A NEW EPISODE OF THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL PODCAST IS OUT NOW! Click here or click the button below to listen. Colleagues,
Mara and I are doing a book study together in February. The book is called The Artist’s Way and it is designed to increase creativity. Okay, nothing earthshattering about doing a book study. However, we were not thoroughly strategic in selecting the book. There were some key questions we should have asked but didn’t. Can you anticipate what those questions are? … What are the biggest challenges we are facing? What skills do we need to develop to meet those challenges? What is the best way to develop those skills? Unfortunately, I did not ask those questions. Being a strategic leader really is very simple, but the execution is the hard part. Cheers! Frederick
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Colleagues,
Yesterday I asked how we could have both flexibility and stability. I have worked in organizations where things weren’t written down. The rules were passed on verbally. Of course, what was said depended on who you were speaking to! It could be exasperating, and in difficult situations it felt like I was on my own. On the other hand, I’ve worked in places where every action and function were rigidly defined, and every step needed to be adhered to in every circumstance. Step outside of the flow chart and you would get smacked! So, what is the solution? Maybe we could work closely with stakeholders to design systems that addressed the most common issues, but which also had mechanisms for making decisions for situations that the system did not anticipate. One strategy for dealing with change is to build systems that are responsive to the unpredictable. The way we learn how to do that is by talking with the people who are responsible for applying the system. Reflect:
Cheers! Frederick Colleagues, “The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.” -Attributed to Confucius And yet, have you ever experienced the wonder of a tree that stands like a sentinel, defining everything around it, just by its presence?
We have systems, rules, and expectations that are based on past events and patterns of behavior. Yet things change, especially when forces beyond our control assert themselves. Without stability, there is no greatness. Without flexibility, there is no surviving. How can we have both? More tomorrow… Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
Yesterday I mentioned the Now + Next leadership model for Western North Carolina. In addition to context, another important theme was self-care. It is interesting that as much as we talk about self-care, it rarely appears in most formal leadership models. Somehow, it feels like caring for oneself is a selfish act. Why? Try this: In 10 seconds, write down 3-5 things that you would label as self-care. Done? Now ask yourself which of these things would make you less productive. If your list was similar to mine, then all of them would make you a better leader. Still don’t have time to do self-care? I’d love to hear your reaction to this little exercise, please consider sharing. You can click here to email me. Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
Last week I was privileged to work with a group of amazing leaders representing different organization, regions, and generations from Western North Carolina. You can read about our project here. We are developing a leadership model specific to leaders working on social issues such housing, health care, education, and jobs. These leaders have unique needs, and they lead in a unique place. My biggest takeaway from the day is that the context of leadership is vastly under-emphasized. Leading here, in our rural mountain communities, is different than leading in New York, San Francisco, or anywhere else. People who lead here, who don’t fully understand the context, are going to be less effective. Why does context matter so much?
I’ve talked about context from a community perspective, but these also apply within our organizations, which are their own communities with their own contexts. Take 60 seconds after reading and just think about this question: What makes your context unique? Cheers! Frederick |
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