.  It's job is to clear the road so that we can do the job we need to do.  As a leader I need to be like a snow plow.  I need to clear the road from the obstacles that prevent students and staff from taking chances and transforming educational practices.

One of the keys to morale, performance, and transforming education is to adopt a snow plow mentality in regards to obstacles.  There are others but this one resonates with me most on a snow day.  B