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5 Aspects of Emotional Intelligence Required for Effective Leadership

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5 Aspects of Emotional Intelligence Required for Effective Leadership

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Why Emotionally Intelligent People are More Successful

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Why Emotionally Intelligent People are More Successful

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Research by the respected Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in the U.S. found that the primary causes of executive derailment involve deficiencies in emotional competence. Each year, CCL serves more than 20,000 individuals and 2,000 organizations, including more than 80 of the Fortune 100 companies. It says the three main reasons for failure are difficulty in handling change, inability to work well in a team, and poor interpersonal relations.

International search firm Egon Zehnder International analyzed 515 senior executives and discovered that those who were strongest in emotional intelligence were more likely to succeed than those strongest in either IQ or relevant previous experience. Research that has been done on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EQ) and IQ has shown only a weak correlation between the two.

The Carnegie Institute of Technology carried out research that showed that 85% of our financial success was due to skills in "human engineering", personality, and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. They found that only 15% was due to technical ability. In other words people skills or skills highly related to emotional intelligence were crucial skills. Nobel Prize winning Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kahneman found that people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don't, even if that that person is offering a better product at a lower price.

People would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don't, even if that that person is offering a better product at a lower price.

To test out his findings, think of the last time you purchased a major item, a home, automobile, or large appliance where you had to dealings with a salesperson. Was the person someone who you liked and trusted? In my talks, I have found that whenever I asked that question, inevitably the entire audience answered that, yes, the person they bought a large item from was someone they liked and trusted. This theory about why salespeople with the right people skills do better than those who lack them is borne out by a study carried out by the Hay/McBer Research and Innovation Group in 1997. In a study carried out in a large national insurance company in 1997, they found that sales agents weak in emotional areas such as self-confidence, initiative, and empathy sold policies with an average premium of $54,000, while those strong in 5 of 8 emotional competencies sold policies on the average worth $114,000.

Much of the research that has been done on emotional intelligence has been at the executive leadership level. The higher up the organization, the more crucial emotional intelligence abilities are as the impacts are greater and felt throughout the entire organization. There have been some studies, however, that show impacts at all levels.

The higher up the organization the more crucial emotional intelligence abilities are as the impacts are greater and felt throughout the entire organization.

For example, a study by McClelland in 1999 showed that after supervisors in a manufacturing plant received training in emotional competencies such as how to listen better, lost-time accidents decreased by 50% and grievances went down from 15 per year to three. The plant itself exceeded productivity goals by $250,000.

The same principles apply in all areas of life, whether at work or in relationships. Everyone wants to work with people who are easy to get along with, supportive, likeable, and can be trusted. We want to be beside people that do not get upset easily and can keep their composure when things do not work out according to plan.

Self-awareness. The first thing that is essential for any degree of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. People with a high degree of self-awareness have a solid understanding of their own emotions, their strengths, weaknesses, and what drives them. Neither overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful, these people are honest with themselves and others. These people recognize how their feelings impact them, other people around them, and their performance at work. They have a good understanding of their values and goals and where they are going in life. They are confident as well as aware of their limitations and less likely to set themselves up for failure.

We can recognize self-aware people by their willingness to talk about themselves in a frank, non-defensive manner. A good interview question is to ask about a time that the interviewee got carried away by their emotions and did something they later regretted. The self-aware person will be open and frank with their answers. Self-deprecating humor is a good indicator of someone who has good self-awareness. Red flags are people who stall or try to avoid the question, seem irritated, or frustrated by the question.

Ability To Self-Regulate Emotions. We all have emotions which drive us and there is nothing we can do to avoid them. People who are good at self-regulation, however, are able to manage their emotions so that they do not control their words and actions. While they feel bad moods and impulses as much as anyone else, they do not act upon them. People who act upon their negative feelings create havoc, disruptions, and lasting bad feelings all around them. We feel before we think and people who constantly react from an emotional state never wait long enough to allow their thoughts to override their emotions.

People who self-regulate have the ability to wait until their emotions pass, allowing them to respond from a place of reason, rather than simply reacting to feelings. The signs of someone who is good at self-regulation are reflection, thoughtfulness, comfort with ambiguity, change, and not having all the answers. In an interview, look for people who take a little time to reflect and think before they answer.

Empathy. Empathy is another important aspect to look for when hiring. Someone who has empathy will have an awareness of the feelings of others and consider those feelings in their words and actions. This does not mean that they will tiptoe around or be unwilling to make tough decisions for fear of hurting someone's feelings. It simply means that they are aware of, and take into consideration the impact on others. They are willing to share their own worries and concerns and openly acknowledge other's emotions. A good way to look for empathy in an interview is to ask a candidate about a situation where a co-worker was angry with them and how they dealt with it. Look for a willingness to understand the source of the co-workers anger, even though they may not agree with the reasons for it.

Social skills. Social skill is another area of emotional intelligence that is highly important in the workplace. To have good social skills requires a high level of the other skills aforementioned as well as the ability to relate and find common ground with a wide range of people. It goes beyond just friendliness and the ability to get along with others.

People with social skills are excellent team players as they have the ability to move an agenda along and keep focus while at the same time remaining aware of the emotional climate of the group and possess the ability to respond to it. These people are excellent at making connections, networking, and bringing people together to work on projects. They are able to bring their emotional intelligence skills into play in a larger arena. To look for social skills in an interview, ask questions related to projects and difficulties encountered around varying agendas, temperaments, and getting people to buy in.

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Why Emotionally Intelligent People Are More Successful

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Research by the respected Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in the U.S. found that the primary causes of executive derailment involve deficiencies in emotional competence. Each year, CCL serves more than 20,000 individuals and 2,000 organizations, including more than 80 of the Fortune 100 companies.

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School Leadership That Works: From Research to Results

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School Leadership That Works: From Research to Results

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By Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNulty

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By Kenneth A. Leithwood and Karen Seashore-Lewis

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By John W. Gardner

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UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World

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UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World

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By Michelle Borba, Ed. D

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Reframing the Path to School Leadership: A Guide for Teachers and Principals

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Reframing the Path to School Leadership: A Guide for Teachers and Principals

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By Lee G. Bolman and Terrance E. Deal

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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

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By Jim Collins

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Social, Emotional and Academic Development

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Social, Emotional and Academic Development

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Featured

The 2019-2022 open enrollment charter district audit cycle ends on August 31, 2022. The reporting period for this cycle begins April 15, 2022. The online reporting system (CARtool) used to submit your audit data to the TxSSC will open on April 15, 2022 and must be completed by September 15, 2022. The TxSSC will begin reaching out to verify Superintendent contact information on January 17, 2022 to ensure all districts receive a link to the online reporting system. For more information click .

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The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) is an official university-level research center at Texas State University, a member of the Texas State University System. The TxSSC is tasked in Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code with key school safety initiatives and mandates that include planning, training, and drilling, and in the Governor's Homeland Security Strategic Plan.

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Federal Commission on School Safety | U.S. Department of Education

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In March 2018, President Donald J. Trump appointed U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to lead the Federal Commission on School Safety. The Commission has been charged with quickly providing meaningful and actionable recommendations to keep students safe at school.

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PDF Version March 2, 2018 TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED Subject: Safety Options for School Districts and Charters NOTE: Information within this letter should be read and shared by superintendents and school board presidents.
The safety of every student on every campus is a top priority for everyone in Texas. That commitment to safety throughout a district must begin at the top.

In light of recent events, I encourage all school board members to take up school safety at your next board meeting. It is important to note that school districts and charter schools have several options for obtaining security services at school facilities. Some of those options are listed below. Board members, working with campus and district leadership, must weigh all options based on district safety need, size, location and cost.

Schools should also work closely with first responders and local law enforcement in making these critical decisions. Effective security precautions should be considered in all emergency management and safety plans. I strongly recommend visiting the Texas School Safety Center website ( https://txssc.txstate.edu) for additional information on school safety measures and emergency operations planning.

District and Charter Safety Options:

School Resource Officer (SRO): A district may enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with another governmental entity to have a peace officer (who is commissioned and employed by the other entity) placed at the school on a full or part time bases. The MOU typically requires the school to cover the proportional cost of their salary, benefits, and equipment.

School District Commissioned Police Officer: A district can also create its own police department by commissioning school district peace officers. A peace officer commissioned under TEC Section 37.081 must meet all minimum standards for peace officers established by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). In school districts with a student enrollment of 30,000 or more, SROs and school district commissioned peace officers must undergo training created by TCOLE. TEC 37.0812

Private Security Personnel: If a school district employs an individual as security personnel, the individual must be a commissioned peace officer in order for the district to authorize the individual to carry a weapon. TEC 37.081 (a)

School Marshals: State law ( TEC 37.0811) allows a school district or charter school to appoint one or more specially trained and licensed employees as school marshals. The appointment must be made by the board of trustees and the marshal must have the appropriate licensing and certification by TCOLE. The specialized training must require a psychological exam and include 80 hours of instruction. Information on the School Marshal Program can be found on the TCOLE website: ( https://www.tcole.texas.gov/content/school-marshals).

Guardian Plan: A school board may adopt a local policy that authorizes the designation of specified employees who are authorized to carry firearms on school premises.

Physical Plant: To the extent that bond funds or other funds are available, please consider utilizing them to enhance security and safety measures at the premises (such as security cameras, strengthening doors, etc.).

Additionally, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 788 (Kari's Law) in May 2015. Kari's Law requires all multi-line telephone systems that provide/allow outbound calling to allow for direct dialing of 9-1-1 (no initial digit, prefix, or access code to reach an outbound line is permitted). Mandatory compliance with the law began Sept. 1, 2016. If you have a multi-line telephone system that cannot comply with Kari's Law, you must submit a one-year waiver request. More information about that process can be found here: http://texas911.org.

As you have questions regarding school safety, please contact Candace Stoltz, Director for Emergency Management, by phone at (512) 463-9286 or by email at Candace.stoltz@tea.texas.gov.

Thank you for your work in keeping the students of Texas safe.

Mike Morath
Commissioner

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Safety Options for School Districts and Charters

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PDF Version March 2, 2018 TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED Subject: Safety Options for School Districts and Charters NOTE: Information within this letter should be read and shared by superintendents and school board presidents. The safety of every student on every campus is a top priority for everyone in Texas.

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In support of common issues and public education. Research reports reviewing data on educational issues and policy papers concerning NEA members, educators, and the public school community.

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These pages contain brief but thorough, research-based background essays on important education issues in America today. Each page includes links to research citations, to definitions of related education terms, and to relevant stories from the Education Week and Teacher Magazine archives. You'll also find links to pertinent reports, Web sites, and organizations.

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Psycho-Social Interventions to the Achievement Gaps

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Psycho-Social Interventions to the Achievement Gaps

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Angelo State University - Library Online Resources

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Developing Core Beliefs and a Leadership Philosophy

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Developing Core Beliefs and a Leadership Philosophy

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Abstract

Possessing core beliefs and a leadership philosophy is essential to undergird the work of college leaders, particularly during a time of systemic organizational change. This chapter delineates what college leaders should do to establish ethical decision‐making and ethical leadership practices.

Community college leaders face a multitude of decision‐making opportunities daily. What to do with each opportunity is often not of great concern. In fact, it is often the easier aspect of decision‐making. That is, a leader can either make the decision, delegate the decision to someone else, or ignore it altogether. It is the unknown outcome, however, once a decision is made or ignored that can stir an internal dialogue for the leader and initiate self‐debate and thoughts of worst‐case scenarios that can cause analysis paralysis and raise the blood pressure. In this chapter, straightforward decision‐making such as what to eat or where to eat for lunch or moral decisions where obvious clarity between right and wrong exists as in whether a decision leads to a legal or illegal outcome is not the primary focus. No, this chapter focuses on decisions of a nature that pose a difficult ethical dilemma where the outcome is "right versus right" (Kidder, 2009). While a leader can count on having to make right versus right decision on a regular basis, the opportunities seem to present themselves with greater frequency during times of systemic institutional change. It is then, where upon execution of these tough decisions and the fallout begins, a leader needs a leg to stand on.

