9 Requirements for Future All-Star Athletes

Over the last 10 years, I have seen lots of students beginning their involvement in select athletic teams and competitive cheer and dance teams. I think that's great that parents want their children to excel in an area that they have talent. After all, being in these organizations teaches strong work ethic and perseverance in the quest to excel.

Where pushing kids to develop their talents goes awry is when students are conditioned to believe that their athletic talent is their only future. These phenoms are conditioned to place all of their emphasis and all their effort into developing their physical talent without putting the same level of effort into developing their mind. 

As a high school principal and teacher, I can't tell you how many talented students I knew whose talent took them no further than graduation day. Some of them were Division I athletes absent of Division I academic abilities. Because they failed to develop their academic prowess in school, their athletic talent took them nowhere. Sadly they believed that their life was set because of their athletic talents alone.

Below is a chart that tells the real story about athletic potential.  The chances of capitalizing on our athletic talents pales in comparison to the potential found in our intellectual potential.  Not many employers want to know our success as a player.  They want to know our skills as a producer.

College is the Best Plan A.

We have to teach kids that...

1.  The strongest muscle in the body is the brain.  After athletic talent has exceeded its potential, the only way that kids will be successful as adults is completely dependent on what is inside their brain. 

2.  The greatest skill that all athletes must master is the ability to read and think critically. 

3.  The greatest attribute that all athletes must possess is sportsmanship. Being a good sport is a life-long skill that will benefit athletes long after the game is over. 

4.  Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is. Life is not about winning but responding to loss. How you handle a loss will make you or break you. 

5.  Colleges look at your academic ability before your athletic ability. Talented athletes are a dime a dozen. Colleges recruit talented AND intelligent athletes. 

6.  Your character is your most important commodity. The way kids learn to treat people will take them a long way in life or cut their career short. 

7.  Being a good teammate is not just important for winning games.  Employers are looking for collaborative employees. If you are a bad teammate, you will probably not be very collaborative and will not be very employable.  

8.  Your body will eventually give out. What you possess after that is called your future. 

9.  Your Plan B is more important than your plan A. Your plans after your reach your athletic plateau or your knees give out is called your Plan B. Make sure that your Plan B is better than your Plan A.

The Ultimate Team

All of us aspire to be the next LeBron James, Russell Wilson or Leonel Messi in our area of talent.  These icons are unbelievable athletes who consistently deliver championships.  There's nothing wrong with striving to achieve that level of excellence on the field of battle, but we must let our athletes know that the deck is stacked against them.  While there is a chance to become a professional athlete, it is a small one.  Their lives can't be completely dependent on becoming a world-class athlete because there are so many variables and so few spots on the roster.  We must also push our athletes to aim for a spot on the ultimate team by becoming world-class workers with all-star intellects and championship character.  That is the real team we want all of our children to make, and we (parents & educators) hold the key to ensuring that they make that team.

  

12 Ways to Avoid The Flattery Trap

Proverbs 29:5. To flatter people is to lay a trap for their feet.

As we begin the school year, everyone wants to make a great first impression. Employees strive to make the leader happy, and leaders try to encourage followers to follow. Let's face it. We all are eager to impress one another, and if we're new or there's a new leader in charge, this desire to impress grows even more. 

Leadership is difficult, and there are so many traps that can kill a leader, but the deadliest one of all is called the Flattery Trap.   There's good reason for that because flattery turns the leader's attention inward instead of outward.  It stifles the ability to lead.  It paralyzes progress, and it drags down development. 

Flattery in and of itself is manipulation. Followers employ flattery to disguise anger, ambition, insecurity, or any other unhealthy motives that undermine the leader-employee relationship. Flattery in its purest form is deception, and leaders must be cautious of people who continuously make flattering remarks and gestures.  How many leaders have we seen that were flattered into an inappropriate affair, immoral actions or the inability to correct flatterers?  What began as a harmless compliment compounded day by day, comment by comment, and act by act into a career-ending trap.

So How Can Leaders avoid the Flattery Trap?

1. Put up your Hedges

Establish boundaries for how people can engage you. 

2. Accept Compliments and Move On

When people compliment you, thank them politely but don't dwell on the compliment too long. 

3. Leverage Relationships to Achieve Outcomes

Building relationships is important but there's more to it. Build relationships with people that will help you reach organizational goals. 

4. Stay Focused on Results 

A lot of times, leaders get lost in the minutia of relationship building. It's important not to lose sight of relationships, but it's even more important not to lose sight of monitoring results. 

5. Commit to Consistency

Be consistent in how you treat every employee. Everyone is watching you and they are looking for preferential treatment. Consistency is critical. 

6. Monitor All

If the organization is to improve, then every employee must be monitored. 

7. Confront Equitably

Effective leaders confront behaviors not people, and they confront everyone in the same manner. 

