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My philosophy regarding what makes a roving leaders is:  When given the choice between being a church greeter and working in the church kitchen, they choose the task they consider the shittier job, and still find a way to enjoy doing it (as opposed to acting like a martyr) so that somebody else can have the cherry job.

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My philosophy towards distributed leadership is reductive in nature, not additive.

Michelangelo is quoted as saying: "Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.  I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."

Too often I've seen an administrator with a round hole problem end up trying to fill it with a square peg staff member.  And after spending a great deal of time and effort supporting them to do something the staff member doesn't enjoy, the administrator winds up disappointed and frustrated at the poor result and may even go so far as to blame that staff member for said end result.

I'm often reminded of this every time I think of going on vacation.  There are a lot of tasks that I'm responsible for that I don't have a ready backup to cover me.  The simple (and I would argue wrong approach) is to say: "Well, I have two co-workers under me, lets train up one of them up in all things networking.  As Tricia has the most background in tech, surely she would be the logical choice, right?"  The simple fact is that Tricia has no desire to be a network engineer.  The idea that I can add something that isn't a part of her nature to her will only leave us both frustrated.  What Tricia excels at is being an excellent at her help desk duties.  I didn't have to tell her to watch a bunch of Youtube videos on how to disassemble and reassemble a macbook (or a couple of them to make one good one), she did this on her own.  I would have been perfectly content to have continued to shipped them to vendors that I trusted to do the job.  I simply gave her the latitude and my support to forge ahead. And because of it, she does some remarkable work with a set of really really small screwdrivers.

Do I still have the problem of what happens if something goes horribly wrong while I'm away? Yup. But I'm forced to dig a bit deeper to find solutions. Whether it be that my documentation needs to be up to date and in the hands of the K-12 data center & BIT, or that I can pick up a phone and walk Tricia thru troubleshooting steps without seeing the screen. Someday I may be blessed with a coworker who wants my job, but until then...

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I have been more and more drawn to the fact that the basics are not so basic any more. As I read through chapter 1, I feel like Dr. Edward's is telling us what we should already know. Especially in regards to the many times he references the fact that everyone comes to observe the Digital Initiative in his district, but what everyone takes away is that idea that it all is a product of the culture. I know it's been said, but that is exactly what our Smokey Valley (KS) experience ends up being, you go for the Tech and walk away admiring the culture. I also think that my building and specifically me, need to do more with empowering everyone to take on the leadership of the building. Going the extra mile and committing to our success is not as widespread as I would like, there still is a tendency to view the extra mile as a what's in it for me thing from our students and our staff. People will often look at folks as being different or weird for simply doing something above and beyond for no other reason than cause it's what should be done. A great perspective on going the extra mile is from Sam Parker (the author of Smile and Move) in this book:

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Roving Leaders are not only physically present in the building (whether in their classrooms, the hallways, on duty, etc.), but they also do not remain stagnant in their thoughts and practices. I think they need to be reading, learning, questioning their own practices (especially me as the principal). I feel comfortable even with the idea of roving physically around the building, but it's difficult to constantly challenge my own thinking and beliefs and work to evolve as an educator and leader. Especially with getting all the different perspectives from the staff and to entertain differing viewpoints that will help guide what we do. I need to continue to work at getting viewpoints from all of the staff, we can get stuck in our "echo chambers" and find comfort in those teachers that will tell us what we want to hear. The other item I can embrace is to recharge my energy level and keep the positive influence going so that I never lose steam at be physically out and about and maintain all of those conversations that it takes to really connect and keep the positive culture I am seeking; I know I am on the right track with being out physically since Mrs. Thompson claims it's like a game of Where's Waldo each day because she tells everyone that she can never find me.

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In our building I think of the power of the building committees that we utilize and the leaders that have emerged within those teams. The collaboration from those building level committees focused on one main goal, how to improve what we are doing for the betterment of our students. There has been a constant evolution to our schedules, procedures, rules, expectations and how we implement a variety of things. To me that can only happen where Shared Leadership (one of the many terms Dr. Edward's referred to) is present and actually taking place. It can never be a "cause I said so thing", I have found the success in our building: with technology integration, PBIS implementation, or positive culture to all be a result of complete buy in and a clear transition from Our Beliefs which creates Our Ideas and ultimately contributes to Our Actions. I feel like ultimately, this is an endless pursuit and the goal I have is just continuing the tireless work of many conversations and opportunities to allow for staff to participate and have voice that will lead to their buy in.  Dr. Edward's discussed being visible and at times I know it would be easier for my own work to stay put and get some things done, but I would agree that it's really the visibility that will help facilitate the "tireless work" I was just referring to.

