An inversion of expertise

Just finished watching four-star general, Stanley McChrystal's TED Talk and discussing with some school board members from around the state.  We talked a bit about our stereotype of the military compared to what McChrystal talked about.

First, that the leader is not the expert. McChrystal talked about the inversion of expertise; that the pace of change, particularly regarding communication tools, means that the leader needs to learn to be comfortable with the fact that he or she may not have the market cornered on technical expertise.  That instead, the leader needs to listen; that developing personal relationships is some of the most important work the leader can do; that others will bring important expertise to the table.

That diversity needs to be embraced.  The troops he leads are diverse--age, gender, experience.  You need to create a climate that uses experiences and skill sets of a diverse group of people.

So much of what McChrystal talked about applies to public education.  Our leaders must adapt to a new context, one where leadership means building relationships, not making all of the decisions from on high.

We need to engage with diverse stakeholders--both internal staff and external community.  We need to develop personal relationships.  And most of all, as leaders, we need to be willing to learn and to trust.

Surprising that this is the message of a military man.  I think that is what makes it so powerful for me.

Everywhere I look, I see the need for trust!

Okay, so the research project I have been working on has brought trust to the forefront for me, and I am looking for it everywhere I go.  Only because every person interviewed, all 35 of them, indicated that it was a factor in evaluating information from the school district's administrative team.  AND, in another area of life that is close to my heart, turns out trust is important in baseball as well.  


For those of you who do not know, Carlos Zambrano has pitched for the Chicago Cubs for the last ten years. The last few have not been memorable, at least not in the winning sense. Instead, Carlos has been known for his temper tantrums, and ultimately walking out on the team last August.  So, Carlos has been less then a team player.  This week, the Cubs traded him, citing players concerns about whether or not they could trust Big Z to change his ways.  A quote from Theo Epstein, Cubs President,


"But Epstein, who took over as president of baseball operations in late October, discovered a recurring theme in conversations with players and front-office executives regarding Zambrano. None of them trusted the mercurial pitcher to change his ways. Epstein had outlined steps Zambrano needed to take to earn his way back with the Cubs, but he said he was skeptical it could happen."


Do other members of your team, the school board, trust that you are a team player?

The Value of Relationship

This week at the Wisconsin Association of School Boards Annual Convention, relationship cropped up in so many places. While school districts continue to feel the pressures of accountability, many convention speakers focused on trust and relationships as the way to best achieve success. The importance of trust and relationships were mentioned in general sessions, idea exchanges, and special events.

Jerry Kember, Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year, talked about the importance of trust and the value of relationships and team to the success of the La Crosse school district.

Boards from school districts and the technical college system met for dinner one evening. There was a recognition of the importance of these two groups coming together.

Meg Wheatley, keynote general session speaker, talked about relationships, that if you want to create more health, create more relationships.  Wheatley talked about the power of relationships, that while we may lack financial resources, we have what we need to face our challenges. Wheatley says, "everything is a bundle of potential that manifests itself only in relationships."

Wheatley gave the audience the following ideas to use in their work to build relationships and community:

• People support what they create.
• People act responsibility when they care.
• Conversation is the way humans have always thought together.
• To change the conversation change who is in the conversation.
• Expect leadership to come from anywhere.
• Focus on what's possible.
• The wisdom resides within us.
• Everything is a failure in the middle.
• Learning is the only way we become smarter about what we do.
• Meaningful work is the most powerful motivator.
• Humans can handle anything as long as we are together.
• Generosity Forgiveness Love.
  

You can listen to Meg talk about this ideas on this youtube video.

Over the last twenty years, education reform has focused on the technical aspects of improving student achievement.  Yet, if we expect to successfully close the achievement gap, we need to consider the important role of relationship.