Words to Teach By

                Words to Lead By

The principal as Chief Learning Officer and 'leader of leaders' is the wave of educational leadership for high-performing schools. It requires new thinking, new beliefs, and new practices, and places a diminishing value on hierarchical and bureaucratic practices as currently exists in many schools today. Creating an organization of many leaders, and many leadership possibilities opens the door to greater teacher involvement and increased student achievement. Under the guiding principles of Formative Leadership, developed by Dr. Ruth Ash and Dr. Maurice Persall, Edu-Leadership presents Formative Leadership Tip of the Month! We challenge you to inspire your teachers and students to greater success and higher performance!

Formative Leadership Tip of the Month

Become a leader of teaming. "Creating an effective team requires much more than grouping people together to work on specific projects."  Teaming is about building an organization, discovering strengths, uncovering weaknesses, resolving problems, building commitment, building community, creating vision, and movement forward...together...for the benefit of the organization, as well as the people in it. Practice open communication, respect, and sincere listening during teaming. Incorporate fun, care, and thoughtful problem solving. Team to greatness!

What to do next?

• Take a long look at the current teaming process in your school...is it all it should be?

• Find teacher leaders and enlist their strengths during teaming.

• Improve team meetings...try new things until you find what works best for your group.

• Involve as many people as possible in the teaming process.

• Give voice to your faculty -- listen to their needs, ideas, and wishes.

• As leader, bring praise and support to your team members. 

• Read books on teaming and the team building process...with your faculty!

What to read?

Consider the following:

Everything I Ever Learned About Teaming 

Flavorful Dialogue, Passionate Meetings 

Book Summary: The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork  by Regine P. Azurin and Yvette Pantilla

Being Professional on a Team by Leslie Bendaly
The Power of Praise  by Ivy Sea, Inc.

The New Work of Formative Leadership. , and Maurice Persall, Director of Graduate Programs. Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama.
 

Copyright 2002 Edu-Leadership.com. All rights reserved.