Anyone who has experienced systemic organizational change or led others through change will know that change can be extremely difficult for employees, regardless of their post in the organization. During such time, employees tend to conjure thoughts and images of job shift, workload or location change, or worst yet, job loss. Therefore, a leader must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to navigate the choppy waters of change. Leaders will be measured by their actions during this time and by the types of decisions made where employee morale serves as the gauge of leadership effectiveness. Fortunately, a leader can take measures to prepare his or her organization for the tough decisions he or she will make. First, however, college leaders must be grounded in core beliefs regarding higher education and a leadership philosophy that can withstand the unpredictable outcome of ethical decision‐making having right versus right choices. Understanding the impact of major change on an organization along with a comprehension of the broad nature of the choices you face can mitigate potential negative fallout from right versus right decisions.

Impact of Change on the Organization

In an organization, change of any magnitude can yield a variety of outcomes causing a range of minimal to maximum effect on the organization. It is the seismic shifts, however, whether created by organizational restructuring, hiring of a new senior‐level administrator, or revamping processes and policies centered on budgeting, conflict resolution or performance management, for example, that raise the odds for cataclysmic results. Decision‐making opportunities abound during this high‐stakes phase in organizational change, and a mindful leader will remain grounded in his or her core beliefs and leadership philosophy, helping employees to move from shock or fear to acceptance and implementation of change. As one can imagine, devastation to employee morale or an inability to fulfill organizational mission caused by poor decision‐making can be major setbacks that are difficult for a leader and his or her organization to overcome. A college leader who recognizes the effects of organizational change will look to one of several proven models for leading through change. Kotter's eight‐step Model for Change, for example, can serve as a tool for any leader about to embark upon change (Kotter, 2012).

Kotter's ( 2012) model provides a roadmap for a leader to lead through rather than attempting to manage change by taking these eight steps: create a sense of urgency, form powerful guiding coalitions, develop a vision and a strategy, communicate the vision, remove obstacles and empower employees for action, create short‐term wins, consolidate gains, and strengthen change by anchoring change in the culture. Leaders will find similarities and differences amongst the various change models proven to be effective. Implementing such a model can increase the likelihood of a positive impact to the organization resulting from change. Grounded in a proven process for change, college leaders must know who they are and what they stand for.

Who Are You?

It is well understood among many that establishing a solid foundation is critical to support the infrastructure of any construction effort, and organizational leadership is no different. That is, knowing what it is that one values and the principles of one's leadership style is essential to the foundation of an organizational leader. Why? Well, because in moments where leaders face an ethical dilemma with no obvious choice, a leader needs true north to help guide sound decision‐making. Making decisions in a consistent and possibly predictable manner beats some happenstance approach. A college leader should also acknowledge that setting a goal of achieving 100% happiness by all impacted by his or her decision is simply unrealistic. Rather, acknowledging that not all employees may agree with a final decision, a college leader aiming for trust and respect for the decision‐making process serves as a more realistic goal. For the leader, it begins with knowing more about oneself, core beliefs. A leader's core beliefs have the potential to shape the organization through the choices made and how the organization responds.

In the early days of any introduction to education course, students are often asked to develop core beliefs by answering the question: what is your philosophy of education? The response, referred to as a philosophy of education statement, is a description of what one believes to be the best approach for education. Answering the what is your philosophy of education question can certainly be applied to higher education, and in this case, as a task for college leaders.

Answering several questions may elicit thoughts and responses to help develop a philosophy of higher education for college leaders: Do you see it as a public or private good? Should it be free or should students bear the cost? Do you believe in open access or limiting access only to those fully prepared for the college experience? What does student success mean to you? What is meant by serving the community? Should student interest be at the core of learning? Should students be free to explore interests while in college? There are no right or wrong answers to those questions; certainly, some responses may be more accepted. In either instance, your response to these questions will help to establish core beliefs. For further study, a leader can determine which of the following five prevailing education philosophies his or her beliefs lie within: essentialism, perennialism, progressivism, behaviorism, or existentialism (The Five Key Educational, n.d.). Ultimately, a college leader's decisions should reflect his or her core beliefs.

One of the worst things a college leader can do is to keep his or her core beliefs a secret. Articulating beliefs to others has key benefits. First, sharing beliefs with others will help leaders strengthen their own philosophy of education or work to identify weaknesses if beliefs are challenged by others. Second, how widely core beliefs and a leadership philosophy are known by others in the organization correlates to some degree how the organization responds to tough decisions. Third, sharing with others incorporates a level of accountability to a leader's decision‐making and leadership style. Core beliefs will then either become further ingrained into the fabric of one's leadership and decision‐making or change altogether, if one can remain open minded through this continuous process. The benefit of a leader sharing his or her core belief will allow others to know what he or she stands for and help to develop a better understanding of his or her decision‐making, especially when the options are right versus right. A leader who understands the type of choices before him or her increases the chance of making the best "right" decision.

So Many Choices

A closer examination at the tough choices described by Kidder ( 2009) as "right versus right" can help a leader develop a better understand of decision types. A right versus right decision is one where the options are of equal benefit to opposing sides; yet, once a decision is made, one side will not be pleased with what is viewed as an unfavorable outcome. For example, consider the decision to raise tuition as way to generate additional revenue to offset program costs and to fund a salary increase for employees. It is "right," on the one hand, is to keep college affordable and leave tuition at current rates, and "right," on the other hand, is to give employees a long‐overdue raise. Many on each side of the aisle of this ethical dilemma will argue that together these events are mutually exclusive. And therein lies the tough decision: does the leader upset students and possibly price them out by raising tuition to generate additional revenue or does the leader upset employees by forgoing yet another increase to their salaries. As a realistic side note to this dilemma, forget looking to state appropriations for a bailout to make this tough decision. College appropriations were just reduced by 25% and the college's board of trustees expresses zero appetite for raising the tax levy!

Kidder ( 2009) presents four paradigms for understanding choices associated with ethical dilemmas: truth versus loyalty, individual versus community, short‐term versus long‐term, justice versus mercy. These right versus right quandaries deserve further attention for college leaders to be better equipped to make the best "right" choice.

For the paradigm truth versus loyalty, one identifies truth as a set of facts or the reality of a situation; whereas, loyalty is display of allegiance or commitment to someone, something, or an organization. When faced with this type of decision, it is right to be loyal and right to adhere to the truth. In the earlier example involving tuition rates and employee raises, as a college leader, the truth is that college employees have not received a salary increase for 5 years and research data suggest that a nominal increase in tuition will impact access for many students (Hemelt & Marcotte, 2011). The effective college leader, however, is loyal to his or her employees and places great importance on creating the ideal workplace where morale is high and people feel valued. Yet, the compassionate college leader has committed to students the promise of an affordable education accompanied by high‐touch support to improve access and success. What should the leader do?

For the paradigm individual versus community, one relates individualism with the idea that when a person is left alone to pursue his or her dreams, the collective group will ultimately benefit from that person's accomplishments. On the other hand, community is quite the opposite and suggests that serving the interests of the community at large is better than serving the needs of the individual. When faced with this type of decision, it is right to focus on the needs of the individual and it is right to do the same for the community. What should a leader do?

For short‐term versus long‐term, one sees that a decision must be made to serve the current needs of whatever is in question at the moment to preserve a future state; whereas, long‐term serves the needs of a future state operating under the assumption that sufficient resources will be available to meet those needs when the time arrives. Here, it is right to think and plan for the short‐term, and it is right to think and plan for the long‐term. Which should a leader do?

For justice versus mercy, one sees justice as adhering to set a laws, rules, policies, or norms when someone is in violation of them. An employee has violated a policy and regardless of pressures associated with this incident, one believes that the employee must be dealt with swiftly and appropriately reprimanded. This thought process suggests that all employees should be treated equally in the eyes of policy. As for mercy, one acknowledges the wrongdoing or violation of laws, rules, or policies but believes in second chances and that to err is human. This thought process suggests that policy violations should be considered on a case‐by‐case basis. It is right to administer justice, and it is right to have mercy. What should a leader do?

With a solid understanding of the types of decisions associated with ethical dilemmas, a college leader is now better equipped to make the tougher decisions. Kidder ( 2009) provides those making ethical decisions with nine checkpoints to help navigate complex scenarios and to mitigate any confusion in any decisions falling within one of the four decision paradigms: (1) recognize there is a moral issue; (2) determine the actor (who does the problem belong to?); (3) gather the relevant facts; (4) test for right versus wrong issues; (5) test for right versus right paradigms; (6) apply the resolution principles; (7) investigate the "trilemma" option; (8) make the decision; and (9) revisit and reflect on the decision. Most of these require little explanation, except for number seven where Kidder ( 2009) introduces the concept of a trilemma, which is an option where a win‐win solution may exist to satisfy parties on either side of the tough decision. Using the tuition increase versus salary increase example, a potential win‐win for both parties could be developing differential tuition system where students in high‐cost academic programs pay higher tuition than those in less costly programs. In this case, some students may see a tuition increase and others may see a decrease, which could provide the revenue needed to cover costs. As for the employees, college leaders could work to provide a one‐time stipend or add to the number of vacation days allotted to employees. Combined, the differential tuition rates and one‐time stipends or additional vacation days may provide the win‐win a college leader needs to keep the majority content. As a side note to this hypothetical solution, one should monitor the effect differential tuition can have on low‐social economic students by potentially "pricing" them out of more expensive programs such as nursing.

Some organizations are experiencing success with negotiation occurring between opposing parties of an issue by using an interest‐based negotiation (IBN) approach where win‐win is not the goal, philosophically speaking. In IBN, both groups come to the table and work to find a solution that satisfies interests to move the groups beyond respective status quos (Dorn, Marcus, & McNulty, 2011). This approach lies in stark contrast to the traditional positional approach to working toward a win‐win solution. IBN can be an effective tool for leaders to help resolve a trilemma scenario. In fact, it puts the leader in a place as facilitator of the decision‐making process rather than the sole decider.

Having core beliefs or a philosophy of higher education, an ability to identify the nature of the ethical dilemma, and a list of checkpoints to assess one's approach will help with consistent decision‐making in right versus right scenarios. A closer examination of proven leadership styles or theories is beneficial for the college leader.

Leadership Philosophy

If one has ever studied leadership through formal training, then one might have learned about the many leadership theories developed over the past 100 years. One may have also learned about the differences between leadership and management, an important distinction but two concepts that may coexist in the realm of all administrative leadership roles. If neither is the case, then one is strongly urged to do so; and if subscribing to any notion that one is a natural born leader, understand that little regard for that concept exists in leadership research-the Great Man theory is outdated. Also, many tend to incorrectly associate charisma as a sure sign of leadership. Certainly, charisma is a characteristic found among some leaders, but it is not necessary for one to be an effective leader. Acknowledgement exists in the body of literature regarding leadership that one can learn to become a good leader (Burns, 1978; Gardner, 1990; Northouse, 2016). Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, all colors and genders, and from all parts of the world. Thus, grounding oneself in one or more leadership philosophies serves as critical component to a college leader's effectiveness and development of trust and respect when tough decisions must be made. Highlighting a few of the more common leadership styles found in organizations will give the neophyte leader a basic understanding and perhaps incentive to research more on his or her own.

Transformational, authentic, servant, and situational leadership tend to be more commonly identified styles either by choice or unknowingly exhibited by untrained leaders in organizations. Transformational leadership is a form of leadership where the leader interacts with followers and develops a connection that increases the level of motivation and morality in both parties. Whereas with most leadership styles the relationship between leader and follower can be described as transactional, a transformational leader's primary interest is to help followers reach their fullest potential (Burns, 1978; Northouse, 2016). While transformational is perhaps the most popular leadership style today, authentic and servant leadership styles remain relevant and are gaining in popularity.

Authentic leadership refers to a process between follower and leader where the focus centers on genuine leadership. In other words, the leader is truly engaged for the greater good and not intentionally deploying tactics to motivate for personal gain. In servant leadership, leaders put followers and their interests above that of the leader (Northouse, 2016). One might describe an authentic leader as "what you see is what you get." A servant leader listens to followers, expresses empathy for their struggles, and works to help followers grow personally and professionally. Examples of servant leaders include widely known historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A leader practicing situational leadership will act according to whatever is required for the current situation. A situational leader will employ a variety of techniques and may invoke other leadership styles to achieve the objective by constantly assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly (Northouse, 2016). Employing one or more of these leadership styles or others not mentioned in this chapter will help college leaders to be more effective as leaders and in decision‐making. However, regardless of the chosen leadership style, a college leader must be mindful of the role ethics plays within the practice of leadership.

