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Lately, I have been consistently engaged in three bodies of work. They are instructional leadership, leadership and instructional coaching, and developing collective efficacy among instructional-leadership teams.

The work often involves how people learning in each of those areas will help others, such as a school leader engaging in instructional leadership having a positive impact on the teachers, staff, and students they serve. What is really at the core of each body of work, though, is how those engaged in it become better in their own positions and practices, not just how they help others.

Instructional leadership is definitely a challenging area for any person trying to engage in the practice. Too often, instructional leadership has been seen as the role of a building leader, but the reality is that teacher leaders, PLC leads, department chairs, and instructional coaches all have to learn how to be more impactful instructional leaders, or they will lack the credibility to help others.

The same goes for instructional and leadership coaches. If those in the position of coaching cannot define and develop their own practices, they will lack the credibility to help others become more impactful. It's one of the reasons why I developed a yearlong, on-demand framework through Thinkific, where not only do participants have access to downloadable content centered around a cycle of inquiry, they also engage in mastery sessions with me every three weeks so we can talk through challenges and learn from one another.

Lastly, the work around collective leader efficacy is focused on how a team comes together and grows to build a shared conviction, not only as a team but also to develop the ability to have an impact on learning within their schools. The issue with all three of these areas of focus is that the work is hard to do because we are often paying for the sins of the past.

In exploring Applied Behavior Analysis, I found an interesting quotation by Farmer et al., which says, "Applied behavior analysis is the application of the laws that govern the interaction between an individual and their environment. These laws emphasize that behaviors are shaped by their consequences and can be evoked by events that precede them. This functional-contextual lens emphasizes the functional relationship between (a) historical and immediate context and (b) future behavior."

Unfortunately, the actions of a district can sometimes contradict the very work they want to accomplish.

Model What You Want Principals to Do
What this all means is that, at a district level, we can talk about how instructional leadership, coaching, and developing collective leader efficacy is important, but people won't believe us if their experience with us says otherwise.

For example, districts spend money on helping their leaders become more impactful instructional leaders, but, too often, they contradict the work by not modeling in their own district meetings what they want to see their principals do. Additionally, they contradict the work by enforcing more and more management activities on those principals who want to be instructional leaders, or the district holds curriculum meetings that are supposed to focus on curriculum but ultimately focus on compliance or other issues. This creates chaos because the principals or teacher leaders who are supposed to guide the work back at their buildings never get the opportunity to understand how that work is supposed to happen, because they don't discuss it at the curriculum meetings.

The same goes for developing collective leader efficacy among a school leadership team. People will not engage in the work on their leadership team if their experience tells them that their building leaders will never really support them during the process by listening to their ideas or engaging in the actions they agree upon at those meetings.

It certainly happens to coaches as well. It's hard for instructional coaches or leadership coaches to engage in coaching when they are pulled away from working with teachers due to engaging in "other duties that are assigned."

In fact, recently I had a guy tweet me using a promotion I sent out about my coaching framework. He said that if districts really want to help when it comes to instructional leadership or coaching, they should provide the resources necessary to do so, because his district says they want to coach others, but they cut the support halfway through, and most of the people trying to coach don't have the experience to back it up in the first place. I realized that my promotion of the course was the catalyst for his tweet but not for his anger.

If schools want to engage in any work, and not just the bodies of work I represent, then they have to look at whether their actions are supporting the work or contradicting it.
Where Do We Begin?
One area that I have begun exploring and focusing on more and more is that of de-implementation because I believe it will help with these contradictions as well as help alleviate some of the workload that teachers and leaders are under. This, of course, could also enablee teachers and leaders to engage in work that will help them truly become more impactful.

De-implementation is the process of "abandoning existing low value practices (Van Bodegom)." Farmer suggests that deimplementation can only begin by looking at practices:

that have not been shown to be effective and efficacious,

that are less effective or efficacious than another available practice,

that cause harm, or

that are no longer necessary.

Wang suggests that deimplementation comes down to four areas. Those areas are:

Partial reduction

Complete reversal

Substitution with related replacement

Substitution with unrelated replacement of existing practice.