8. Avoid Schmoosers

Shmoosers suck up for personal benefit and advantage. Find these people and keep your distance. 

9. Value Honesty

Engage people who are honest in all situations, not just those who know when to play the Honest Abe card. 

10. Engage in Intellectual Stimulation

Great leaders facilitate professional conflict and discourse. Flattery doesn't have a chance when the goal is getting better. 

11. Argue Frequently

By debating with people often about the course of the organization, leaders can quickly determine if a person is a flatterer or not. 

12. Value the Organization over People

People come and go but the organization should last forever. Effective leaders protect the future of the organization. 

What strategies do you use to avoid the flattery trap? Drop a comment and let us know.  

The Action of Anticipation

In Jackie Chan's Karate Kid, there was a particular scene in which Chan is training young Dre. Chan is on one side of a bed sheet serving as a curtain and Dre is on the other side. Chan begins to punch at Dre with a boxing glove on a stick through the curtain and Dre can't see the punches coming. Seeing the unfairness in the training, Dre begins to complain. Chan's response was simple, yet profound. "You must anticipate (the punch)".

Process that for a minute.

• Do we wait until we see the punch coming at us to act?
• Do we respond after we have been socked in the nose, or
• Do we act after we pick ourselves up from being knocked out?

Level 5 leaders are so focused that they see the punch coming before the punch even begins to form.

So how do great leaders build anticipation into their leadership skill set?

History Lessons

Those who fail to learn from history are bound to repeat it.  Leaders must reference prior experiences so that they can predict what will happen in the future.  Knowing behavioral tendancies and how situations typically play out are powerful skills that leaders must acquire to defend themselves and the organization from damaging blows.

Intense Planning

The more intense our planning is, the better prepared we are for anything that comes our way. The Karate Kid was prepared for every punch because his constant conditioning in multiple scenarios built amazing anticipation that yielded his eventual success.  Leaders must continuously plan for what comes next. Based the information gathered through constant  and deep interactions with each staff member and stakeholder, leaders use the undercurrents of the organization to plan for next steps and actions.  This is Marzano's definition of Situational Awareness, one of the most powerful leadership responsibilties.

Team Preparation

Anticipation is an often overlooked skill. Leaders have no choice but to deal with problems, but the best leaders know when problems are coming down the pipe. They can't anticipate 100% of the problems that they will face, but they can be ready for 90% of the typical issues that arise.  Being aware of culture issues and team dynamics, leaders must anticipate problems that will surface and model for team leaders and teams how to respond without causing damaging setbacks.  If the leader can model for the campus how to handle 90% of the problems before they arise, he will teach other leaders how to anticipate and respond to the 10% that he cannot anticipate, which in turn builds collective efficacy into the organization.

The Difference between Good and Great Leaders is Anticipation.

Good leaders deal with problems effectively when they hit the organization, but great leaders respond and guide the organization to avoid the punch before it comes barreling toward the team. The real result of this difference is time. Great leaders bank more time for the himself and the organization to focus on kids and serve others, while good leaders divert time away from kids to effectively deal with problems.  In essence, anticipation is the difference between good and great organizations.

Changing Education from FM to Pandora

Growing up, we listened to our favorite songs on FM radio .  We had our favorite DJs that built excitement about new songs, and he kept our attention with games and contests to be caller number 10.  We also had to endure listening to songs that we really didn't care for, and when we repeatedly heard songs we didn't like, we would give up and change the channel or turn the radio off all together.

Fast forward 25 years to today.  We still have FM radio, and the DJ that pushes music that he believes his audience wants to hear.  Listeners tolerate commercials every 3rd song, and everyone listens to the same thing at the same time if they choose to tune in. Does this meet the needs  and preferences of every listener?

In the last 10 years, we have seen the advent of satellite radio that is now Sirius XM.  It has taken the FM concept, but gone a step further to offer listeners different genres of music, talk radio and news radio to its audience.  The product is a definite improvement from the FM model, but it is little more than a programmatic change. 

Now comes Pandora.  Looking at Pandora, the listener is the DJ.  He can pick the artists that he wants to listen to, and Pandora programs all music based on the artist and other acts and music similar to the artist.  The listener can personalize his station by giving his account feedback on each song.  He can like the song so it will return more frequently and dislike a song to ensure that it never returns to his ears.  Boy, how I wished I could have done that 25 years ago.

So if we can personalize the songs we listen to, how can we apply this concept to our educational setting?

Personalized Learning Stations.

Find ways to personalize learning.  There is so much literature out there that supports differentiating learning that  meets the unique needs of the learner.  We must move from the DJ dependent radio station of education to providing a multitude of ways that students can extend their learning independent of the teacher.  This change is a philosophical in nature that moves the focus from teacher to student.

