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.

Are you on a mission?

Okay, those of you who know me, know that I am a baseball fan.  More explicitly, a Cubs fan.  And, if you follow baseball at all, you know the Cubs have new leadership.  You know that Theo Epstein came from the Boston Red Sox to change the Cubs culture; to end the 102 year losing streak.

I was watching an interview with Tom Ricketts, owner of the Cubs, talking about the change in leadership.  He said something, that caught my ear.  He said, "these guys are on a mission."

Well, it seems to me that there are some parallels here between baseball and public education.  It has been at least 102 years that the basic structure of how public education is delivered has been in place.  So, my question to school board members is this:  Are you on a mission?  Are you focused on creating a culture that brings about the kinds of changes we need to meet the needs of today's students?

The Cupcake Wars

This New York Times article describes the difficulties of fundraising in public schools.  For urban schools in areas that are gentrifying, resentment can develop on the part of both newcomers and residents who have long worked to keep schools together.  Class differences can cause difficulties as new comers with more means attempt to use their expertise to raise money for their children's schools, leaving long-time residents feeling discounted.

More and more school districts are turning to foundations and other fundraising methods to supplement shrinking public support for schools. And, in some places, this "solution" is creating different problems, some that may be more difficult to address than raising money.

Early Warning Systems

This article from Education Week explains how educators are learning to use leading indicators to better target resources and reach students who may be at risk for falling behind.

The connection between collaboration and innovation

Google was interested in learning if there was a connection between collaboration and innovation. So, they did a little research.  Turns out that there is a strong correlation between the two.  If 1 is an absolute correlation, and 0 is no correlation, the collaboration-innovation is pretty strong, .81.

Seems like no matter which way we look at it, relationships, teams, connection are required for success in today's world.

Do you know where you are going?

I am sitting in Midway Airport thinking about vision.  We describe vision as declaring where you want  to be in a specified period of time.  Three years. Five years.  AND, I am thinking of one of my favorite Yogi Berra quotes, "If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." It occurs to me that creating and communicating your vision is a lot like air travel.  I have spent a lot of time in airports over the last year, many of them for the first time.

Airports are incredibly easy to navigate, even if you've never been in a particular one before. That's because the signage is crystal clear. Short-term parking Long-term parking Economy parking Arrivals  Departures Concourse Gates Baggage claim I think you get the idea.

Now I know that creating a vision for a school district is much more complex.  And I still think we can learn from the airport metaphor. Are you clear about where you want to go? What is your district's vision? Do you have clear signs for getting there? Do you have goals? Do you check data to see if you are on the right track? Do you practice continuous improvement, celebrating what works and asking what could be better?

We know what it feels like to get diverted, to run into rough weather. And yet the plane still arrives, even if it is late.  

 Do you have a clear picture of your district's journey? Do you send consistent messages about your vision? Do you continuously ask, "what does this have to do with our vision?" If not, how can you know where you are going? How can you know when you get there?

What makes a leader?

This newsletter from Alternative Resolutions h as a nice list of skills and dispositions found in today's successful leaders.