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Joe Rogan Experience #962 - Jocko Willink

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Be Leaderly

John C. Maxwell

Daniel Goleman

The Leadership Challenge

Jim Kouzes (Twitter)

Patrick Lencioni (Twitter)

Brene Brown (Twitter)

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Talking to high school students about leadership and character is tricky. Most of what is said sounds cliche at best and patronizing at worst. So I turned to Ted Talks for a little help. Following is a list of talks that are brief - six minutes at most - and often funny. They approach the topics in new ways that engage students instead of turning them off to the ideas.

I found this one through a comment on my previous post about Ted Talks. Dudley, the speaker, gives insight into how we've falsely built leaders up as having to be extraordinary Earth-changing individuals. But in reality, we all do something that positively impacts others and makes us leaders as well. His example from his own life is hysterical and something students can relate to.

I use this in my school with every student sharing their "lollipop moment" for a collaborative bulletin board that shows the leadership in the school. You can see his talk here.

A volunteer firefighter humorously tells about how he was the second to arrive at a fire, so instead of saving the dog, he saved the shoes. He was bummed, but learned later that getting shoes for a woman who was having the worst day of her life was pretty important as well. Similar to the above talk, this one reminds students that small acts of kindness, courage, leadership, etc. can positively impact others just as much as the large ones.

In closing, he reminds the audience to "save the shoes." If presented with the opportunity to do something good or kind, do it. It may seem small but it's always worth it. You can see this talk here.

Change is overwhelming and at times seems impossible. Cutts, the speaker, made small changes in his life like biking to work, hiking, and even writing. He did them one at a time and for thirty days each. The results were amazing: increased confidence, healthier lifestyle, and a published novel! Okay, so the novel is terrible and is not published; but he can now say he's an author and he did it.

Cutts explains how 30 days is just the right amount of time to create, or eradicate, a habit. So after 30 days, as long as your change is small enough to be manageable, you're likely to keep doing it.

I use this with my students and encourage them to pick something that day that they will start to do and will continue to do for 30 days. We discuss what is manageable and the possible benefits. I love hearing my students comment on what they are still doing months later! Check out the talk by clicking here.

This speaker uses a movie to show a movement in creation. Hilariously, the movement is a dance party of sorts in a field. The message of the talk is spot-on for most of my students: you don't have to be a leader to impact a movement. Sivers, the speaker of this talk, explains the importance of the early followers who take the risk of being one of the first, and have the essential job of getting more followers and teaching them how to follow as well.

The video used to demonstrate the movement is great and the message co-insides with the other videos: you can make an impact. You can watch the talk here.

Okay, not exactly funny. But the speaker, Narayan, keeps it light given the bleak topic. Narayan's focus in on how a majority of the obituaries that are not paid for by the families are for people in the arts who positively impacted their communities.

It's a gentle reminder that if you want to be remembered when you're gone, be kind to others. I also love that this talk reiterates how you don't have to be an engineer or a lawyer to be successful. We overlook the importance and significance of the contributions from the artists of the world. You can watch this talk here.

Another talk from Sivers who points out some of the humorous miscommunications and understandings between different cultures. For example, doctors in some areas of China are only paid when their patients are healthy because it means the doctor is doing a good job. Makes sense!

Students have already heard that they should keep an open mind, but this talk helps them to remember to practice it as well. One example is when he shows a map flipped from the way we usually see it. When students say the map is upside down, it already shows they are set in thinking our perception of the map is more correct than someone else's even though it is actually of the same Earth. Very short but still impactful. You can watch this talk here.

These specific talks are perfect for class discussion and quick worksheet when you have 15 minutes or so to fill. Since the focus is on leadership and character, they can work in almost any classroom. They can also be combined to create a mini unit on leadership and character.

Short on time? I have my worksheets available here at my TeachersPayTeachers store.