De-implementation is a process that can happen at the same time implementation of a practice takes place, because it means that when we have conversations about doing the work, we must have conversations about the barriers that prevent us from doing the work at the same time.
In the End
If we want teachers and leaders to engage in the process of instructional leadership, developing a shared conviction as a team, or engaging in impactful instructional and leadership coaching, then we have to make sure that their districts clear the way for this work to happen and not put up barriers when the work is in progress.

There is an opportunity cost to all of our actions. If we spend time engaging in practices that are harmful or a waste of time, then we lose out on the opportunity to engage in practices that could really work. What makes all of this difficult is that we all have to look within our own practices to make sure we are not contradicting the ones we are trying to do.
* Need help with the stress of the job? On Thursday, Oct. 21st, Education Week's A Seat at the Table will focus on principal burnout and how to manage stress. Click here to register to watch or receive the on-demand version of the episode. References
Farmer RL, Zaheer I, Duhon GJ, Ghazal S. Reducing Low-Value Practices a Functional-Contextual Consideration to Aid in De-Implementation Efforts. Canadian Journal of School Psychology. 2021;36(2):153-165.

Wang V, Maciejewski ML, Helfrich CD, Weiner BJ. Working smarter not harder: Coupling implementation to de-implementation. 2018 Jun;6(2):104-107. doi: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2017.12.004. Epub 2017 Dec 24.

van Bodegom-Vos L, Davidoff F, Marang-van de Mheen PJ. Implementation and de-implementation: two sides of the same coin? BMJ Qual Saf. 2017 Jun;26(6):495-501.

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When School Leadership Actions Contradict the Work We Expect to See in Classrooms (Opinion)

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Lately, I have been consistently engaged in three bodies of work. They are instructional leadership, leadership and instructional coaching, and developing collective efficacy among instructional-leadership teams. The work often involves how people learning in each of those areas will help others, such as a school leader engaging in instructional leadership having a positive impact on the teachers, staff, and students they serve.

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Why Do Some People Become Great Leaders?

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Why do certain people become great leaders? Leadership theories seek to answer this question and usually fit into one of eight basic types.

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In this investigation, we examined the relationship between emotional intelligence, leadership self-efficacy (LSE), self-leadership, and leadership experiences among a sample of practicing school counselors. School counselors who reported higher levels of emotional intelligence also reported greater LSE, self-leadership, and leadership experiences. We discuss the implications of these findings for the practice of school counseling and potential future research on school counselor leadership.

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School Counselors' Emotional Intelligence and Its Relationship to Leadership - Patrick R. Mullen, Daniel Gutierrez, Sean Newhart, 2017

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In this investigation, we examined the relationship between emotional intelligence, leadership self-efficacy (LSE), self-leadership, and leadership experiences among a sample of practicing school counselors. School counselors who reported higher levels of emotional intelligence also reported greater LSE, self-leadership, and leadership experiences.

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Typically, good and effective leaders with consistent actions tend to have clearly-defined personal leadership philosophies. Doing so not only promotes success in their own careers, but also inspires a more productive working environment for everyone. In this article, we define what a personal leadership philosophy is, why it's important and how to develop your own.

Related: 10 Common Leadership Styles (With Examples)

What is a personal leadership philosophy?

A personal leadership philosophy refers to an individual's beliefs, principles and sentiments that they use to lead a company or organization. Your own personal leadership philosophy is determined by your character and beliefs. It helps keep you on course and guides the way in which you evaluate information and react during various circumstances and to various people.

The four key components of your personal leadership philosophy are defined as follows:

1. Theory: This refers to how you define leadership.

2. Attitude: This refers to your feelings about approaching leadership.

3. Guiding principles: Your guiding principles refer to your personal beliefs and values you consider when leading others.

4. Behavior: Your behavior refers to the way you conduct yourself to ultimately reach a favorable outcome.

Ultimately, your personal leadership philosophy determines what type of leader you want to be.

Related: Leadership Skills: Definitions and Examples

Why is a personal leadership philosophy important?

A personal leadership philosophy is important for a number of reasons, regardless of your company size. Here are the three benefits of having a personal leadership philosophy:

1. Defines your character: Having a personal leadership philosophy will help you understand your character. This is important because your character affects how you interact with others and in various situations.