Learning Requires Feedback

Pandora is awesome because the listener is in control of what he likes and doesn't like.  Learners must be in an environment where they are not subjected to learning situations that disengage.  Teachers should provide opportunities for students to give feedback about the learning opportunities that are provided.  If teachers know what activities the students like, there is a strong chance that the activity will come back to their learning station again.

Pause Feature

Students need a pause button in the learning process.  Interruptions occur when kids learn, but how often do we allow students to push pause?  Students learn at different speeds, and having a pause button allows the learner to spend a little more time solidifying their own understanding before moving on to a new task or concept.

Fast Forward 

Students need to move on for different reasons.  Either they have a deep understanding and can move on, or the song being played for them does not engage them in learning.  In a controlled fashion, teachers can create opportunities for students to fast forward to a new or different activity that will better help the student learn.

New Station

Students are very creative and need to create their own learning stations.  Teachers can provide students avenues for them to explore.  This is a great way for students to solidify their knowledge by applying it to new and uncharted waters.  When students are provide the autonomy to make a new station for learning, engagement increases and meaningful learning occurs.


My old FM station didn't have any of these features and not many of my classrooms did either.  Don't get me wrong. I had some of the most outstanding educators ever, and they shaped me into the person I am today.  The focus then was on teaching and today's focus has changed to learning.  That means the teacher has to evolve from the disseminator of information to becoming more versatile in their approach, delivery and creation of personalized activities.  They must meet many different learning styles.  Teachers and administrators must change their focus from the instructor to the instructed because students benefit most in classrooms where the focus is on them.  In the Pandora classroom choice abounds and engagement soars.

Students are getting exposed more and more everyday to a Pandora style of learning.  In what ways is your school or classroom like Pandora?

13 - The Most Valuable Number in 2013

In last week's bit, Make your Leadership Resolution Succeed, I challenged leaders to create a new leadership resolution.  I made this challenge by asking leaders to drive deeper into why it was critical to make a resolution to change.  Here is a little quote that I used as a compelling reason to make a change.

If you want to be a better leader, then you must identify why change is imperative.  The most noble reason I can think of is because each school year, we affect 1/13 of a child's life.  Not their education, but their life.  What we do with each child's 1/13 is life or death for that child, and what we do or don't do this year for a child will affect the subsequent 1/13's of their life in the following years.  To make our resolution even more compelling, it is safe to say that what we do will affect their quality of life, their ability to have a stable or successful career, and ultimately the quality of their health. 

The Most Valuable Number

13 is the most valuable number in the 21st century because it is the number of years that all educators have to set the foundation for every child to begin their college and career future.  If they only get 12 years of an education, they are guaranteed a life of poverty, crime, poor health and early death.  12 is not good enough.  12 will get you nowhere.  13 is the only acceptable number in the 21st century to ensure that every child is guaranteed the most valuable currency of our new century.  Learning.

No Room for Excuses

Children will come to us 2 or more years behind.  Children will fail to learn due to language or disability.  We can no longer allow these excuses to be the reason that kids did not achieve because these excuses will not keep our kids out of the unemployment line or the prison system.  If we want to end the cycle of poverty and reduce the crime rate, we must guarantee that 100% of our students learn for 13 straight years and walk out of our public schools into a prosperous and secure future.

I hope you will join me in 2013 in owning the responsibility for every child's 13th.

#my13th  

Make your Leadership Resolution Succeed

Happy New Year!!! Did you make a New Year's resolution for your leadership? Did you know that after one month into 2013, 80% of New Year's resolutions will be abandoned. People will get caught up in battling the change within their new goal and will lose the resolve to succeed. If making promises to change ourselves has such a pitiful success rate, why even bother making them? 

Take weight loss, the most preferred resolution.  There is little doutbt on what it takes to succeed.  Eat less and exercise more.  If this recipe is so simple, why is it riddled with failure?  The answer is simple yet complex.  It requires a change within the psyche, but within the psyche, the person must scaffold his behavior with concrete thinking so that a return to previous behaviors is averted.

The same goes for leadership.  Leaders always want improvement for their organization, but many declarations for change fail.  Little by little, the work of the day erodes the hope for change until the leader completely forgets what he wanted to change in the first place.  If leaders hope to make their resolution stick, there has to be more to it than a wish.

A New Year's resolution needs 4 things to help it become permanent.

Why - The compelling reason that holds you accountable for reaching your goal.

Resolutions fail because the reason to make a change it is not very powerful.  Looking good is not a very compelling reason for a resolution to lose weight, primarily because the reason lacks depth and is superficial in nature.  A nobler reason to lose weight or become healthy is about saving and extending your life.  People will commit to making a change when it is a matter life or death long before before they will worry about the way they look.