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Quick Ted Talks to Develop Leadership and Character - Engaging and Effective Teaching

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Talking to high school students about leadership and character is tricky. Most of what is said sounds cliche at best and patronizing at worst. So I turned to Ted Talks for a little help. Following is a list of talks that are brief - six minutes at most - and often funny.

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The lowest level of leadership-the entry level, if you will-is Position. It's the only level that requires no ability or effort to achieve. After all, anyone can be appointed to a position! While nothing is wrong with having a leadership position, everything is wrong with relying only on that position to get people to follow.

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Biography | John C. Maxwell | McLennan Community College

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The John C. Maxwell information page. Biography.

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The 5 Characteristics That Make a Charismatic Leader | Entrepreneur

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Personality and charm, not external power or authority, are what count most for the “it factor.”

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During my leadership training at the College of Saint Rose I took a class with Jim Butterworth (my mentor) called Critical Issues. Jim was a voracious reader, an assistant commissioner for the New York State Education Department, former superintendent, and an amazing professor. All of those combined with a 2 ½ hour class led to some of the best educational discussions I've ever had.

Every week we were required to read chapters from various books (i.e. Fullan, Senge, Hargreaves, Reeves and Greenleaf), and numerous stories from Education Week's print copy. It opened up our world from the classroom we were teaching in, or the school we were leading. The class brought together building leaders, teachers, school psychologists and social workers from urban, suburban and rural settings who were all trying to finish their degree in leadership.

I took the class 10 years ago, but never forgot about the importance of discussing issues, even if they were difficult and the people in the room held differing opinions. As educators we should always be able to debate our profession. The problem we have, as does anything that involves politics, is that we cannot seem to move forward together. There are state and national leaders so consumed with being right that they cannot, and will not, budge.

Hopefully, all of that will change this year. After the past few years of increased accountability, budget cuts, arguments and infighting, 2014 will be a different year for all of us...and I hope for the positive. In education there are some very large issues that we have to contend with, and they are not all about accountability and mandates.
Top 10 Critical Issues
Critical issues are those issues that are important to education. They are the barriers that get in the way, or the important elements that we need to focus on in order to move forward and offer better opportunities to our students.

Common Core State Standards - 46 states may have adopted the standards but around a dozen states are backing out or considering backing out of using them. Regardless of how people feel about the Common Core they have led to many hot debates about education, and will continue to do so in 2014.

Student Learning - Student learning is everything from different pathways to graduation, encouraging student voice in student learning, and encouraging them have a place at the table for larger conversations about their education (Lisa Nielsen's Innovative Educator blog that focuses on student voice). So often we focus on teaching, but it's learning that matters most.

Technology - Even after all of these years technology is still a hot button issues. Some people love it and use it flawlessly every day, while others hate it and don't see why they need to be forced to use it at all. In addition what makes it complicated is that some schools seem to have endless resources, while other schools have to use what wealthier schools disregarded as old. Whether its MOOC's, iPads, gaming or BYOD, technology will still be a critical issue to discuss in 2014.

Social Media - Twitter has exploded over the past few years. More and more educators are joining and finding members to their Professional Learning Network (PLN). What's even better is that they are sharing resources to use in their classrooms, buildings and districts, and they are also using it to connect for professional development (i.e. Twitter chats, EdCamps, etc.). Social media will be, and should be, part of a huge discussion in 2014.

Politics - Politicians have long mentioned education in their speeches but the past two years it seemed to have happened more than ever. Many politicians seem to focus on how schools are failing, and their only solution is standardization, accountability and high stakes testing. Many governors, like Andrew Cuomo, are running for re-election this year and education will no doubt make or break their campaigns. How many politicians, like Cuomo and Christie, have spoken about teachers is deplorable and this is the year when teachers continue to take control over that conversation.

High Stakes Testing - Not sure if you have heard of this before but schools across the country have to give high stakes tests to students. Some start it in kindergarten, while others begin in 3 rd grade. In most states they are tied to teacher/administrator evaluation and that will no doubt continue to be a big debate this year. There need to be different methods used to assess student learning, and none of it should be "high stakes."