The intersection of ethics and leadership can be found while observing what leaders do and who leaders are. Furthermore, in decision‐making, ethical issues can be seen as implicitly or explicitly involved. Northouse ( 2016) states, "The choices leaders make and how they respond in a given circumstance are informed and directed by their ethics." (p. 330). Infusing principles of ethical leadership into practice should be a priority for any leader. Northouse ( 2016) compiled a list of common ethical principles found at the core of ethical leadership: respect, service, justice, honesty, and community. These principles can be succinctly understood as an ethical leader respects and serves others, shows justice, manifests honesty, and builds community.

As with core belief or philosophy of education, a leader can reap the benefits of sharing his or her leadership philosophy with others in the organization. This sharing is of particular importance for the president of the college. In addition to holding oneself accountable, others in the organization will come to know what to expect of the leader's action and decisions. If well received, the college leader will see his or her style of leadership permeate the institution. In fact, some will demand it from other leaders in the organization.

Conclusion

In an organization experiencing systemic change, grounding oneself in one or more proven leadership styles will increase effectiveness and ethical decision‐making. As previously stated, keeping your style a great mystery to those you lead can be an avoidable mistake. On multiple occasions and in multiple forms, a college leader must communicate his or her core beliefs and leadership style. Rest assured that as one moves up the organizational ranks, the decisions awaiting college leaders are more likely to be of the right versus right nature. Furthermore, the outcome of the leader's decision will affect more people, will be longer lasting, and will face more scrutiny and criticism as he or she moves up the ladder.

Finally, a leader equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities mentioned in this chapter who can employ much of what he or she has learned is ready to make tough decisions and the organization should be ready for change. What remains for the leader is what many say leaders get paid the big bucks to do, which is possessing the moral courage to make tough decisions. A former mentor would jokingly say of college presidents, "[they] must have the intestinal fortitude to make senior‐level decisions." In other words, when faced with an ethical dilemma, the ethical thing for a leader to do is to have the strength and courage to do what is known to be right regardless of the risk and immense external pressures that come with right versus right. Remember, it is not whether people like your decision, it is a matter of whether they can respect it and trust that you made the best "right" decision because they know your core beliefs and leadership philosophy. They know that you engaged in an internal process to vet everything within your sphere of knowledge to make the right decision. And even if that is true, chances are good that you will still need a leg to stand on.

Biography

Abstract

Possessing core beliefs and a leadership philosophy is essential to undergird the work of college leaders, particularly during a time of systemic organizational change. This chapter delineates what college leaders should do to establish ethical decision‐making and ethical leadership practices.

Community college leaders face a multitude of decision‐making opportunities daily. What to do with each opportunity is often not of great concern. In fact, it is often the easier aspect of decision‐making. That is, a leader can either make the decision, delegate the decision to someone else, or ignore it altogether. It is the unknown outcome, however, once a decision is made or ignored that can stir an internal dialogue for the leader and initiate self‐debate and thoughts of worst‐case scenarios that can cause analysis paralysis and raise the blood pressure. In this chapter, straightforward decision‐making such as what to eat or where to eat for lunch or moral decisions where obvious clarity between right and wrong exists as in whether a decision leads to a legal or illegal outcome is not the primary focus. No, this chapter focuses on decisions of a nature that pose a difficult ethical dilemma where the outcome is "right versus right" (Kidder, ). While a leader can count on having to make right versus right decision on a regular basis, the opportunities seem to present themselves with greater frequency during times of systemic institutional change. It is then, where upon execution of these tough decisions and the fallout begins, a leader needs a leg to stand on.

Anyone who has experienced systemic organizational change or led others through change will know that change can be extremely difficult for employees, regardless of their post in the organization. During such time, employees tend to conjure thoughts and images of job shift, workload or location change, or worst yet, job loss. Therefore, a leader must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to navigate the choppy waters of change. Leaders will be measured by their actions during this time and by the types of decisions made where employee morale serves as the gauge of leadership effectiveness. Fortunately, a leader can take measures to prepare his or her organization for the tough decisions he or she will make. First, however, college leaders must be grounded in core beliefs regarding higher education and a leadership philosophy that can withstand the unpredictable outcome of ethical decision‐making having right versus right choices. Understanding the impact of major change on an organization along with a comprehension of the broad nature of the choices you face can mitigate potential negative fallout from right versus right decisions.

Impact of Change on the Organization

In an organization, change of any magnitude can yield a variety of outcomes causing a range of minimal to maximum effect on the organization. It is the seismic shifts, however, whether created by organizational restructuring, hiring of a new senior‐level administrator, or revamping processes and policies centered on budgeting, conflict resolution or performance management, for example, that raise the odds for cataclysmic results. Decision‐making opportunities abound during this high‐stakes phase in organizational change, and a mindful leader will remain grounded in his or her core beliefs and leadership philosophy, helping employees to move from shock or fear to acceptance and implementation of change. As one can imagine, devastation to employee morale or an inability to fulfill organizational mission caused by poor decision‐making can be major setbacks that are difficult for a leader and his or her organization to overcome. A college leader who recognizes the effects of organizational change will look to one of several proven models for leading through change. Kotter's eight‐step Model for Change, for example, can serve as a tool for any leader about to embark upon change (Kotter, ).

Kotter's () model provides a roadmap for a leader to lead through rather than attempting to manage change by taking these eight steps: create a sense of urgency, form powerful guiding coalitions, develop a vision and a strategy, communicate the vision, remove obstacles and empower employees for action, create short‐term wins, consolidate gains, and strengthen change by anchoring change in the culture. Leaders will find similarities and differences amongst the various change models proven to be effective. Implementing such a model can increase the likelihood of a positive impact to the organization resulting from change. Grounded in a proven process for change, college leaders must know who they are and what they stand for.

Who Are You?

It is well understood among many that establishing a solid foundation is critical to support the infrastructure of any construction effort, and organizational leadership is no different. That is, knowing what it is that one values and the principles of one's leadership style is essential to the foundation of an organizational leader. Why? Well, because in moments where leaders face an ethical dilemma with no obvious choice, a leader needs true north to help guide sound decision‐making. Making decisions in a consistent and possibly predictable manner beats some happenstance approach. A college leader should also acknowledge that setting a goal of achieving 100% happiness by all impacted by his or her decision is simply unrealistic. Rather, acknowledging that not all employees may agree with a final decision, a college leader aiming for trust and respect for the decision‐making process serves as a more realistic goal. For the leader, it begins with knowing more about oneself, core beliefs. A leader's core beliefs have the potential to shape the organization through the choices made and how the organization responds.

In the early days of any introduction to education course, students are often asked to develop core beliefs by answering the question: what is your philosophy of education? The response, referred to as a philosophy of education statement, is a description of what one believes to be the best approach for education. Answering the what is your philosophy of education question can certainly be applied to higher education, and in this case, as a task for college leaders.

Answering several questions may elicit thoughts and responses to help develop a philosophy of higher education for college leaders: Do you see it as a public or private good? Should it be free or should students bear the cost? Do you believe in open access or limiting access only to those fully prepared for the college experience? What does student success mean to you? What is meant by serving the community? Should student interest be at the core of learning? Should students be free to explore interests while in college? There are no right or wrong answers to those questions; certainly, some responses may be more accepted. In either instance, your response to these questions will help to establish core beliefs. For further study, a leader can determine which of the following five prevailing education philosophies his or her beliefs lie within: essentialism, perennialism, progressivism, behaviorism, or existentialism (The Five Key Educational, n.d.). Ultimately, a college leader's decisions should reflect his or her core beliefs.

One of the worst things a college leader can do is to keep his or her core beliefs a secret. Articulating beliefs to others has key benefits. First, sharing beliefs with others will help leaders strengthen their own philosophy of education or work to identify weaknesses if beliefs are challenged by others. Second, how widely core beliefs and a leadership philosophy are known by others in the organization correlates to some degree how the organization responds to tough decisions. Third, sharing with others incorporates a level of accountability to a leader's decision‐making and leadership style. Core beliefs will then either become further ingrained into the fabric of one's leadership and decision‐making or change altogether, if one can remain open minded through this continuous process. The benefit of a leader sharing his or her core belief will allow others to know what he or she stands for and help to develop a better understanding of his or her decision‐making, especially when the options are right versus right. A leader who understands the type of choices before him or her increases the chance of making the best "right" decision.

So Many Choices

A closer examination at the tough choices described by Kidder () as "right versus right" can help a leader develop a better understand of decision types. A right versus right decision is one where the options are of equal benefit to opposing sides; yet, once a decision is made, one side will not be pleased with what is viewed as an unfavorable outcome. For example, consider the decision to raise tuition as way to generate additional revenue to offset program costs and to fund a salary increase for employees. It is "right," on the one hand, is to keep college affordable and leave tuition at current rates, and "right," on the other hand, is to give employees a long‐overdue raise. Many on each side of the aisle of this ethical dilemma will argue that together these events are mutually exclusive. And therein lies the tough decision: does the leader upset students and possibly price them out by raising tuition to generate additional revenue or does the leader upset employees by forgoing yet another increase to their salaries. As a realistic side note to this dilemma, forget looking to state appropriations for a bailout to make this tough decision. College appropriations were just reduced by 25% and the college's board of trustees expresses zero appetite for raising the tax levy!

Kidder () presents four paradigms for understanding choices associated with ethical dilemmas: truth versus loyalty, individual versus community, short‐term versus long‐term, justice versus mercy. These right versus right quandaries deserve further attention for college leaders to be better equipped to make the best "right" choice.

For the paradigm truth versus loyalty, one identifies truth as a set of facts or the reality of a situation; whereas, loyalty is display of allegiance or commitment to someone, something, or an organization. When faced with this type of decision, it is right to be loyal and right to adhere to the truth. In the earlier example involving tuition rates and employee raises, as a college leader, the truth is that college employees have not received a salary increase for 5 years and research data suggest that a nominal increase in tuition will impact access for many students (Hemelt & Marcotte, ). The effective college leader, however, is loyal to his or her employees and places great importance on creating the ideal workplace where morale is high and people feel valued. Yet, the compassionate college leader has committed to students the promise of an affordable education accompanied by high‐touch support to improve access and success. What should the leader do?

For the paradigm individual versus community, one relates individualism with the idea that when a person is left alone to pursue his or her dreams, the collective group will ultimately benefit from that person's accomplishments. On the other hand, community is quite the opposite and suggests that serving the interests of the community at large is better than serving the needs of the individual. When faced with this type of decision, it is right to focus on the needs of the individual and it is right to do the same for the community. What should a leader do?

For short‐term versus long‐term, one sees that a decision must be made to serve the current needs of whatever is in question at the moment to preserve a future state; whereas, long‐term serves the needs of a future state operating under the assumption that sufficient resources will be available to meet those needs when the time arrives. Here, it is right to think and plan for the short‐term, and it is right to think and plan for the long‐term. Which should a leader do?

For justice versus mercy, one sees justice as adhering to set a laws, rules, policies, or norms when someone is in violation of them. An employee has violated a policy and regardless of pressures associated with this incident, one believes that the employee must be dealt with swiftly and appropriately reprimanded. This thought process suggests that all employees should be treated equally in the eyes of policy. As for mercy, one acknowledges the wrongdoing or violation of laws, rules, or policies but believes in second chances and that to err is human. This thought process suggests that policy violations should be considered on a case‐by‐case basis. It is right to administer justice, and it is right to have mercy. What should a leader do?

