3 Benefits of Disciplined Leadership

There are 2 schools of thought on disciplined leadership. The first has to do with the tradition of correction through punishment and consequences. Bosses and managers see this as their only method to generate results, and it usually generates fear, toxicity and hierarchical dependence. That is not the purpose of this post.

Transformational leaders believe in discipline but not for the same reason as bosses. These leaders believe that the discipline of transformation is a regimen of targeted activity, precise procedures and appropriate rigor that guides beliefs and actions to a deeper level of focus and productivity.  One may think that transformational discipline revolves around motivation, inspiration and communication, but it is so much more.  Providing structures for others to develop, to be effective and to be ultimately self-sufficient means that leaders must also prevent outside influences and issues from making their way into the classroom.

In order to be a Disciplined Leader, one must believe in:

1. Buffering

Marzano defines buffering as creating structures and procedures around the technical core of teaching. Leadership success is capitalized by the ability to construct a proverbial iron dome that limits outside interference from creeping into the classroom. By watching the instructional clock and allowing nothing to hold progress hostage, leaders stimulate academic improvement.

2. Protection

There are too many distractions that lead teachers away from the core of teaching. Leaders know this and take detailed steps to define structures that shield teachers from any interruption that would detract their focus from all kids. Identifying negative influences and eliminating or containing them improves instructional productivity.

An analogy to the discipline of protection is being a guard on watch at a military base, making patrols and preventing outside issues from making an attack on progress.  Conversely, leaders also protect like an oncologist that watches inside the body for cancerous cells to metastasize and spread to other organs in the body.  Leaders are aware of the undercurrents and attitudes that potentially affect the organization and are prepared to protect the organization when the time comes.

3. Cogent Confrontation

Buffering and protection requires confrontation. Communicating to others that their acts interfere with instruction is difficult, but transformational leaders confront by using their relational capital to gain support or at a minimum, understanding. In addition, leaders invest time in explaining why they must confront the issue, not the person, so outsiders understand why the leader is preventing them from affecting teachers and more importantly instruction.

Final Thoughts

When the leader is disciplined to a high level of effectiveness, effective protocols emerge.  Effective protocols are vital to improve achievement. By going deeper into the heart of discipline, the leader's expectations and directives morph from protecting instruction to developing adherents, better known as disciples. Disciples within a disciplined organization are not blind followers of the leader, but rather believers in something nobler.  They are followers of an effective system rich in  protocols and a common vision that promotes learning and prevents issues that detract from it...

Keeping your Leadership Sharp

A frustrating point in a chef's life is when he doesn't have a knife sharp enough to cut the food before him. The dullness of the blade frustrates because the utensil has been over-used and has lost it's edge of effectiveness. The chef has 2 choices. Sharpen the old familiar blade or discard it for a sharper, newer blade.

How often does this happen in schools across America? A leader, the proverbial knife, has become dull and ineffective so what typically happens to him? He is replaced with a newer, younger, or more innovative leader. Sometimes the leader is sharp enough to cut through the meat of the campus culture that is inherited, and other times he is just as dull as the leader he replaced. The problem is that leaders, like knives, must be sharpened regularly or they will lose their effectiveness. If the dull blade is replaced with a newer blade but is not provided systems to keep the new blade sharp, the school will eventually have to replace that leader too. Systems of sustainability are critical to help leaders maintain their edge of effectiveness.

So how can school districts help leaders stay sharp and effective? I find there are 3 things that all leaders must do to keep their edge.

1. Keep your Knife to the Grindstone

Sharpening the blade requires friction against an abrasive rock. This rock is conflict. Leaders will never stay sharp unless they identify, embrace and learn from conflict with parents, teachers, students and central office. Districts must recognize that in order for progress to be constant, confronting tough issues is required. In the absence of conflict, the knife becomes dull and the food will take longer to cut.  Leaders need support from district leaders when conflict arises so the organization can benefit.  Progress is the result of processing discomfort in a productive manner.

2. Knowledge means Intellectual Stimulation

Asking difficult questions and entertaining difficult questions helps new synapses form. Failure to address challenges causes the leader's wits to fade little by little. Staying current and constantly learning builds mental sharpness.  The leader that is constantly searching for a new way of thinking and learning sets the tone for learning throughout the organization; for, the search for knowledge is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

3. Keep Focused

Leaders on the cutting edge stay focused on no more than 3 things, and they go to great lengths to communicate their focus to the organization. They do whatever it takes to prevent interruptions and distractions from turning them away from their focus. In short, they focus on their focus, and by keeping their focus secure, they stay sharp.