School Leadership - If you go on Twitter, you will find hundreds of school leaders who consider themselves " Lead Learners." This is very important because they see the important part they play in the lives of their students, teachers and staff. In addition, school leaders understand that they can have a positive or negative impact on their school climate, and too many still have a negative impact.

Pre-service Teaching Programs - How can we get the best teachers into our classrooms when so many politicians and policymakers cry that schools are failing? Under those circumstances, who would want to go into the profession? Additionally, pre-service programs need to improve because many of the graduates do not seem prepared for the profession. The real question for 2014 is how can K-12 schools work with these programs to build a community of learners who are prepared for the profession? A little less accountability tied to testing would go a long way to improve this issue.

School Climate - A few days ago Secretary Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder announced new guidelines to stop the school to prison pipeline and improve school climate. This critical issue is not just about bullying, but about creating an inclusive school climate where all students can achieve their maximum potential.

We know around 22% of our students are living in poverty. We also know that many children who live in poverty come to kindergarten hearing 1/8th of the language(vocabulary) that their wealthier peers experienced. Many of the schools that try to educate these students lack the proper resources, and the communities where children in poverty live often lack the same resources that wealthier towns have. Poverty is an issue that is one of the most critical issues of our time, in and out of schools.
In the End
We have many critical issues facing education this year, and the larger question should be... How are we going to work together to solve them? I stopped with ten but probably could have gone on with a few more. What would you add to the list?

Peter DeWitt, Ed.D. is the author of several books including Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students (2012. Corwin Press), Flipping Leadership Doesn't Mean Reinventing the Wheel (2014. Corwin Press), School Climate Change (2014. ASCD) and the forthcoming Collaborative Leadership: 6 Influences That Matter Most (2016. Corwin Press). Connect with Peter DeWitt on Twitter.

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10 Critical Issues Facing Education (Opinion)

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When it comes to education, there are numerous critical issues that need to be addressed in 2014, and these are ten of them.

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A district must submit a request for a class size exception for any classrooms in kindergarten - fourth grade that exceed the 22 students class size limit ( Texas Education Code §25.112). The district's board of trustees must approve this request within 30 days after the class size was exceeded. Note: class size limits do not apply to physical education classes or fine arts classes.

Class size limitations generally apply throughout the school year, with the exceptions noted below:

Any twelve-week period selected by the district with a significant percentage of migratory children (25.112(1)), or

The last twelve weeks of any school year for all other districts

In considering whether to grant an exception, the commissioner must find that the class size limit creates an undue hardship on the district. The commissioner will consider such things as unanticipated enrollment growth, lack of facilities, lack of teachers, or financial hardships.

Please note that an exception granted expires at the end of the school year.

Notifying Parents of an Exception

A campus or district that is granted a class size exception shall provide written notice of the exception to the parent (or person standing in parental relation to) of each student affected by the exception. The notice must be in bold or underlined print and must:

specify the particular class for which a class size exception was granted,

state the number of students in the class for which the exception was granted, and

be delivered through regular mail or other means of communication from the campus or district, such as information sent home with students.

The notice described above must be provided no later than the 31st day after the first day of the school year, or the date the exception is granted, if the exception is granted after the beginning of the school year. The district must maintain documentation of the notices provided to parents, subject to a request for review by the TEA (TEC §25.113).

A school district that repeatedly fails to comply with class size requirements may be subject to actions under TEC §39.102, Interventions and Sanctions for Districts (TEC §25.112(f)).

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A district must submit a request for a class size exception for any classrooms in kindergarten - fourth grade that exceed the 22 students class size limit ( Texas Education Code §25.112). The district's board of trustees must approve this request within 30 days after the class size was exceeded.

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Key points

Transformational leaders motivate followers to high levels of performance.

A transformational leader "walks the walk" and has genuine concern for their followers' needs.

This eight-question test can reveal your propensity for transformational leadership.