With a solid understanding of the types of decisions associated with ethical dilemmas, a college leader is now better equipped to make the tougher decisions. Kidder () provides those making ethical decisions with nine checkpoints to help navigate complex scenarios and to mitigate any confusion in any decisions falling within one of the four decision paradigms: (1) recognize there is a moral issue; (2) determine the actor (who does the problem belong to?); (3) gather the relevant facts; (4) test for right versus wrong issues; (5) test for right versus right paradigms; (6) apply the resolution principles; (7) investigate the "trilemma" option; (8) make the decision; and (9) revisit and reflect on the decision. Most of these require little explanation, except for number seven where Kidder () introduces the concept of a trilemma, which is an option where a win‐win solution may exist to satisfy parties on either side of the tough decision. Using the tuition increase versus salary increase example, a potential win‐win for both parties could be developing differential tuition system where students in high‐cost academic programs pay higher tuition than those in less costly programs. In this case, some students may see a tuition increase and others may see a decrease, which could provide the revenue needed to cover costs. As for the employees, college leaders could work to provide a one‐time stipend or add to the number of vacation days allotted to employees. Combined, the differential tuition rates and one‐time stipends or additional vacation days may provide the win‐win a college leader needs to keep the majority content. As a side note to this hypothetical solution, one should monitor the effect differential tuition can have on low‐social economic students by potentially "pricing" them out of more expensive programs such as nursing.

Some organizations are experiencing success with negotiation occurring between opposing parties of an issue by using an interest‐based negotiation (IBN) approach where win‐win is not the goal, philosophically speaking. In IBN, both groups come to the table and work to find a solution that satisfies interests to move the groups beyond respective status quos (Dorn, Marcus, & McNulty, ). This approach lies in stark contrast to the traditional positional approach to working toward a win‐win solution. IBN can be an effective tool for leaders to help resolve a trilemma scenario. In fact, it puts the leader in a place as facilitator of the decision‐making process rather than the sole decider.

Having core beliefs or a philosophy of higher education, an ability to identify the nature of the ethical dilemma, and a list of checkpoints to assess one's approach will help with consistent decision‐making in right versus right scenarios. A closer examination of proven leadership styles or theories is beneficial for the college leader.

Leadership Philosophy

If one has ever studied leadership through formal training, then one might have learned about the many leadership theories developed over the past 100 years. One may have also learned about the differences between leadership and management, an important distinction but two concepts that may coexist in the realm of all administrative leadership roles. If neither is the case, then one is strongly urged to do so; and if subscribing to any notion that one is a natural born leader, understand that little regard for that concept exists in leadership research-the Great Man theory is outdated. Also, many tend to incorrectly associate charisma as a sure sign of leadership. Certainly, charisma is a characteristic found among some leaders, but it is not necessary for one to be an effective leader. Acknowledgement exists in the body of literature regarding leadership that one can learn to become a good leader (Burns, ; Gardner, ; Northouse, ). Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, all colors and genders, and from all parts of the world. Thus, grounding oneself in one or more leadership philosophies serves as critical component to a college leader's effectiveness and development of trust and respect when tough decisions must be made. Highlighting a few of the more common leadership styles found in organizations will give the neophyte leader a basic understanding and perhaps incentive to research more on his or her own.

Transformational, authentic, servant, and situational leadership tend to be more commonly identified styles either by choice or unknowingly exhibited by untrained leaders in organizations. Transformational leadership is a form of leadership where the leader interacts with followers and develops a connection that increases the level of motivation and morality in both parties. Whereas with most leadership styles the relationship between leader and follower can be described as transactional, a transformational leader's primary interest is to help followers reach their fullest potential (Burns, ; Northouse, ). While transformational is perhaps the most popular leadership style today, authentic and servant leadership styles remain relevant and are gaining in popularity.

Authentic leadership refers to a process between follower and leader where the focus centers on genuine leadership. In other words, the leader is truly engaged for the greater good and not intentionally deploying tactics to motivate for personal gain. In servant leadership, leaders put followers and their interests above that of the leader (Northouse, ). One might describe an authentic leader as "what you see is what you get." A servant leader listens to followers, expresses empathy for their struggles, and works to help followers grow personally and professionally. Examples of servant leaders include widely known historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A leader practicing situational leadership will act according to whatever is required for the current situation. A situational leader will employ a variety of techniques and may invoke other leadership styles to achieve the objective by constantly assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly (Northouse, ). Employing one or more of these leadership styles or others not mentioned in this chapter will help college leaders to be more effective as leaders and in decision‐making. However, regardless of the chosen leadership style, a college leader must be mindful of the role ethics plays within the practice of leadership.

The intersection of ethics and leadership can be found while observing what leaders do and who leaders are. Furthermore, in decision‐making, ethical issues can be seen as implicitly or explicitly involved. Northouse () states, "The choices leaders make and how they respond in a given circumstance are informed and directed by their ethics." (p. 330). Infusing principles of ethical leadership into practice should be a priority for any leader. Northouse () compiled a list of common ethical principles found at the core of ethical leadership: respect, service, justice, honesty, and community. These principles can be succinctly understood as an ethical leader respects and serves others, shows justice, manifests honesty, and builds community.

As with core belief or philosophy of education, a leader can reap the benefits of sharing his or her leadership philosophy with others in the organization. This sharing is of particular importance for the president of the college. In addition to holding oneself accountable, others in the organization will come to know what to expect of the leader's action and decisions. If well received, the college leader will see his or her style of leadership permeate the institution. In fact, some will demand it from other leaders in the organization.

Conclusion

In an organization experiencing systemic change, grounding oneself in one or more proven leadership styles will increase effectiveness and ethical decision‐making. As previously stated, keeping your style a great mystery to those you lead can be an avoidable mistake. On multiple occasions and in multiple forms, a college leader must communicate his or her core beliefs and leadership style. Rest assured that as one moves up the organizational ranks, the decisions awaiting college leaders are more likely to be of the right versus right nature. Furthermore, the outcome of the leader's decision will affect more people, will be longer lasting, and will face more scrutiny and criticism as he or she moves up the ladder.

Finally, a leader equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities mentioned in this chapter who can employ much of what he or she has learned is ready to make tough decisions and the organization should be ready for change. What remains for the leader is what many say leaders get paid the big bucks to do, which is possessing the moral courage to make tough decisions. A former mentor would jokingly say of college presidents, "[they] must have the intestinal fortitude to make senior‐level decisions." In other words, when faced with an ethical dilemma, the ethical thing for a leader to do is to have the strength and courage to do what is known to be right regardless of the risk and immense external pressures that come with right versus right. Remember, it is not whether people like your decision, it is a matter of whether they can respect it and trust that you made the best "right" decision because they know your core beliefs and leadership philosophy. They know that you engaged in an internal process to vet everything within your sphere of knowledge to make the right decision. And even if that is true, chances are good that you will still need a leg to stand on.

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A Leg to Stand On: Developing Core Beliefs and a Leadership Philosophy for Sound Ethical Decision‐Making

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Possessing core beliefs and a leadership philosophy is essential to undergird the work of college leaders, particularly during a time of systemic organizational change. This chapter delineates what college leaders should do to establish ethical decision‐making and ethical leadership practices. Community college leaders face a multitude of decision‐making opportunities daily.

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Developing a Personal Leadership Philosophy

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Developing a Personal Leadership Philosophy

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Introduction

The study of leadership became a scholarly activity in the early 20 th century, and since then multiple practices and approaches have taken hold in the workforce (Northouse, 2016). Today, bookstores are filled with shelves of manuscripts and publications devoted to the art and science of leadership. In the same way, leadership degrees, certificates, and development programs continue to gain traction across the United States. Leadership is a hot commodity, and everyone seems to be asking themselves, 'How can I be a more effective leader?' Even more so, many struggle with how to define and articulate what type of leader they are and their overall leadership identity (Figliuolo, 2011).

The National Intelligence University, a federal, accredited university in the Washington D.C. metro-area, has successfully utilized an experiential exercise since 2013 in their leadership education curriculum that assists its graduate and executive-level students to develop and openly share a proposed personal leadership philosophy. The authors of this article have utilized this exercise approximately 25 times, and have had great success and real-world feedback from students on its implementation inside the classroom and outside in the workforce. Ultimately, the production and presentation of a leadership philosophy helps students to reflect on their own leadership efficacy and how they can improve as current and future leaders.

Literature Review

While leadership philosophies are utilized extensively in the business arena, aside from blogs and leadership development websites, there remains limited leadership education scholarship available on how to create, adapt, or utilize a leadership philosophy in the workplace. Yet, as leaders rise through the ranks, a personal leadership philosophy can help navigate the rough waters and assist leaders to be more proactive versus reactive in the office, as well as help to establish an identify as a leader (Derue & Ashford, 2010). A core philosophy can also ultimately help leaders to establish relationships across an organization (Walker, 2015).

In 2011, Mike Figliuolo published a book One Piece of Paper that walks the reader through four aspects of a leadership philosophy: Leading yourself; leading the thinking; leading your people; and leading a balanced life (Figliuolo, 2011). In this sense, Figliuolo touches on the popular leadership education practice of authentic leadership. Authentic leadership emerged in 2008, and is composed of four main components: self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency (Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wensing, & Peterson, 2008). With regard to formulating a leadership philosophy, self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, and relational transparency are critical building blocks to establishing one's leadership philosophy.

Self-Awareness. A leadership philosophy is written from a personal perspective; as such, self-awareness is imperative for an individual to author a truthful philosophy. Self-awareness includes understanding one's own goals, motivations, strengths, weaknesses, emotions, and morals and values (Northouse, 2016). This awareness is often gained through self-reflection and introspection where the individual asks himself or herself, "Who am I?" (Gardner, Avolio, Luthans, May, & Walumbwa, 2005, p. 347). Kouzes and Posner (2012) referred to this period of reflection and introspection as an inner journey. This journey enables one to discover what they truly value and believe in, so that in a position of leadership they are able to make tough decisions, act with courage, and choose the best path forward (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).

Internalized Moral Perspective. Often associated with self-determination theory, internalized moral perspective is a self-regulatory process used by individuals to guide them to make decisions using their internal values and morals (Northouse, 2016; Walumbwa et al., 2008). An individual who has a strong internalized moral perspective is more likely to make decisions inline with his or her internalized perspectives, and is less likely to go against their values or morals to stay in step with a group or organizational values if they are opposed. If these values and morals are expressed succinctly in a leadership philosophy and the individual has a strong internalized moral perspective, their subordinates should be able to predict their leadership behavior and decision making (Walumbwa et al., 2008).

Relational Transparency. Relational transparency is defined as presenting yourself openly and truthfully to others. As explained by Northouse (2016), relational transparency is self-regulated as individuals are capable of masking their true selves in front of others. Kernis (2003) found that relational transparency is a critical component to authenticity as it requires one to be real, both good and bad, in front of others that they are in close relationships with. While leaders will seldom be open books with their subordinates, they do need to be truthful and genuine, or they risk losing a subordinate's trust. Subsequently, the creation and sharing of a leadership philosophy is equivalent to opening a chapter up for others to read and reflect upon. This is similar, if not sometimes equal, to the well-established practice of constructing stories to establish a leadership identity (Hersted & Frimann, 2016).

Leadership Education Pedagogy. Experiential learning in the classroom has been around for quite some time, and according to McCall (2004) learning leadership through experience is often most effective. Essentially this leadership education exercise ensures that students engage, "in the learning process through discussion, group work, and hands-on participation" (Wurdinger & Carlson, 2010, p. 2) that mimics real-world application. Subsequently, this classroom exercise provides a leadership development and reflection opportunity that is critical to maximizing leadership learning (Guthrie & Jones, 2012). Moreover, this provides an intentional experience, followed by a reflection opportunity to enhance and further develop students' leadership identify and self, that according to Guthrie and Jones (2012) can be difficult to find, but is paramount in leadership education.

The Leadership Philosophy Assignment

The Leadership Philosophy assignment consists of two parts: a written document and a presentation. This assignment has been successfully incorporated in two different types of graduate leadership and management courses at the National Intelligence University - one to full-time students who meet weekly for ten weeks, and the other to part-time students who meet eight-hours a day for one full week. In both environments, students are assigned readings to help them understand the purpose of a leadership philosophy and self-reflect on who they are as a leader. These readings include: Kouzes and Posner's (2012) "Leadership Begins with an Inner Journey", Garner's (2012) article "Developing an Effective Command Philosophy", and Chapter One from Figliuolo's (2011) book One Piece of Paper.