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One of the things that struck me was when Dr. Edwards talked about doing more with less. It is a rare culture that can get people to do those sort of things without expectation of extra pay, perks, etc. Wonder what will happen if the opt out doesn't pass? Will we get that sort of reaction? As leaders, I still think modeling that type of behavior is the best way to encourage it.

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Nowhere do I think of a roving leader in our district more than I do the tech integrationists. We have been able to cultivate their leadership in unique ways. It comes out a little differently with all four of them, and that is OK. Just think about what they do for our district, and it's way more than technology!! One of the goals I have is to figure out how to replicate that with either different people at some point in those roles or in another type of committee. Allowing others to have that kind of influence has been so refreshing.

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I related to Dr. Edwards reflection when he said "Gone are the days of leaders focusing merely on leading. Today's leaders must focus on re-culturing their systems." For many years, I attended staff meetings as one of the teachers who would "sit & git." We are definitely making a shift to something more collaborative at our weekly staff collaborations. We still have a long way to go. The quandary for me is that some of the power brokers on the HS staff are also some of the least likely to bring positive vibes (or action) with their influence. We continue to try to cultivate the authority and leadership in some of our new/young staff. Some cultural shifts are happening.
I manage to include myself in many of the efforts at the HS - and in doing so, give some willing staff leaders an "out" when it comes to the action phase. I will improve by recognizing teacher/staff who are willing leaders and getting out of their way.
A RE-newed perspective: Throughout Ch 1 and especially in Dr. Aaron Spencer's editorial on p.13 - I am reminded of the need to establish a clear vision. We all get weary of the external demands that seem distracting and daunting. Dr. Spencer called it "Initiative fatigue." I will continue to work toward setting a clear, consistent vision and then being willing to let teacher/staff leaders take a role in helping realize it.

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When thinking about distributed leadership, I really try to find something an individual can excel at and serve as the go-to person for that area. I try to pair people with something they enjoy and that is a strength for them. I have worked hard this year to establish roles on committees within my building and step back and let designated leaders lead. Mr. Alley made a good comment the other day about setting the building up to not miss a beat should he get killed in a car accident. I also feel as I have gotten more comfortable with the district and staff, I have developed a greater level of trust and confidence in the people I get the pleasure of working with.

To me a roving leader is one that has to get paged to the office when needed. I try to be as visible as possible, meaning I go to recess, visit classrooms, help in the lunchroom, and take bus duty. The staff has seen me do many jobs or tasks that are needed to meet needs no matter what they are.  I stress being a team and everything that comes with that. I am not above doing any job that is needed and therefore I set that expectation for all staff as well

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As I think about our staff, I feel like we have two types of staff members. We have staff members who want to hide behind the scenes thinking they have all the answers yet do not want to be out on the forefront as leaders. Our other group almost feels like they are just waiting for a green light, and when given, they will embrace our vision and share the leadership responsibilities right alongside all of us.  I really think we need to embrace the latter group and run with them. We have the staff in place and I feel they just need to feel empowered to take on the leadership roles without feeling the ramifications from others.  I think sometimes staff get sick of seeing us and it is refreshing for them to hear from a colleague who then gets that opportunity to be the leader.

Roving leadership for me has been trying to be more present at the front door when the students are arriving as well as wondering the halls during the day, specifically during passing times when you can interact more with the students. You really can get a vibe on the school and what is actually going on within the building. As crazy as it sounds, I  really do think it means something to the staff and students to see all leaders out and about in the schools. With that being said, I can still get easily caught up in my emails and events at my desk and waste away a day pretty quickly without leaving my office once.

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I have asked each grade level team to select a leader and recorder.  Each of those positions is responsible for various aspects of the team meetings.  We also have committees led by teachers.
I work to support leaders in these situations by discussing goals for the teams or committees and giving those leaders the opportunity to lead.  I provide support to them when I recognize the need or when they ask.

Roving leadership-I strive to be present in each grade level area between 8:05-8:25 to support the teachers on duty.

I also provide support for those who supervise the lunchroom. I have witnessed their growth in the first few days of school.  I tried to provide an example of how to effectively manage the lunchroom during the first couple of days, stood beside them for four days and then have let them become leaders this week.  They have developed confidence and leadership in just a few days.  We continue to work together to improve on a daily basis.

I need to be more present during regular passing times and in the classroom.