The most popular theory of leadership today is transformational leadership. What is a transformational leader? Originally focused on leaders who "transform" groups or organizations, transformational leaders focus on followers, motivating them to high levels of performance, and in the process, help followers develop their own leadership potential.

There are four components to transformational leadership, sometimes referred to as the four I's:

Idealized Influence (II) - the leader serves as an ideal role model for followers; the leader doesn't just talk the talk but "walks the walk," and is admired for this.

Inspirational Motivation (IM) - Transformational leaders have the ability to inspire and motivate followers. Combined these first two I's are what constitute the transformational leader's charisma.

Individualized Consideration (IC) - Transformational leaders demonstrate genuine concern for the needs and feelings of followers. This personal attention to each follower is a key element in bringing out their very best efforts.

Intellectual Stimulation (IS) - the leader challenges followers to be innovative and creative. A common misunderstanding is that transformational leaders are "soft," but the truth is that they constantly challenge followers to higher levels of performance.

Research evidence clearly shows that groups led by transformational leaders have higher levels of performance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders. Why? Because transformational leaders hold positive expectations for followers, believing that they can do their best. As a result, they inspire, empower, and stimulate followers to exceed normal levels of performance. And, transformational leaders focus on and care about followers and their personal needs and development.

Here are some items from our new measure of transformational leadership. See if you have transformational leadership qualities (Agree or Disagree):

1. I would never require a follower to do something that I wouldn't do myself.

2. My followers would say that they know what I stand for.

3. Inspiring others has always come easy to me.

4. My followers have told me that my enthusiasm and positive energy are infectious.

5. My followers would say that I am very attentive to their needs and concerns.

6. Even though I could easily do a task myself, I delegate it to expand my followers' skills.

7. Team creativity and innovation are the keys to success.

8. I encourage my followers to question their most basic way of thinking.

(Items 1 & 2 = II; 3 & 4 = IM; 5 & 6 = IC; 7 & 8 = IS)
To learn more about transformational leadership click here.

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Spread the loveThere are four major styles of leadership which apply well in the educational setting. While each of these styles has its good points, there is a wide berth of variation, and in fact transformational leadership is truly an amalgamation of the best attributes of the other three.

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How can we determine not only who is a competent leader, but a good leader? Some, like Tom Lickona of the Smart and Good Schools Initiative, believe the proper distinction is between moral and performance character. The former typically refers to having sound values, to be oriented toward an ethical way to behave; the latter refers to the essential importance of having the skills -- particularly SEL skills-- to carry out one's values.

What does this mean for leadership? From a social-emotional and character development (SECD) perspective, it means that the skill-based performance of leaders must be judged along with the character of that performance. And how shall we judge that character?

Sargent Shriver, whose leadership credentials are unrivaled in American public service, believed leaders must act and infuse their organizations with:

1) A sense of purpose: The values of an organization must be clear, members of the organization should know them, and they should exemplify and uphold them in their own actions.

2) Justice: Everyone in an organization should be held to common standards, with rules and procedures that are clear, firm, fair, and consistent.

3) Temperance: A leader must strive to maintain a proper balance of emotions; Shriver did not mean that leaders should be dispassionate. Quite the contrary- but there are time for passionate advocacy and times for quiet reflection and reconsideration. Balance is the key.

4) Respect: The dignity of each individual is the concern of any leader, and this is preserved by treating all members of the organization with respect and ensuring they treat one-another similarly, regardless of differences.

5) Empowerment: Leaders are just that- leaders. Most of what happens in organizations is carried out by individuals other than those in formal leadership positions. Therefore, the more skilled they are, the more they feel confident in their abilities and competent to make decisions, raise questions, see new possibilities, and disagree respectfully with others at all levels of the organizational hierarchy, the stronger and more successful the organization will be.

6) Courage: Leaders are paid to set direction, not wait for direction to emerge. They have to be willing to follow their convictions and bring their organization to new places. In education, this is most sorely needed in response to the test-based regimen that has taken over our schools at the expense of true education and social-emotional and character development.