To prepare students to formulate their personal leadership philosophy, one classroom instructional session scheduled for approximately 60-75 minutes is devoted to "Developing a Leadership Philosophy" and includes discussion in key areas: the concept of a personal leadership philosophy; ways to codify it; when and how to communicate a leadership philosophy; and lessons learned (or examples). Each student is then provided time outside of class to write or update their personal leadership philosophy in preparation to present it to a small group. Upon receiving personalized feedback from others in their small group, students are given additional time outside of class to incorporate any changes to their written document prior to turn in.

Instruction. To encourage student reflection, we begin the classroom session with a modified scenario from Kouzes and Posner's (2012) "Leadership Begins with an Inner Journey": Imagine returning to your office and discovering that you have a new leader; What do you want to know about that person? An instructor can anticipate a wide variety of responses: the leader's values; what the leader cares about; expectations; leadership style or approach to leadership; what frustrates the leader (i.e., hot buttons); why the individual wants the job; background experience; and changes the leader plans to make to the organization. This classroom discussion can provide insight into themes that might resurface later in the session when discussing what a leadership philosophy is and is not.

Following the scenario discussion, it is helpful to gauge the group's experience by asking how many students have previously written or shared their leadership philosophy. Since each student has a different degree of leadership experience, and some have never formally led a group, an instructor can increase efficacy by reminding students that developing a leadership philosophy is important even if not in a positional leadership role. As Maxwell (2005) notes "leadership is more disposition than position. With the right attitude and the right skills, you can influence others from wherever you are in an organization" (p. 60). Additionally, the process of developing a leadership philosophy can inspire students to reflect on who they are and who they want to be as a leader.

What is a Leadership Philosophy? Once the scenario discussion is completed, one can pose the question "what is a leadership philosophy?" to invite discussion among students. First defining "leadership", and then "philosophy", helps students reflect on the meaning of the concept. While there are many definitions of leadership, in our program we often use Northouse's (2016) definition of leadership as "a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal" (p. 6). Philosophy can be defined as "a set of ideas about how to do something or how to live" (Merriam-Webster online, 2018); however, students might identify with other definitions. When combined, Garner (2012) and others concur with George Ambler's definition of leadership philosophy: "A set of beliefs, values, and principles that strongly influences how we interpret reality and guide our understanding of influencing humans" (p. 77). Ambler (2012) contends that a person's philosophy of leadership influences their behavior and reactions to others and surrounding circumstances.

In the classroom we have also found it helpful to contrast this discussion with what a leadership philosophy is not. Often times, when a leader shares a leadership philosophy, the presentation may transition to their vision for the organization. While vision is important for a leader to share, a personal leadership philosophy is different from an organization's vision, goals, or objectives. It is also not a summary of past positions and accomplishments. That said, an individual might include a story of how an experience influenced them as a leader, or connect their core values to an organization's values and their leadership approach to achieve an organizational vision.

Ways to Codify Your Philosophy of Leadership. Writing a leadership philosophy is not an easy task for many students. When examining their values, beliefs, and expectations, students may discover that they have so many that it is difficult to narrow down what should be included. Additionally, while a person's core values generally do not change, students who have previously written a leadership philosophy may find that what they choose to emphasize does change. These modifications may be the result of promotion within an office, entering a new organization with a different organizational culture, experiencing a new season of life, or influence from first-hand experiences and lessons learned. As Garner (2012) notes: "Determining one's personal philosophy is a continuous mental practice, a process of constant self-evaluation and the questioning of personal assumptions, beliefs and values, all of which ultimately will result in how well we manage individuals and situations we encounter" (p. 77).

The instructor can provide students a list of questions to help students reflect and focus their leadership philosophy. Questions can include:

What significant events have shaped you?

What are your beliefs about people and outlook on life?

What core values describe and guide who you are as a leader?

What traits, characteristics, skills, styles, motivation, goals, etc. do you bring to leadership that makes you effective?

What is important for your team to be effective?

What is your preferred communication style?

How do like to receive information?

What are your expectations for yourself and others?

What is your role in developing others?

How do you want to be remembered?

The written leadership philosophy document may also take on different formats (e.g., bullets, paragraph form, etc.) depending on the audience and delivery. As instructors, we try not to define exactly how a student should format their philosophy to allow creativity and personal preference. However, regardless of the format, it is important that students are clear in what they communicate.

When and How to Communicate Your Leadership Philosophy? There is no one right answer related to when and how to share a leadership philosophy. However, an instructor can focus discussion around this question to help students think about how their audience, comfort level with sharing, and environment might influence their personal approach. For example, some individuals may prefer to share one-on-one with team members during their initial performance feedback sessions, while others may prefer to address the entire workforce. Some students may prefer to design a one-page handout version that they can email and post outside their office; others may prefer a paragraph version that they can verbally share.

Instructors can encourage students to think about how they increase the chances of others remembering their leadership philosophy. A scene-setter opening/closing, a personal story, or a quote can help create a memorable leadership philosophy. However, some students may not be comfortable sharing personal information. Word choice also plays a significant role in how others receive and relate to a leadership philosophy, especially when a student intends to share directly with subordinates. Instructors can encourage students to personalize their message by saying "you" and connect personally to their leadership approach rather than saying "leaders should".

Lessons Learned and Examples. We often ask students who have shared their leadership philosophy in the workforce to offer any lessons learned; this can be an effective approach for maintaining classroom engagement in the session. Similarly, those who have not shared their leadership philosophy before may have feedback related to what they have heard before in an audience of someone sharing their personal leadership philosophy. Each class may gravitate to certain themes, depending on the group dynamic and experiences; however, the following lessons learned may be helpful for students to consider throughout the process of developing their leadership philosophy:

the use of buzzwords may come across as insincere if not careful;

acronyms may not be understood by everyone;

there are different perspectives on including personal religious beliefs and/or what level of detail;

the concept of work-life balance has different meanings and may need a caveat for when the job requires something different;

conveying preferences for situational leadership could come across to some as providing "special treatment";

the organizational culture and climate of the audience may impact the tone of what is shared;

it is important to consider how much personalization is right and when to be implicit or explicit;

using words such as "I promise to" may need to be caveated since some things are out of a leader's control; and

word choice and order matters (e.g., what message do you want to leave the audience with).

Some faculty members also choose to share their own personal leadership philosophy with the class and may invite those who have already shared one before to offer an example to the group. Personal leadership philosophy examples can also be found on the Internet; for example, the Academy Leadership website (https://academyleadership.com/LeadershipPhilosophy/) is a popular website containing examples of leadership philosophy. However, instructors may need to caution students from determining what is "right" from examples, since everyone's leadership philosophy is different.

Written Document - Guidance and Rubric. Our course syllabus directs students to type out their personal leadership philosophy (one page preferred; no more than two pages). The format of the written document is the student's choice (e.g., single space, prose style, bullets, etc.). Students are authorized to make changes to their leadership philosophy document based on others' feedback and turn in a final version a few days later or by the following class session. The Leadership Philosophy Paper is typically worth 15pts/15% of their overall course grade and is graded in accordance with the following guidelines:

Substance (10pts):

Clearly articulate who you are as a leader and/or your ideas on leadership.

Convey specifically what you value and believe in, what you expect of others and what they can expect of you, and how this impacts your actions, decisions, or behavior as a leader.

Style/Format (5pts):

Communicate ideas effectively; consider the flow and organization of material; ensure proper sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.

The format of the document is your choice (e.g., prose style, bullets, spacing, etc.); think about what format would be the most useful for presenting your leadership philosophy.

No research is required for this assignment; however, if you use any quotes ensure you provide the properly cited reference.

Presentation and Facilitation. Once written, students are assigned to small groups of four to six students to share their leadership philosophy. Since many students have not developed or shared their leadership philosophy before, small groups offer a less intimidating environment yet allows students to learn from others. Once in the groups, students are asked to first identify the scenario that they envision presenting their leadership philosophy (e.g., with the individuals they currently lead, following a promotion to a new office/organization, etc.). This is important since the intended audience can sometimes impact content and delivery. The first time this exercise was implemented, students were asked to present their leadership philosophy as if they were addressing a new office. This scenario was adjusted to be more flexible and have maximum utility for students upon completion. For example, individuals who were promoted within their office might have a different approach than individuals transitioning into another organization. Additionally, the content and style of delivery might be different if sharing one-on-one, with a small team, or addressing a large organization. Following the scenario explanation, each student has five minutes to present their leadership philosophy. Following each presentation, small group members provide feedback and ask questions (approximately 10 minutes). If time permits, following the completion of the exercise, a large-group discussion helps students reflect on learning points and common feedback themes from the small-group exercise.

There is flexibility in the amount of time required to implement the exercise, which is dependent on the size of each group, time allotted for implementation of the exercise, and availability of faculty facilitators to assist in the implementation of the exercise. In the full-time program at the National Intelligence University, the exercise is usually led by the lead instructor of the course. Students are typically divided into groups of four, and the instructor observes groups simultaneously. This approach takes between 60-90 minutes to complete, depending on how much the instructor encourages discussion. In the week-long class, however, students are divided into three groups of approximately six students in each group. Each group meets in a room with a different faculty facilitator, while the lead instructor floats among the groups. The time allotted to the presentations is 90 minutes in the small groups, and then a short discussion back in the large group to hear their reactions to the exercise. Prior to the presentations, faculty facilitators are provided additional information on their role as a facilitator. Faculty are asked to ensure each student presents their leadership philosophy to the group in the time frame provided, and time is allotted for a brief feedback discussion amongst the group. If the facilitator needs to encourage students in the feedback portion, one or more of the following questions might draw out discussion:

What is something that you think [the student] did particularly well? Or ask the student what he/she thought went well.

Were there any parts that could use more clarity or explanation?

Would you do anything different in the future?

How comfortable are you with your leadership philosophy?

What was memorable? [These are just representative of the type of discussion desired in the feedback portion].

Faculty facilitators are also invited to attend the earlier instruction session on "Developing a Leadership Philosophy" to ensure they understand the classroom culture and dynamics.

Outcomes & Conclusion

As discussed in the application section, this leadership education assignment involves quite a bit of student self discovery and questioning. As such, during this specific assignment, it is recommended that the instructor(s), once the initial information is presented, move away from being a lecturer and take on a facilitator role in effort to maximize student learning. This practice encourages students to engage with each other and cultivate an environment of shared responsibility, especially during the presentation portion of the leadership philosophy (Doyle, 2011). Additionally, because of this student engagement level, we recommend that instructors present this assignment early in the course to enhance group dynamics and extend the personal learning and discovery that takes place. This also enables instructors to relate back to the leadership philosophy discussions throughout the remainder of the course.

As an instructor, helping students see the "why" behind writing a leadership philosophy is important to motivate them to examine and clarify their views of leadership, their personal leadership identity, how they react to circumstances, and their expectations for self and others. As Garner (2012) states, "[t]he way we see ourselves as leaders guides our actions, our behaviors, and our thoughts. It provides the foundation of how we influence others" (p. 77). Ruggero and Haley (2014) contend that this resulting consistency and predictability can positively impact a leader's credibility and trust among followers. Kouzes and Posner (2012) further clarify the purpose of writing a leadership philosophy: "The better you know who you are and what you believe in, the better you are at making sense of the often incomprehensible and conflicting demands you receive daily" (p. 120).

As students learn and reflect on other leadership concepts, instructors can encourage students to continue to refine their leadership philosophy and remind them of the value of doing so. This assignment is directly applicable to students' current and future professional positions as leaders and something they can apply immediately to their job. The leadership philosophy experiential exercise equips students with knowledge and experience to share their leadership philosophy with their teams upon return to their offices or future organizations. This assignment can also help students in their professional development (e.g., job or promotion interviews) by clarifying who they are as a leader. This leadership education graduate-level assignment is an exceptional experiential reflection opportunity that students and faculty can enjoy in the classroom and readily apply in the workplace.

References

Ambler, G. (2012, July 12). The importance of a clear leadership philosophy [Blog post]. Retrieved from: https://www.georgeambler.com/the-importance-of-a-clear leadership-philosophy/

DeRue, D. S., & Ashford, S. J. (2010). Who will lead and who will follow? A social process of leadership identity construction in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 35(4), 627- 647. doi.org/10.5465/amr.35.4.zok627

Doyle, T. (2011). Learner-centered teaching: Putting the research on learning into practice. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Figliuolo, M. (2011). One piece of paper: The simple approach to powerful, personal leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Gardner, W. L., Avolio, B. J., Luthans, F., May, D. R., & Walumbwa, F. (2005) "Can you see the real me?" A self-based model of authentic leader and follower development. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 343-372. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.003

Garner, H. C. (2012). Developing an effective command philosophy. Military Review, 92 75.