Staying sharp is holy grail of leadership. 

 Leaders have their moments when everything is clicking and other times when nothing seems to go their way.  What separates effective from ineffective leaders is not their ability to acknowledge their short-comings, but their efforts to do something about it.  After all, chefs know when they have a dull knife, and they know what it takes to return the blade to its original edge of effectiveness.

9 Christmas Gifts Every Leader Needs

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is around the corner.  Last year, I shared a bit called "The 12 Days of Christmas for Teachers" (Click Here), and I outlined 12 ideas that leaders could use to show their staff how they appreciate them for the great things that they do for kids.  This year, I'd like to challenge us to thank our leaders for all that they do for kids and adults.  Before you start to think about what you should buy for your leader, I want to you to read a little further.

The first thought that will come to mind is this.  "Is this another post to thank our bosses or buy them some neat gift?"  Well, let's get this straight.  This post is for leaders, not bosses.  Bosses need things.  Leaders need growth.  Leaders don't mandate and dictate.  They guide and facilitate.  They serve and support. The best leaders lead us to places we don't necessarily want to go but ought to be for the betterment of the entire organization.  In other words, leaders help followers grow, but without growth of their own, leaders can't possibly facilitate growth in followers.

So what do leaders need for Christmas?  

Here are a few non-tangible suggestions that every leader must have to be a better leader.

Candid Conversations
Engaging leaders in real conversation helps leaders grow.  Asking clarifying questions about the leader's vision, goals and action steps helps leaders solidify their own thought process and helps leaders become clearer in their communication and more concrete in defining what it is that they are actually trying to do.

Honesty
The worst thing you can do for a leader is tell them that things are great when they are anything but that.  Giving leaders honest opinions and perceptions helps leaders strengthen the organization.  Telling a leader what you think he wants to hear actually weakens the organization.

'Real' Reality
Leaders always hear the best representation or a filtered representation of the current reality of the organization.  Whether they want to hear it or not, leaders need to know the realness of your perception of the organization's reality.  Anything other than that weakens leaders and does them a disservice.

Inspiration
Some people think that leaders come to work everyday fired up and ready to lead.  That just isn't humanly possible.  Leaders need to be filled with a positive spirit and nothing is more encouraging than inspiration from those that they serve.

Success Stories
Leaders need to hear the success happening in the organization. With the pressures of day to day responsibilities, leaders rarely hear about the small victories. Small victories need to be shared so the leader knows the team is winning the war. 

Truth
As much as leaders don't want to hear that things are going bad, they have to know the truth. The truth hurts in the short term but helps leaders in the long run.  

Motivation
Leaders can come to work lacking pep in their step. If you see your leader, motivate them and encourage them that what they're doing is helping the organization get better. 

Accountability

This one is hard, but leaders need accountability more than anyone. If the leader said he was going to do something but never got around to it, ask them about it. Leaders need reminders and accountability from followers to get the job done. No accountability, no growth.

Stimulation

Leaders don't have all the answers and can't always know the best pathway.  To strengthen your leader, stimulate his intellect with questions and suggestions. By engaging your leader in challenging dialogue, you are also strengthening his leadership capacity. Yes, leaders need to get better at leading.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Sure, getting a Christmas gift makes leaders feel valued, but few gifts propel leaders forward.  We have to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that things don't make a lasting impression.  Relationships do. Leaders become better when they get the best gift of Christmas, more critical friends.  I hope this season you will give your leader the gift of becoming a critical friend to him or her.

The 12 Days of Christmas for Teachers

This Christmas what will your staff get from you? Will you scoot through these next 3 weeks doing very little or will you maximize every day leading up to the break to build, repair and strengthen your campus culture?  At every campus that I have ever had the privilege to lead, I have done my best to show appreciation for the staff by having little treats, gifts that don't cost a dime, and novel presents to show how much they are appreciated for the daily sacrifice they make to save and serve kids.

Here is a list of Christmas gifts that would be very appreciated by your staff.  This list is mostly comprised of  things that cost you little more than effort to get it organized.