If you want to be a better leader, then you must identify why change is imperative.  The most noble reason I can think of is because each school year, we affect 1/13 of a child's life.  Not their education, but their life.  What we do with each child's 1/13 is life or death for that child, and what we do or don't do this year for a child will affect the subsequent 1/13's of their life in the following years.  To make our resolution even more compelling, it is safe to say that what we do will affect their quality of life, their ability to have a stable or successful career, and ultimately the quality of their health. 

Is this a compelling reason to change?  Once you have a compelling reason to make change, you are ready to define the change that you want to make.

What - The Change to be Made

It takes very little effort to define the change that one would like to make.  It is little more than a declaration, but there is one caveat to this.  Once people announce the change that they plan to make, they stand a stronger likelihood of failure.  By simply making a declaration,  they have subconsciously convinced themselves that they have already achieved the goal.  If you plan to make a goal, you should have an accountability partner to help you reach the goal. 

In leadership, it is no different.  A change in your leadership requires you to be vulnerable.  You will have to be willing to take risks if you want success, and this is where communication can be your best ally.  Once you have identified your leadership resolution, communicate it to your staff and ask for their support and suggestions in reaching the goal.  You will be surprised how people will be willing to help you reach your new leadership resolution.

How - The detailed plan that will make the change happen.

Once the Why and the What of your resolution have been established, you are 25% there.  Now, you need a plan to help you reach your goal.  When I made a goal to lose weight, I purchased P90X.  It was a detailed plan of workouts and stringent diet plans to help me reach my goal.  It was a great plan, but without my commitment to action, my resolution was dead in the water.

To be a better leader, you must commit to studying, planning and acting on your new leadership change.  Select a book that is aligned with your change and study it closely.  Follow unique leaders on Twitter and converse with them.  Watch leadership videos on YouTube and TED.  Write a blog, and share it, or keep it private.  Whatever your plan is to study your change,  make a plan to implement what you have learned.  The best way to learn is to learn by doing.

When & Where - The time, frequency and place that you will work on making the change.

Resolutions, particularly weight loss, fail when the person fails to allocate time and a location to work on the goal.  If you want to lose weight, you must workout 3-4 times per week for an hour, and you must have a place to go.  In addition, you must commit to a regular frequency to workout.  Without this commitment to time, failure is imminent.

In your leadership change, find a time and place of quiet study each week.  Once you find the time, keep a regular schedule to study so you won't forget.  Set an alarm on your phone and don't allow anything to interfere.  Resolutions crumble because day to day interruptions lessen the frequency of your efforts to make change.

Here is the Reality. 

Whether or not we make a leadership resolution, kids and teachers will continue to show up.  They will continue to struggle or succeed, and they will need the most supportive learning environment to achieve.  What will their leaders do differently in 2013?  Einstein defines insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  If we want to make a change in the lives of kids, we must make a change within ourselves first. 

Breaking the Learning Limit

Speed limit signs are designed to keep us safe. They suggest an appropriate speed that keeps the flow of traffic efficient in an order fashion, and why not?  Maintaining order minimizes the risk for accidents and that's a good thing.

Driving is to a car like learning is to education, but there is a vast difference. Drivers and their speed must be regulated in a uniform manner to maintain order and keep everyone safe.  Traditional schools operate in a uniform fashion by regulating the amount of instruction that everyone receives and setting aside the same amount of time to learn each subject.  Some view education as the structure of one size fits all, but real learning doesn't work that way. Some learn at a rapid pace, while others are slower, more methodical learners. Then, there are the erratic learners.  

If students learn too slow, go too fast or run completely off the road in their learning, do we view that as a violation or as a great thing?  Learning doesn't have the risks of injury like driving does, but in education there are lots of learning limit signs in place.

Learning limit signs keep learners under control. They tell students the required conditions for learning content. Learning limit signs tell students the pace or amount of time that they have to learn. If you are a fast learner, slow down. If you are a slow learner, speed up. The flow of learning traffic must keep moving so organization is regulated. If your vehicle for learning has a flat tire (inability to learn a concept), you will need to get off of the road because learning traffic cannot be impeded.   Does this philosophy of learning guarantee learning?  Of course not!

Learning cannot be something that is controlled or uniform. Learning must be limitless and fluid. Students must have personalized learning opportunities that cater to their optimal speed of learning. Teachers must know in advance which students learn best at a slower pace while creating opportunities for students to learn at a faster pace.

Some students don't like to drive their learning on the traditional road of learning and need encouragement and opportunities to take their learning off-road.  Off-road learners like to explore unchartered territory because getting off the beaten path empowers authentic engagement.  Off-road learning doesn't necessarily fit into the traditional education model, but it must be acknowledged and embraced.

Learning is a limitless activity. It works best when the driver has freedom from  regulation for how best to reach their learning destination and at which speed is the best for the learner to get there.  

So what learning limit signs are in place in your school?  If you don't know, you haven't looked for them yet.