Guthrie, K. L. & Jones, T. B. (2012). Teaching and learning: Using experiential learning and reflection for leadership education. New Directions for Student Services, 140, 53-63. doi:10.1002/ss

Hersted, L., & Frimann, S. (2016). Constructing leadership identities through stories. Journal for Critical Organization Inquiry, 14(4), 149-162.

Kernis, M. H. (2003). Toward a conceptualization of optimal self-esteem. Psychological Inquiry, 14(1), 1-26.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). Leadership begins with an inner journey. In Rosenbach, W.E, Taylor, R., & Youndt, M.A. (Eds.), Contemporary issues in leadership (7 th ed., pp. 117-123). New York: Westview Press.

Maxwell, J. C. (2005). The 360-degree leader: Developing your influence from anywhere in the organization. Nashville, TN: Nelson Business.

McCall, M. W. (2004). Leadership development through experience. Academy of Management Executive, 18(3), 127-130.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory & practice (7 th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.

Philosophy [Def. 2]. (n.d.). In Merriam Webster Online. Retrieved from http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/philosophy.

Ruggero, E. & Haley, D. F. (2014). The leader's compass: A personal leadership philosophy is your foundation for success (3 rd ed.). King of Prussia, PA: Academy Leadership.

Walker, C. A. (2015, September). New managers need a philosophy about how they'll lead. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from http://www.hbr.org

Walumbwa, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Wernsing, T. S., & Peterson, S. J. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of Management, 34(1), 89-126. doi: 10.1177/0149206307308913

Wurdinger, S. D., & Carlson, J. A. (2010). Teaching for experiential learning: Five approaches that work. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

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Development of a Personal Leadership Philosophy: An Experiential and Reflective Opportunity in the Graduate Classroom - Journal of Leadership Education

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Introduction The study of leadership became a scholarly activity in the early 20th century, and since then multiple practices and approaches have taken hold in the workforce (Northouse, 2016). Today, bookstores are filled with shelves of manuscripts and publications devoted to the art and science of leadership.

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Once a fourth-grade teacher, I recently began my work as an elementary assistant principal in another district. Based on my research and what I have experienced so far, I'd like to offer five ways for a rookie administrator to successfully navigate his or her new position.

1. Establishing Relationships

Relationships come before everything. Like anyone else, teachers do not want to listen to someone who doesn't genuinely care about them. Get to know everyone on a personal level. Ask them how their day is going, pry into their personal lives a bit, and make sure to attend staff outings. As the students enter school in the morning, do your best to pop your head into every classroom just to be present and touch base with your teachers and students. As you leave school for the day, stop by a few classrooms and make small talk. When communicating with teachers, it's important that your conversation doesn't just focus on the job itself. If you truly want what is best for your co-workers and students, none of these interactions will actually feel like work. However, investing in these relationships will play huge dividends when you're ready to promote change.

2. Getting Into Classrooms

Just as teachers should never forget what it's like to be a student, administrators should never forget what it's like to be a teacher. Spend a great deal of time in classrooms, being as non-evaluative as you can. Teachers can easily feel threatened when an administrator sits behind a computer (supposedly taking notes that pick apart each and every aspect of a lesson), so travel around with as little equipment as possible. Personally, I like to record the date whenever I spend more than ten minutes in a classroom, which helps in ensuring that my time is distributed evenly among all the teachers. Also, if a teacher asks what you are doing, be transparent. For instance:

I'm looking for examples of exemplary instruction so that we can take advantage of our expertise during teacher-led professional development.

How can I help in moving us forward if I don't see first-hand what our strengths and needs are?

3. Understanding Others

Do less talking and more listening, but don't stop there. When conversing with others, make a conscious effort to avoid waiting to talk and trying to prove yourself. I believe that most teachers are more concerned with the new administrator validating their work, as opposed to wanting to be awed by that administrator's expertise. So take the time to sincerely understand where teachers are coming from. For example, if the majority of teachers possess a negative attitude toward something, don't ignore it. Perception is reality, and if most teachers feel a certain way, act (or react) appropriately, instead of telling them "Too bad" or convincing yourself that "they deserve what's happening to them." Also, when appropriate, do what you can to make teachers' ideas a reality. These actions can be empowering as they send the message that thoughts and opinions can make a difference.

4. Flattening the Hierarchy

Approach your job with the notion that everyone has something to contribute, because a valuable idea can come from absolutely anyone. Don't take it personally if anyone challenges you on some level. In other words, make sure to separate ideas and opinions from the individuals who are delivering them. Leverage your new title to empower others to speak up and have a voice. One person's idea is no better than another's simply because he or she has a "higher-up" job title, and certain responsibilities should not belong entirely to specific workers just because they happen to be in a department that has traditionally taken care of such tasks. Ultimately, what matters is working collaboratively to do what's best for the children, not trying to market yourself as the owner of all things great in your school or district. As a fourth-grade teacher, I once had the pleasure of working with a phenomenal assistant superintendent. Whenever we met, a stranger could walk into the room and, based on our interaction, wouldn't know who was the teacher and who was the administrator. That is special!

5. Social Media

In today's connected world, all educators should be actively looking for ideas and resources from outside their district. These findings can then be brought in-house to enhance what is already taking place. Furthermore, this research helps educators become critical consumers and not just passive receivers of what others tell us to do. As a new administrator, make a point of connecting with your teachers on Facebook, as this is most likely where they already are. Then, post to your wall articles and resources that could be of benefit. This approach can be a non-intrusive way to professionally develop your teachers without constantly flooding their inboxes with "must read" editorials (although the occasional article sent via email isn't such a bad thing). To streamline the Facebook process, consider starting a Facebook group that includes members of your staff. If you'd like to share your own thoughts, start a blog and disseminate your posts through Facebook or possibly via email. Other teachers might become inspired and start blogs of their own, or have their students start blogging. Yes, there is always the idea of getting your teachers up and running with Twitter (and Google+, LinkedIn, RSS feeds, digital newspapers, etc.), but that's another post all on its own.

Reviewing the five points that I've listed, these actions could easily apply to all administrators and not just those who are new to the position. As the years go by and we become more and more comfortable in what we do, it's important to not lose sight of what got us there in the first place.

What tips do you have for first-year administrators?

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5 Strategic Tips for First-Year Administrators

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Once a fourth-grade teacher, I recently began my work as an elementary assistant principal in another district. Based on my research and what I have experienced so far, I'd like to offer five ways for a rookie administrator to successfully navigate his or her new position. Relationships come before everything.

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Challenges for a New Assistant Principal

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Challenges for a New Assistant Principal

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Center for Integrated Training & Education

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One year ago I began my internship as the interim assistant principal for Bronxdale High School.As a lead teacher in the school I thought my transition into a leadership position would come easily.My principal, although very supportive, warned me that my promotion may not go as smoothly as I expected.She was right!Although I felt prepared to take on the next steps in my career due to the College of St. Rose and CITE, I realize now that I have a lot to learn.

My expectations were that I would be treated by the staff the same, I'd be able to learn quickly, and that I wouldn't have to change the way I did things much.

As I reflect back I can categorize my first year mistakes in hopes that someone can learn from them.Here are some things I learned... the hard way.

You'll hear this in just about every advanced education and leadership course you take, I know I did.All of my St. Rose/CITE professors brought up this topic at some point and they were all correct.I thought that the friendships and professional relationships I developed were stronger than all of that.Don't get me wrong, I didn't have to stop being friendly, but as a leader I've learned that professionalism and a laser focus on student achievement is more important than what people may think about you.The truth is, you'll lose work friends and the luxury to be off-guard.As a leader, your teachers are listening to your words and are keenly aware of your actions.

In order to find success in this area one should absolutely start taking on leadership positions within the school before even telling others you'll be taking courses to become an administrator. This will make the transition much smoother if you stay in the same school as well as help you acquire important skills you'll need later on. Developing a professional reputation is incredibly important as a budding administrator.

Although I stumbled at times with this in my first year I did find that two key groups of people are important to maintain stability as you transition into administration.First, your relationships with your union representative and union leaders are crucial.It can be a delicate balance, but these relationships must be strengthened.You won't get much accomplished as an administrator if your teacher's union despises you!Get to know unions!

Another group are that I found very important and helpful are those teachers that are already in leadership positions.These are generally your department heads or lead teachers.These are people that you can bounce ideas off of and receive critical feedback.I personally relied on some in this group a great deal my first year.Its been my experience that teachers in this group have aspirations for administration also.

My biggest mistake was starting my role as interim AP "guns ablazin'!"I was a dedicated teacher and tenacious student advocate, so naturally I thought that was how I would approach leading adults.I was wrong!The damage that model caused is still being repaired, even as recently as Friday.

My advice is to be the leader who builds a trusting community.Not everyone will trust you, but if you build a culture that values the community above all else, you'll be better off.Your initial St. Rose/CITE courses are all about developing PLCs for a reason.Hold onto all of your St. Rose/CITE course work because it is very useful, especially the projects, readings and discussions on PLCs and culture.

These are the keys to building a trusting community.You'll find at times, many many times, that teachers are worse than your most annoying students.Some complain just for the sake of complaining.And if you're thinking "not, me, I never complain."Yes you do.You complain a lot!I didn't realize how much of a pain I was to my administration until I became an administrator!I would complain about furniture in the classroom, lack of paper in the copy room, lack of toner in the copy machine, my commute, my long hours and on and on.

The point is, you're going to hear a lot of complaints as an administrator, some valid, many not, but you have to validate and listen.One of the best professional development trainings I've gone to in the last year was on Collaborative Problem Solving, or CPS.One of the keys to CPS is to validate without emotion.Its something that I'm working on, but an important tool.As an administrator you'll want to solve many of the problems people bring to you.For your sanity, my best advice is to validate those problems and help the person with the problem find ways to solve it, rather than you doing all the work.As Kim Marshall would say, remove some of the "rocks" from your load!

This is easy to understand, but I can't over estimate the importance of data.You have to know your school and your students.You'll be asked about everything from the demographics of your students, to the percentage who qualify for free or reduced lunch, to how many teachers received an "effective" rating in Domain 1e.

Study and learn a lot.First: study for the SBL exams.They're not as easy as some would lead you to believe.They actually make you think as an administrator. When you're preparing for the exam, definitely go to the review classes that St. Rose/CITE organizes.Try to go to at least three, with different professors.Each professor has a bag of tricks that will help you, so getting to learn from different ones will help a great deal!

Second, study your school and know data.Know your kids.Every single student will know you as an administrator.Learn names!

Third, go to a lot of professional development.This past year I went to more PDs than in the previous five.I may be embellishing a bit, but you get the point.Keep growing in the profession.Its incredibly important to be knowledgeable on the latest education trends, laws, education politics, etc.

The final piece of advice I have for those taking the next step in their education career (read: giant leap), is to speak with the loved ones around you and be open and honest about the long hours that you have to put in, the additional screen time you'll need at home and the responsibility you'll feel for running a school.The transition can absolutely take over your life, so you must find a balance between home and life.Make sure you're exercising both your mind and body to stay healthy.I'm still working on my balance and everything else!
Mike Duggan is the assistant principal of Bronxdale High School.He was an AP Biology and Environmental Science teacher in the NYC DOE for over a decade.
Mike graduated from the College of St.Rose/ CITE School Building Leader program. For more information on this program, please go here.

________________________

CITE is the Center for Integrated Training and Education. For over 25 years, CITE has and continues to train TEACHERS ( Early Childhood , Professional Certification , , Grad Courses , Bilingual courses, ); COUNSELORS (, Mental Health Masters , Advanced Certificate); and ADMINISTRATORS (, , Public Admin, Doctorate) in all five boroughs of NYC, Yonkers, Westchester, and Long Island.

CITE PD offers CTLE-approved in-school professional development tailored to your school's needs and your vision. Info: citepd.com

What question can we answer for you? 877-922-2483

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6 Challenges for a New Assistant Principal

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One year ago I began my internship as the interim assistant principal for Bronxdale High School.As a lead teacher in the school I thought my transition into a leadership position would come easily.My principal, although very supportive, warned me that my promotion may not go as smoothly as I expected.She was right!Although I felt prepared to take on the next steps in my career due to the College of St.