7) Deep Commitment: Leaders must not be polishing their resumes, but rather should have deep commitment to their organizations, the advancement of the organizations' missions, and the wellbeing of everyone in them. It is this deep commitment that makes leadership in schools so challenging, because it requires a commitment to every employee, student, and parent.

The performance of a leader must be judged by his or her skills and the character of his or her performance in the many and complex roles that leadership demands. Using the seven cornerstones of leading with character, derived from the life and work of Sargent Shriver, educators and those concerned with education have a tool for both evaluating and improving leadership competencies along both moral and performance dimensions.

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The 7 Characteristics of a Good Leader | Edutopia

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How can we determine not only who is a competent leader, but a good leader? Some, like Tom Lickona of the Smart and Good Schools Initiative, believe the proper distinction is between moral and performance character.

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The trait theory of leadership focuses on identifying different personality traits and characteristics that are linked to successful leadership across a variety of situations. This line of research emerged as one of the earliest types of investigations into the nature of effective leadership and is tied to the "great man" theory of leadership first proposed by Thomas Carlyle in the mid-1800s.

Trait Theory of Leadership Rationale

According to Carlyle, history is shaped by extraordinary leaders. This ability to lead is something that people are simply born with, Carlyle believed, and not something that could be developed. Carlyle's ideas inspired early research on leadership, which almost entirely focused on inheritable traits.

Carlyle's theory of leadership was based on the rationale that:

Certain traits produce certain patterns of behavior.

Patterns are consistent across different situations.

People are "born" with leadership traits.

Even today, books, and articles tout the various characteristics necessary to become a great leader, suggesting that leadership is somehow predestined in some (or is at least more likely) while unlikely, if not impossible, in others.

Since the publication of Carlyle's thesis, psychologists have examined and argued about the trait-based theory of leadership. From the 1940s to the 1970s, psychologist Ralph Melvin Stogdill suggested that leadership is the result of the interaction between the individual and the social situation and not merely the result of a predefined set of traits.

Soon after in the 1980s, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner posited that credibility was a key indicator of leadership skills, characterized by such traits as being honest, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent.

Leadership Traits

While the list of leadership traits can vary by whoever is drawing up the list, a recent study outlined behavioral traits that separated lower-level supervisors from higher-level supervisors.

According to the researchers, the traits most commonly associated with great leadership include:

Adaptability and flexibility: Effective leaders don't get stuck in a rut. They are able to think outside of the box and adapt quickly to changing situations.

Assertiveness: A great leader is able to be direct and assertive without coming off as overly pushy or aggressive.

Capacity to motivate people: A great leader knows how to inspire others and motivate them to do their best.

Courage and resolution: The best leaders are brave and committed to the goals of the group. They do not hide from challenges.

Creativity: Perhaps most importantly, great leaders not only possess their own creativity, but they are also able to foster creativity among members of the group.

Decisiveness: A great leader is capable of making a decision and is confident in his or her choices.

Eagerness to accept responsibility: Strong leaders take on responsibility and don't pass the blame on to others. They stand by their success and take ownership of their mistakes.

Emotional stability: In addition to being dependable overall, strong leaders are able to control their emotions and avoid overreactions.

Intelligence and action-oriented judgment: Great leaders and smart and make choices that move the group forward.

Need for achievement: Strong leaders have a need to succeed and help the group achieve goals. They genuinely care about the success of the group and are committed to helping the group reach these milestones.

People skills: Excellent interpersonal skills are essential for leading effectively. Great leaders know how to interact well with other leaders as well as with team members.

Perseverance: Strong leaders stick with it, even when things get difficult or the group faces significant obstacles.

Self-confidence: Many of the best leaders are extremely self-assured. Because they are confident in themselves, followers often begin to share this self-belief.

Task competence: A great leader is skilled and capable. Members of the group are able to look to the leader for an example of how things should be done.