1. Time  

Every teacher needs more time to get their job done so give them an extra conference. Make a schedule where the kids can be covered by a movie reward during their PE or fine art time plus the block of time after or before. Pulling all kids to the same venue and reward gives you lots of flexibility to let teachers have 2 planning periods.  You may have to deviate from your traditional schedule and use every personnel unit to cover kids, but this gift is worth it.

2. Relaxation 

Lots of massage therapy or cosmetology schools require students to practice their craft FREE OF CHARGE. Why not let them practice on your staff for free? Set up your teacher workroom with these people and have a schedule to let your staff sign up to come through for a free massage, manicure, or pedicure.

3. Vendors

Lots of vendors push their products by having parties that are free. The vendors make their money by what they sell at the party. Again, allowing teachers to come by throughout the day is no charge to you and helps them with their Christmas shopping.  You can also include your staff who sell products as a part time job.

4. Christmas Wrapping

Schools have volunteers that want to help out. Create a schedule for teachers to bring their Christmas presents to school.  They will need to provide the following:  wrapping paper, tape, and labels filled out on each present. The volunteers can do the rest. That is a huge time saver for teachers, and they will be very thankful for this gift.

5. Jeans for the Last Week

Need I say more.

6. Chili Cook-Off

This is a great competition where grades or departments can compete to have the best chili, most creative theme, or whatever award you want to give. You can provide all the fixins, and the staff can celebrate the fellowship of getting together over a warm bowl of chili. This is a great culture-builder.

7. Personalized Card from You

Who doesn't appreciate a card from the principal? There are lots of way to make a card with MS Word. With a large staff, you can make a spreadsheet of personalized items and messages and do a mail merge to make your cards. Be sure to fold your cards using a spoon to make to folds sharp. People notice that.

8. Affirmation

Teachers are often unsure what you think of their work. When the opportunity presents itself, affirm teachers individually, and let them know specifically what they are doing great. It will pay you back ten-fold.

9. Pinterest

10,000 gift ideas to let your teachers know they are great!!!

10. Hot Chocolate

On a cold Monday morning, a warm cup of hot chocolate starts the week off on a positive note.

11. Let the Kids Cook for the Teachers

For high school campuses, have your culinary arts class cook for the staff.  The kids love to get involved thanking the teachers.  This is a great gift that fills the belly and warms the heart.  Of course, follow your board policy to make sure you are in compliance financially.

12.  Campus Party

Nothing builds culture better than a campus Christmas party.  Whether it is on campus or off, after school or at night, this is a great time to celebrate the successful end to 2012.

January will be here before we know it.  The stress will be back, and uncertainty and fear of failure will settle in on every campus in America.  How will you be prepared to address it? The best way to address a problem is to be preventive rather than reactive.  Use your Christmas time to build your staff confidence, and let them know they are appreciated.  They will leave 2012 knowing that their leader values them, and they will return in January ready for a positive and productive 2013.

Building Trust after Reprimand

A reprimand is one of the hardest situations that a leader ever has to deal with as it is always used as a last resort.  It is negative in nature, corrective in consequence and ever-lasting in effect.  It is difficult for the leader and for the one receiving the reprimand to move forward.  So what happens after the reprimand?  Do hard feelings persist?  Does awkwardness abound?  Is the organization affected? 

The answer to all of these questions is yes to some degree.  The ultimate purpose of a reprimand is to direct actions in the right direction.  It is designed to help the employee perform in a way that benefits himself and the organization.  But there is always this disconnect, a chasm of mistrust.

There are times when reprimands result in a change in behavior.  And when reprimands are effective, leaders can rebuild trust with the employee.  Other times, the behaviors don't change, so trust is difficult to reestablish.  So how can leaders cultivate a productive working relationship with employees that struggle with being written up?

Here are ways that leaders can build trust after a reprimand.

Wait Time

A reprimand is a painful experience and emotions run high afterwards.  Allow time for both you and the employee to return to normal and get back into a work routine.  Just getting back to work provides an eventual open door to reestablish communication.

Personal Conversation

Leaders move to talking about work and don't check in with the employee on their personal life.  Asking about their family, how their weekend was or their feelings on a current event conveys interest in the person.  It breaks down barriers and allows the employee to see the leader in a different light.

Affirmation

People need to hear that they are moving in the right direction.  Affirmation is the critical component of constructive criticism.  Acknowledging the current reality coupled with gauging improvement towards the target is necessary if the employee is going to feel comfortable trusting in the leader.