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In this week's edition of the AWSA Update, principal checklists were shared. Which of the following have you already prioritized?

(Click button on left to see poll)

You might use a pen and paper, or Google tasks, or perhaps an app on your phone. We all have a way to keep track of our tasks and provide reminders of our "to-do" list. In an effort to support building leaders, AWSA has developed and continues to update Principal Checklists. These checklists provide monthly ideas and reminders about many of the things that a building principal is tending to throughout the year. There may be things you haven't thought about, or perhaps simply good reminders about timing and scheduling of required items.

As you grow capacity in others, there are items that may be helpful to consider when building your personal and school calendar. There are also items that remind you to take care of yourself, something we sometimes forget to do!

If you're in the New Building Administrators Academy, your coaches may reference these checklists as another means of support. And for all other building and district leaders, we hope these checklists are a resource for you as you hit the ground running this week and next, and welcome the minds and hearts of those we serve.

August

❏ Take a deep breath and organize your office

❏ Send WELCOME BACK letter to staff and families

❏ Finalize and communicate any bussing updates

❏ Check in with school nurse/health aide on immunization records and student health plans

❏ Meet with PTO/PTA officers to plan the year

❏ Schedule the year's social activities for students

❏ Calendar a few extracurricular functions you can/will attend in the next two months

❏ Check/test bell signal system

❏ Establish fire drill schedule (min. 1 per month)

❏ Put in writing:

❏ Changes to cafeteria, playground, parking lot procedures

❏ Changes to bell schedule

❏ Changes to school rules/procedures

❏ Review first day procedures with all staff (transportation, pick up/drop off, assembly, etc)

❏ Create a school commitment form, meet with any new staff individually, communicate and have them sign

❏ Connect with district office for your role in new staff orientation

❏ Conduct a walkthrough with custodial/facilities staff to ensure that the classrooms, common spaces and exterior are ready for staff and students. Thank them for their summer work!

❏ Draft a "new student" welcome activity for the first week of school

❏ Assign mentors/coaches for new staff or those on support plans

❏ Seek information on dates for:

❏ health screenings (vision, hearing, etc)

❏ science fair, book fair

❏ fine arts performances

❏ school/community competitions (spelling bee, math olympiad, etc)

❏ Finalize school goals/school improvement plan with building Leadership Team

❏ Provide badges, keys, etc. to new staff

❏ Identify language translation staff and volunteers

❏ Communicate expectations for staff use of social media and classroom websites

❏ Plan and strategize with your administrative assistant:

❏ How will incoming mail, phone calls, drop-in visits be handled?

❏ Newsletter timelines

❏ Confidentiality

❏ Managing your calendar

❏ Announcements, pledge of allegiance

September

❏ Leave an encouraging note, piece of candy, etc in staff mailboxes on the first day of school

❏ Make schedule and class adjustments as needed

❏ Check in on new staff members regularly

❏ Register for annual AWSA conferences

❏ Expect the unexpected - stay calm, find solutions and be positive - YOU GOT THIS!

❏ Communicate professional development plan and its link to school improvement plan

❏ Review Crisis Plan and individual procedures with all staff

❏ Set-up classroom visitation/walkthrough schedule

❏ Meet with all staff who are on evaluation cycle. Begin the teacher observation process with the establishment of growth or improvement plans and pre-observation conferences.

❏ Reiterate collaboration/PLC expectations

❏ Bus safety training for students

❏ Establish emergency calling tree

❏ Meet with social committee to plan year's activities for staff

❏ Review attendance for the first month and note potential concerns

❏ Establish site plan (update) timelines and committee assignments

❏ Review District assessment calendar

❏ Finalize Problem Solving Team and expectations

❏ Review guidelines for celebration of religious holidays

❏ Confirm members of building Leadership Team

❏ Offer support opportunities to staff for SLO development

❏ Send a parent email, social media and website message the first week with a welcome and any important dates/reminders for the first week of school

❏ Send district Title I letter to parents (if a qualifying school)

❏ Plan for Homecoming week! Winning is a team sport; all levels should get in the spirit!

October

❏ SLOs due - meet with individual teachers

❏ Establish and commit to a goal of a specified number of walkthroughs per week (e.g., minimum of five walkthroughs a week to include feedback)

❏ Student Council elections

❏ Homecoming (secondary)

❏ Consider potential capital budget requests

❏ Prepare for National Education Week

❏ Communicate scheduling procedures and expectations for Parent Teacher Conferences

❏ Review student performance data utilizing problem-solving team model

❏ Communicate expectations for intervention models and progress monitoring

❏ Conduct informal walkthroughs and share general "noticings and wonderings" with staff

❏ Consider high visibility supervision opportunities - put a student desk or small table and chair in the hallway and do your business. Staff and students will appreciate your visibility!

November

❏ Consider an "I'm thankful for..." newsletter article, staff meeting activity, etc.

❏ Communicate expectations for report cards

❏ Share walkthrough data/observations with staff

❏ Review your calendar and schedule a winter "getaway" weekend for yourself

❏ Actively participate in formative assessment of your own performance

❏ Review district policies regarding holiday activities and displays and communicate verbally and in writing

❏ Review inclement weather procedures, communicate verbally and in writing

❏ Continue walkthrough and observation cycle

❏ Calendar a few extra-curricular functions you can/will attend in the next two months

❏ Facilitate building Leadership Team meeting to review:

❏ Progress on building goals

❏ Professional development needs

❏ Student performance data

❏ Stakeholder satisfaction

December

❏ Check "on target" schedule for the completion of first semester teacher evaluations and reports

❏ Solicit input in preparation for next fiscal year's budget

❏ Conduct mid-year assessments of physical plan and capital equipment needs

❏ Enjoy winter break -- read a book for pleasure, unplug your computer, travel

❏ Determine student scheduling and enrollment practices/processes for January

❏ Continue walkthrough and observation cycle

❏ Be sure to have a clear understanding of building usage while school is not in session

January

❏ Review first-semester performance and intervention data with building Leadership Team

❏ Finalize mid-year changes (new hires, class or schedule adjustments, etc)

❏ Make plans for kindergarten round-up and preschool screenings (elementary)

❏ Ensure college financial aid meetings are scheduled (secondary)

❏ Reiterate expectations and purpose of report cards

❏ Finalize course descriptions and scheduling preparations (secondary)

❏ Review status of students in danger of not graduating, and set parent meetings (secondary)

❏ Compile documentation for any terminations or non-renewals of staff

❏ Begin "mid year" SLO meetings with staff

❏ Continue walkthrough and observation cycles

❏ Document school goal progress and communicate to staff and stakeholders

❏ Celebrate first semester successes

February

❏ Continue "mid year" SLO meetings with staff.

❏ Begin planning for graduation (secondary)

❏ Ensure Academic Career Plans are being developed with students (secondary)

❏ Complete registration and enrollment for coming year (secondary)

❏ Communicate staffing needs with Central Office

❏ Review pre-testing procedures for ACT (secondary)

❏ Recommend any terminations or nonrenewals of staff

❏ Schedule some FUN for your own upcoming spring break!

❏ Begin preparing a schedule for state testing

❏ Continue walkthrough and observation cycle

March

❏ Initiate preparation of building orders and requisitions for coming year

❏ Reiterate expectations for spring parent teacher conferences

❏ Finalize and communicate a calendar for state testing

❏ Revisit initial drill schedule (fire, tornado, lock-down); commit to it for the remainder of the year.

❏ Draft a newsletter article on the benefits of testing, the information it provides, and how the school will accommodate students

❏ Continue walkthrough and observation cycle

❏ Identify students who will benefit from summer intervention. Communicate opportunities and need for referral.

❏ Begin planning for students transitioning to a new level (elementary/middle/high) school (student visits, parent information)

❏ Calendar a few extra-curricular functions you can/will attend in the next two months

April

❏ Begin conducting end-of-year summative evaluation meetings

❏ Build master schedule for coming year -- seek input as appropriate

❏ Complete graduation arrangements (secondary)

❏ Communicate scheduled changes due to state testing

❏ Conduct a tornado drill

❏ Determine and communicate final exam schedule (secondary)

❏ Finalize summer school plans

❏ Recommend any terminations or non-renewals of probationary personnel

❏ Send 2 nd written notification to parents/students in danger of not graduating (secondary)

❏ Plan volunteer recognition

❏ Review school performance and intervention data with building Leadership Team -- determine method for face-to-face communication with students at risk of not meeting grade level expectations

❏ Consider stakeholder input process (district or building surveys, forums, etc)

❏ Consider opportunities for Teacher Appreciation Week (in May)

❏ Develop criteria for selecting new staff members. Review district procedures and requirements for hiring.

❏ Continue observations and walkthrough commitments

❏ Meet with PTO/PTA to begin planning for the following year and to solidify end-of-year plans

May

❏ Initiate goal-setting for the following year -- review performance data, professional development needs, district expectations.

❏ Thank all of the mothers in your life and school community!

❏ Collect required Title I end of year documentation

❏ Redistribute final examination schedule

❏ Remind Advanced Placement teachers of instructional expectations for the remainder of the school year after AP exams occur (secondary)

❏ Check status of probationary students and inform parents of possible failures

❏ Solicit dates for next year's school calendar

❏ Plan and conduct awards programs/assemblies (athletic, academic, fine arts, etc)

❏ Finalize and communicate graduation plans. Be clear about an "all hands on deck" approach for the final weeks of the year (secondary)

❏ Call for final reports from all ongoing and ad hoc committees

❏ Locker clean-out

❏ Solicit teachers' summer addresses

❏ Prepare building year-end report

❏ Plan a refresher! Schedule a "getaway" shortly after student and staff are finished for the year.

❏ Begin planning for honoring retirees

❏ Meet with staff and volunteers to go over graduation procedures (secondary)

❏ Begin edits for staff, student and parent handbooks for the following year

❏ Tend to summer school planning/preparation responsibilities

❏ Hold a meeting with outgoing students (8th grade, seniors, etc) for feedback on strengths and opportunities for the school

June

❏ Reiterate expectations and purpose of report cards

❏ Communicate expectations for exam week (secondary)

❏ Recognize (celebrate) volunteers and substitute teachers

❏ Write a newsletter article about the benefits of reading in summer!

❏ Develop and communicate "end-of-year checklist" for staff - what needs to be collected, turned into the office, locked up, reported, etc.

❏ Final teacher evaluations due

❏ Summer school begins

❏ Conduct year-end inventory of textbooks, supplies, and equipment

❏ Complete book orders and supply requisitions for coming year

❏ Close-out and audit financial records

❏ Review state assessment, overall school performance results and stakeholder satisfaction data with building Leadership Team so as to inform the school improvement plan for the forthcoming school year

❏ Review summer maintenance, repair, remodeling, and grounds keeping schedules

❏ Summer curriculum writing begins

❏ Review/revise/finalize student and parent handbooks

❏ Change the outgoing school voicemail to reflect summer hours and your visibility

❏ Draft required "Seclusion and Restraint" information for School Board

July

❏ Review schedule to ensure collaboration time for staff

❏ Create a schedule of walkthroughs and identify any changes to or finalize walkthrough instrument

❏ Identify staff scheduled for formal evaluation

❏ Finalize before/after school service provider agreements

❏ Develop an observation schedule and plan for the year

❏ Review teacher evaluation procedures and deadlines

❏ Communicate class/course schedules to staff as early as possible

❏ Update building forms

❏ Consider upgrades/perks for the teachers lounge

❏ Do a community "walk about" and introduce yourself to local business owners and neighborhood associations in the immediate vicinity of the school

❏ School year preparations:

❏ Draft welcome back letter

❏ Communicate with building leadership team

❏ Review school improvement plan

❏ Finalize calendars for posting

❏ Finalize staffing needs
Read more at:

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In this week's edition of the AWSA Update, principal checklists were shared. Which of the following have you already prioritized? (Click button on left to see poll) You might use a pen and paper, or Google tasks, or perhaps an app on your phone.