Trustworthiness: Group members need to be able to depend upon and trust the person leading them.

Understanding their followers and their needs: Effective leaders pay attention to group members and genuinely care about helping them succeed. They want each person in the group to succeed and play a role in moving the entire group forward.

Controversy on the Trait Theory

Early studies on leadership focused on the differences between leaders and followers with the assumption that people in leadership positions would display more leadership traits than those in subordinate positions.

What researchers found, however, was that there were relatively few traits that could be used to distinguish between leaders and followers. For example, leaders tend to be great communicators.﻿﻿ Leaders also tend to be higher in traits such as extroversion, self-confidence, and height, but these differences tended to be small.

Some have suggested that this may due to situational variables in which leadership skills only emerge when an opportunity for leadership arises (such as in war, during a political crisis, or in the absence of leadership).﻿﻿

Meanwhile, others have taken a contingency approach to leadership in which certain traits can be more effective in some situations and less so in others. Opinions vary on what those traits are and to what degree they can predict success, if at all.

Leadership in the Internet Age

More controversial yet is the contention that some people don't have the traits to become leaders.﻿﻿ Such a belief inherently overlooks social and economic inequities that limit, if not entirely erase, a person's potential to lead.

It also overlooks the changing economy and how leadership is defined when connections are today made both online and offline.

A Word From Verywell

While these traits are often linked to effective leadership, it is important to note that few leaders possess all of these traits. Generally, a strong leader will have many of these qualities.

But aspects of the situation also play an important role in determining if people are able to lead well. In many cases, it is the interaction between these traits and the situation that determines leadership quality.

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Do Great Leaders Share Certain Traits? See What the Research Says

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The trait theory of leadership focuses on identifying different personality traits and characteristics that are linked to successful leadership across a variety of situations. This line of research emerged as one of the earliest types of investigations into the nature of effective leadership and is tied to the "great man" theory of leadership first proposed by Thomas Carlyle in the mid-1800s.

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The theory of emotional intelligence was introduced by Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer in the 1990s, and further developed and brought to the lay public by Daniel Goleman. The concept, also known as emotional quotient or EQ, has gained wide acceptance. However, some psychologists argue that because EQ cannot be captured via psychometric tests (as can, for example, general intelligence), it lacks true explanatory power.

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Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to identify and manage one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.

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Anyone trying to come up to speed on emotional intelligence would have a pretty easy time of it since the concept is remarkably recent, and its application to business newer still. The term was coined in 1990 in a research paper by two psychology professors, John D. Mayer of UNH and Peter Salovey of Yale. Some years later, Mayer defined it in HBR this way:

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How Emotional Intelligence Became a Key Leadership Skill

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A reading list to bring you up to speed.

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Access the essential membership for Modern Managers

What makes a truly exceptional leader? Chances are we've all encountered them at some point in our careers: those leaders who stand out above the rest. Those who bring out the best in every one of their team members, and who consistently strive for greatness.

Take Molly for example. Everyone respects Molly. She inspires and encourages her team members, while expecting and demonstrating the highest standards. In return, her people are fiercely loyal, and they're highly successful - as individuals, and as a team. In short, Molly is a Transformational Leader.

By contrast, other leaders in the organization report that their people seem disengaged. They experience high staff turnover, and their results are often disappointing. So, what does Molly do that other leaders don't?

To begin with, Molly regularly reminds her team members of the purpose of their work. And she knows that she's a role model for her team, so she acts with integrity in all of her working relationships.

In this article and video, we'll explore what transformational leadership is, and discover what it takes to become a transformational leader.

What Is Transformational Leadership?

Leadership expert James MacGregor Burns introduced the concept of transformational leadership in his 1978 book, "Leadership." He defined transformational leadership as a process where "leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation." [1]

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Watch this video to learn the definition of Transformational Leadership. Explore the theory behind this leadership style, and discover the characteristics of transformational leaders.