Positive Feedback

We all grow with praise.  Leaders must realize that celebration through positive feedback is critical if the employee is every going to reach your expectations.  The praise may not be directly related to the target of your expectation, but everyone does something well.  Let them hear about it.

Humor

Nothing breaks the ice better than a good sense of humor.  Showing your humor regularly communicates your humanity and your heart.  The best leaders use their humor wisely and purposefully to make sure all employees see them as approachable and ultimately trustworthy.


When we were corrected as children and as students, we felt attacked, guilty or less than worthy.  We all are hard-wired from childhood to react this way as adults, even if we acknowledge that the reprimand is correct.  Leaders can bridge the divide so that employees can overcome a reprimand and get to the real purpose of  reprimand and that is growth...

Why We must Listen to Excuses

This morning, I read a great post by @leadershipfreak called Getting Past Excuses, and it was very powerful for me to understand the importance of building systems to help teams and individuals get past making excuses so they can move to action.

But what about the excuse?

There was a reason that it was made in the first place. Leaders move too quick to the "get over it" mentality when dealing with the person who is making excuses. Moving past the excuse without analyzing the source of its existence can lead to the excuse rearing its ugly head in the future. In essence, getting over it without identifying the source can lead to resentment and ultimately lack of productivity.

What causes a person to make an excuse?

1. Fear
People make excuses if they fear for their job, status or safety. Leaders must probe excuse-makers with questions that help the person resolve their fear, but more importantly help the leader identify if systems or statements made by the leader have generated fears within the individuals or better yet, the organization as a whole.

2. Misconceptions
Excuses can be the result of preconceived ideas about expectations that are not what the leader intended to communicate. When leaders make a statement, followers can internalize it to mean many things. Listening for misconceptions, asking follow up questions and clarifying misunderstandings can definitely build trust between the leader and members of the organization; thus reducing the frequency of excuses being made.

3. Old Expectations
Expectations that were made 5 years ago or two leaders ago still exist in every organization. Whether you like it or not, leaders must listen to excuses to see if an antiquated expectation is preventing individuals or teams from being able to produce results. If so, the leader must clarify and rectify the discrepancy so teams can move forward.

There are quotes as far as the eye can see that speak to the weakness within excuses and excuse-makers. I contend that excuses communicate something deeper, a weakness of trust within the organization. Leaders must listen to organization to identify gaps in trust and understanding in order for teams and individuals to move to a place where flexibility and empowerment transform excuses into action.

We have a choice. We can listen to excuses and use them as building blocks of systemic progress, or we can dismiss them all together and watch our organization fail to achieve.

What's your excuse for not listening to excuses?

Humble Pie for Thanksgiving

My taste buds are ready for Thanksgiving, and there's one reason why. There are so many pies to choose from. Chocolate, pumpkin, sweet potato, and apple are just a few pies that instantly come to mind.

While it would be easy to be thankful for pie, I'd like to direct you to the worst tasting but most helpful pie of all, Humble Pie. While it doesn't taste very good going down, it definitely improves our quality of life, albeit not instantly.

Humble pie has a distinct taste. With the bold flavor of crow, it leaves the bitter aftertaste of foot-in-mouth.  There's no doubt. When you've bitten into this tart delicacy, your face cannot hide your immediate displeasure. 

So What is Humble Pie?

Conflict & Confrontation

With every person that we have battled with, we have grown. Conflict doesn't help us grow until we come out on the other side which is called understanding.

Opposition & Obstacles

We will always have people and things in our path that attempt to prevent us from moving forward. Persistence and commitment are our blades that are sharpened as a result of these two ingredients. 

Rejection & Reprimand

We have all been told we're not good enough. Whether it be a job interview or being corrected for our mistakes, we have been humbled greatly by rejection and reprimand. By learning from each of these ingredients, our resolve and confidence grows. 

Embarrassment

This ingredient needs no introduction. If I asked you to think of all the bone-headed things you have ever done, these embarrassing memories emerge as quick as the smell of your favorite Thanksgiving dish. Surviving from and laughing with our embarrassment builds character  and acceptance of the fact that we are human.  

Humble Pie, the CORE of Growth

If you want to strengthen your core, you need to eat a lot of humble pie. The ingredients are easy to find. They're  anywhere in your life. You just have to be willing to swallow the fact that they are a purposeful part of your life for a very good reason. 

Here's a bonus to today's post, great apple pie recipes from www.drosengarten.com