2. Provides consistency: When you have a personal leadership philosophy, you're more apt to be consistent with your actions and behaviors.

3. Fosters collaboration: This type of philosophy also helps foster meaningful collaboration. Once your employees understand why you act the way you do, they'll be more apt to collaborate with you because they're aware and comfortable with your leadership style.

Following up with increased collaboration, your personal leadership philosophy allows your employees to know what you value and how you'll respond during certain circumstances. Once your employees know this, they'll know what to expect which will help ease any workplace tension. This will lead to more overall productivity for your company.

Knowing your personal leadership philosophy will also keep you focused on your tasks and true to the values you hold dear. This again adds to the productivity of your company.

If you're new to a leadership role, having a personal leadership philosophy will provide you with a foundation for how you'll lead your company in the future.

Related: 15 Leadership Qualities That Make a Great Leader

How to develop a personal leadership philosophy

If you're wanting to create a personal leadership philosophy, consider the following steps:

1. Consider what you value.

2. Determine your goals.

3. Start writing your personal leadership philosophy.

4. Reflect on your leadership philosophy.

1. Consider what you value

Before you begin writing your personal leadership philosophy, it's important to consider what values you hold dear and what values you think make a good leader. These are the values you'll highlight in your philosophy. It's also important to determine your strengths and values when it comes to your behavior and what you value. Focus on the specific values that you believe will make you a good leader and influence your decisions.

If it helps, make a list of your past achievements and failures. This will help you define both your values and your priorities.

2. Determine your goals

When writing your personal leadership philosophy, it's also important to consider what you hope to achieve and what outcomes you want to see come to fruition as a leader. Identify these goals, determine how you'll achieve them, what achieving them will accomplish and find out how long it will take you to reach these goals. Consider how the values you selected in the previous step will help you reach or impact these goals.

3. Start writing your personal leadership philosophy

Next, begin writing your personal leadership philosophy. If you write your philosophy, it will help you gather your thoughts and ensure you state all you want to. Doing so will also keep you accountable. Use the four components of a personal leadership philosophy mentioned previously as you write. This includes theory, attitude, principles and behavior.

4. Reflect on your leadership philosophy

Once you've written your personal leadership philosophy, evaluate how you've held true to it over time. If you don't feel as though you've been behaving or acting upon what you planned in your philosophy, let it guide you back to being the leader you strive to be. Consider what actions you've taken that have strayed you from your leadership philosophy as well as which you've stayed committed to. Ultimately, reflecting back on your leadership philosophy will help you understand the areas where you can improve or the parts of your philosophy that are no longer within reach.

Here are some examples of a personal leadership philosophy:
Leadership is about inspiring and encouraging others every step of the way. It's about building a positive environment where employees can thrive and use the skills to the best of their ability. My support for others will foster healthy communications and innovative ideas. Leadership is about motivating others and providing them with the confidence they need to see their full potential. As a leader, it's important to be considerate of others' feelings and use everyone's passion for good. I value the opinion of others, respect their beliefs and listen to their concerns with an open mind. I care about leading with heart and using my leadership platform to cultivate a positive place for growth. Ultimately, leadership is about being a strong leader that others can depend on. I believe being an effective leader relies on their passion for commitment and innovation. In order to build a strong company, a leader should be focused on reaching goals and creating advanced strategies that could propel the company forward. Leadership involves being determined to see everything through to completion and having the creativity to inspire new ways of thinking. I care about making an impact by doing what's needed for the company as a whole. I value dedication and persistence and listen to the needs of others along the path toward goal completion. I strive to be a leader that inspires others to do the same.

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What is a Personal Leadership Philosophy? Definition, Benefits and How to Develop Yours

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Typically, good and effective leaders with consistent actions tend to have clearly-defined personal leadership philosophies. Doing so not only promotes success in their own careers, but also inspires a more productive working environment for everyone. In this article, we define what a personal leadership philosophy is, why it's important and how to develop your own.

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Bastrop County Cares brings people together to collaborate around large community challenges that no one organization can solve on its own, to improve where our neighbors live, work, learn, pray and play.

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Emotional intelligence (EQ or EI) is the ability to perceive, express, and regulate emotions. Learn the role that emotional intelligence play in relationships and other areas.