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April 2013 | Volume 70 | Number 7
The Principalship

Jessica Bohn

When I started my first year as a principal of Gibsonville Elementary School, I felt ready to tackle any challenge. I had a unique connection to the community, having attended high school nearby, and I'd been through a four-year assistant principalship in the same district. Even so, I found myself surprised by the realities of the principalship and the hurdles that confronted me. Facing such hurdles in my first year taught me that it's not challenges that define you-it's how you respond to them.

I'm now in my second year leading Gibsonville, a school that some families have attended for years but which has recently seen an influx of many new students. As I reflect on my first year, I find myself comparing my experience to prevalent misconceptions people hold about the principalship. In hopes of making the first year more manageable for others, for each challenge discussed here, I suggest ways novice principals might respond.

Four Misconceptions

1. Everyone knows the demands of the principal's role.

New principals often have the idea that everyone understands their job. I initially presumed this myself. But in reality, many people are unaware of everything principals do on a daily basis. While I was coordinating schedules with a colleague from a partner organization, he remarked, "How busy could you be? I thought principals just sat around and gave orders to teachers."

I have a great relationship with this person and was not offended. However, the comment made me contemplate how inaccurate the public perception of school leaders often is. If community members think the way my business partner did, it's not surprising that they feel frustrated when a principal is too busy to immediately respond to a request.

Parents may share this misconception. Many parents presume that our primary responsibility is discipline, and they may not understand that a 21st century principal's primary responsibility is instructional leadership. Principals are also responsible for setting a school vision, planning instruction, managing the building, human resources, and evaluating and developing teachers' skills.

How to Respond: New principals can strengthen their working relationships with stakeholders and show stakeholders how they lead through proactive efforts and distributed leadership. Be sure to include instructional information in your parent newsletters and casual conversations at school. Also, if you empower more parents to get involved in activities like school improvement teams, parents will see you in action as an integral part of those activities. Deliberately helping others understand what you do is the only way to reshape skewed perceptions.

Jessica Bohn, principal of Gibsonville Elementary School, facilitates a discussion with teachers.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Bohn

2. You will be able to avoid comparisons to previous leaders.

Knowing how to respond when (not if) you're compared to previous principals is important. In the first year, every decision the captain makes will be compared to how the last captain ran things. We should expect these comparisons. Just as students learn by connecting new material with old experiences, so do adults.

How to Respond: Be open to discourse that compares the way things used to be with what you hope to do, trusting that productive conversation will follow. The tendency of teachers to compare previous and new administration isn't usually a bad thing. If you hear teachers say things like, "Mrs. X never thought this was a problem," a gut reaction might be to think and speak defensively. But engaging in such discussions can provide clarity about your expectations, your vision, and your leadership style. Positive direction can emerge from unexpected opportunities, including conversations about differences between new and previous administrations.

3. It feels great to be in power!

Often people who don't have the authority to make final decisions assume that principals relish the power of their role. However, being a good leader isn't about having power over others, but about instilling power in others. To lead in this way, a principal needs supportive people to turn to and discuss dilemmas with. Such support is often in scarce supply for principals, however, unless they make it happen. Even in the best districts (like mine) that provide executive coaches, professional development, and district-level support, one of the toughest parts of being a new principal is the absence of a colleague on your level and in the same building to bounce ideas off.

How to Respond: Seek out fellow principals as "think partners." Experienced principals know how important supportive peers are, so they chat with fellow leaders often. However, first-year principals might dismiss the need to get another perspective as a sign of weakness; don't fall for this misconception. Find ways to talk with helpful fellow leaders, by e-mail, phone, or professional message boards.

Collaborating with same-level colleagues daily provides support that can't be attained in a workshop. I recall a time when I needed another perspective on a situation in which a parent's viewpoint conflicted with my district's ideologies. Talking through it with another principal in my district-who was a neutral party and who understood both viewpoints and the principal's role-helped me come to a decision everyone could live with.

4. One program can solve any problem.

It's a misconception that there is a single-program solution for every problem. Most actions that successfully address a complex problem will synergize the combined efforts of multiple people, programs, and activities.

How to Respond: When you seek to solve a complex problem in your first year, use a comprehensive, layered strategy backed by a strong vision. Such an approach helped us reduce discipline infractions by 32 percent in one year, including tackling tough problems with bus behavior. We built on the hallmarks of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, which our school uses, and the basic tenets of the Whole Child Initiative to engage stakeholders. We partnered with local police to bring the DARE program to Gibsonville's 5th graders. In the process, we developed a police mentoring program that provided support to our students.

I held parent meetings, student meetings, and teacher meetings centered on both positive behavior and the consequences of poor decisions. We developed individualized folders containing information on each student's bus behavior and handed them out at parent meetings. Some students were assigned a teacher buddy to help them make good decisions. This comprehensive strategy encompassed several programs, personalized to meet our students' needs.

Jessica Bohn works with a child in the classroom.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Bohn

Four Challenges

Challenges are daily fare in the principal's office. Four challenges that defined my first year stand out as likely to make the difference between surviving and thriving.

1. More negative than positive input lands in your office.

A principal's daily decisions often center on resolving problems or conflicts-among students, parents, teachers, or any combination of these. Although principals do receive positive feedback, there's an imbalance between the incoming negative and positive input, skewed toward the negative. Especially if you're the sole administrator, this imbalance can be difficult to adjust to at first. New principals are eager to make everyone happy and make a good impression. Adjusting to the need to frequently respond to frustrated parents or teachers takes a mental toll.

How to Respond: How you handle conflicts defines your professional brand. To survive, adopt a problem-solving approach. For example, if a parent calls to complain about a teacher who treats his or her child unfairly, it's important to first focus on the facts. Gather information about why the parent and child feel this way and obtain the teacher's version of what's taking place. Once you identify the source of the conflict, turn your attention toward developing specific steps to either alleviate the problem or reverse the negative perception. Focus on moving forward rather than looking back.

2. You must decide what to say-and when.

Principals make hundreds of decisions every day about what to do and what not to do. One of these decisions is whether to speak up about a particular issue or strategically wait before speaking. It's important to reflect and process information before speaking publicly.

Teachers in my district are required to create personalized plans for any student who has learning gaps. They must submit these plans, which target areas of academic need and set up intervention strategies, online and on time. As a first-year leader eager to prove myself, I wanted to make sure my teachers met the deadlines. I insisted that each teacher create a personalized education plan for each student who needed one in the first month of school. On a tight timeline, I ensured that all teachers were trained and entered their plans before the district-mandated deadline.

During a meeting with fellow principals, I noticed a form that listed a later due date than the one I'd been working toward. Without taking time to think, I drew the group's attention to the fact that I'd been given wrong information. When I was later told the date was a typo, I immediately felt embarrassed. My filter had failed me. I should've given myself time to contemplate this possibility before complaining. However, the small mishap gave me a refreshed perspective on the value of "wait time."

How to Respond: Take time to reflect on the potential effect of anything you're poised to say publicly. With the continual state of information overload, it's easy to become obsessed with the need to be efficient and overlook the need be thoughtful. With most communications, I now make a regular practice of drafting my words and looking over them again before I make any statement in public.

3. Actions can be misperceived.

Novices may hit trouble when they act in good faith but fail to anticipate how others might misperceive their actions. For instance, in my quest to support data-driven instruction, I once celebrated bright spots in our formative assessment data at a faculty meeting. The problem was, the data and names of classroom teachers were linked. My intentions were ethical-to celebrate areas of growth, promote shared responsibility for the instruction of all students, and initiate collaborative conversations. But the message several teachers received was negative: Some teachers whose students did not have good data felt demoralized in front of their colleagues. I had to reflect on whether my approach had been effective. I realized that a more effective approach would've been to share this data only in grade-level professional learning communities.

How to Respond: Practice anticipatory leadership: Try to anticipate how people in your varied constituencies might perceive your well-meaning words or actions. Minimize the chance of good intentions leading to undesirable consequences. Stakes can be high. In that meeting, I failed to anticipate that some would perceive my action as judgmental-and in situations like this, perception is reality. Fortunately, my dedicated staff moved past this misstep and remained cohesive. We still analyze data, but when results are broken down by classroom, we analyze them in grade-level communities.

4. You may be overloaded with data, but not know how to act.

Reviewing data to see where problems exist in your school won't be enough; you'll have to come up with a way to improve weak spots. A successful principal has to engage in strategic planning and allow teachers to take some risks. At the beginning of my first year leading Gibsonville, data showed that 78 percent of the kids in 5th grade were below grade level in math. I couldn't have fixed this problem if I hadn't delegated some responsibility and supported teachers' proposals to adjust instruction.

How to Respond: Get to know teachers' strengths and utilize them broadly. Allow good teachers to make instructional decisions and take calculated risks.

Several teachers came to me in the middle of my first year with a plan to provide small-group instruction to improve the5th graders' math skills. Making a few schedule modifications, I gave them flexibility to implement their ideas.

Meanwhile, some teachers also agreed to provide small-group, targeted interventions to students in a grade level different from their own during their planning time. I used assessment data to identify any students who needed additional assistance. Teachers then disaggregated data to determine what skills to teach during small-group interventions.

Both risks paid off. By the end of the year, approximately 92 percent of the 5th graders passed the state math test. Our school achieved "high growth" status in math overall.

How Districts Can Support New Principals

Although first-year principals often feel too busy to take on sustained professional development, it's crucial that they have opportunities to develop as education leaders. School district leaders can help make sure new principals get these opportunities, through these actions.

1. Consider the principalship through the lens of fresh experience. Hold discussions with second-year principals probing what they've noticed about the role and its realities. Because of the rapid pace of change, new principals might now face different challenges than the ones novices faced just a few years ago. Getting input from second-year leaders will provide a framework for districts' leadership development activities.

2. Provide "anticipatory PD." Craft sessions for assistant principals that involve role-playing problems and scenarios a new principal is likely to face. Assistant principals might be given a budget and an outline of conflicting viewpoints about its use; they would then have to map out a resolution that a principal could realistically create.

3. Help principals who have a grade-level mismatch. Differentiate leadership training so it provides participants with specialized knowledge of each grade level. A complicating factor for many first-year principals is the mismatch between their prior experience and their current school setting.
When I started at Gibsonville, I had school-based experiences in grades 6-16 and district-level experience in K-12. I felt confident about my ability to be an instructional leader at any level. Having never worked in a school-based position in the elementary grades, however, I had to learn the landscape and language-and adapt my leadership style accordingly. It was a revelation that my ability to explain topographic influence on local climate didn't make me an expert in early literacy-and that my teachers could teach me something.

4. Develop networks of support. A network should include external mentors and internal go-to personnel. Through collaboration between several school systems and foundations, my district provides executive cross-regional coaches for our new principals and a network of internal support. Districts might assign each first-year leader a mentor and a separate "buddy principal," partner with local colleges that offer educational leadership programs, and provide "who-to-ask" lists for common questions.

New principals whose districts don't provide such supports can build their own networks by approaching same-level colleagues in their district or joining online communities like ASCD's EDge and networks like Twitter.

Embracing the Challenge

Today's school principal is like the CEO of a corporation, with a duty to lead the whole school in terms of vision, instructional planning, staff development, fiscal planning, and more. Synergizing the interests of all stakeholders while simultaneously being results-oriented isn't an easy task, but it's a one that I feel privileged to tackle. I love a complex challenge!

How you handle conflict defines your professional brand.

Find and commit to sustained professional development in your first year, no matter how busy you are.

Establish a network of mentors for yourself.

Use layered efforts backed by a strong vision (as opposed to a single program) to accomplish goals.

When considering a course of action, ask yourself what others' perceptions of that action are likely to be before you act. Perception is reality.

Give yourself time to consider all information before commenting or making a decision.

Challenge yourself, but don't drown yourself-in data or otherwise.

Jessica Bohn is principal of Gibsonville Elementary School in North Carolina and a 2012 ASCD Emerging Leader.

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April 2013 | Volume 70 | Number 7 The Principalship Jessica Bohn When I started my first year as a principal of Gibsonville Elementary School, I felt ready to tackle any challenge. I had a unique connection to the community, having attended high school nearby, and I'd been through a four-year assistant principalship in the same district.

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Authentic Leadership in School Principals

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Authentic Leadership in School Principals