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Many years ago, I started reading the work of Warren Bennis, who is sometimes referred to as the father of leadership development. I appreciated his book On Becoming a Leader, from which I discovered a quote that I have used for over a decade in my coaching, speaking and writing. He wrote:

"There are lessons in everything, and if you are fully deployed, you will learn most of them. Experiences aren't truly yours until you think about them, analyze them, examine them, question them, reflect on them and finally understand them. The point ... is to use your experiences rather than being used by them, to be the designer, not the design, so that experiences empower rather than imprison."

Over the years, I have concluded that individuals cannot truly develop as leaders unless they are receptive to continuous and deep learning. In fact, learning is at the core of effective leadership development, and deep learning is the process through which we can use our experiences to transform. Through this type of learning, we fundamentally change the way we see ourselves, others and the world around us. This deliberate action is known as "transformational learning."

One of the essential elements of this deep and transformational learning is called critical reflection. According to scholars, self-reflection comes not just from thinking about one's experiences; it also requires you to examine the underlying beliefs and assumptions that influence how you make sense of those experiences. Elaborating on this point, professor Robert Dilworth once stated, "It takes time and practice to unlock the ability to reflect. The art of critical reflection takes even longer, and some never get there ... When the reflection pushes to the deeper levels of self, it becomes possible to jettison dysfunctional assumptions and behaviors. Deep learning can then occur. It can become transformative learning."

Through the years, I've had conversations about reflection with corporate executives. A few have been quick to tell me they don't have time to reflect. They picture themselves having to sit quietly in a traditional meditative pose. Over a decade ago, I interviewed 10 female governors across the United States. When asked about reflective practices, a few responded with something along the lines of, "Oh, no - I don't have time for such things." Upon further inquiry, I discovered that they thought any type of reflection would be time-consuming, considered a luxury and viewed as a waste of time by others. This is far from the truth. Successful and effective leaders reflect deeply, but it often looks different than some might expect. In fact, some leaders even use what I call rapid reflection techniques.

So, if critical reflection is so important, how do we work with ourselves and employees to integrate these skills more deeply? Here are four research-based strategies that you can use:
1. Keep a learning or reflection journal.
Journaling can help people process experiences in ways that are incredibly beneficial. I have a journal I take with me everywhere, but only write in it every week or two (online journals work too). My favorite place to reflect is on an airplane. I can think, process and make sense of experiences when I'm stuck places or waiting. I have also written sentences or even pages while waiting for meetings or appointments, sitting on trains, worshiping during a religious service or waiting for my children's athletic games to begin. A quick online search yields a variety of journaling techniques.

2. Ask yourself key questions.

When something occurs that you feel is important to digest and learn from, ask yourself the following three questions: What did I learn from that experience? Why am I feeling the way I do about it? And, if I had to do it all over again, what would I have said or done differently? Others use a simple reflective technique called ORID, which stands for "objective, reflective, interpreting and decisional." Another model stems from a series of short questions: " What? So What? Now What? "

3. Discuss the experience.

Talking through an experience can also be a powerful way to reflect. This works best with a trusted friend (e.g., partner, coworker, workout buddy) who is skilled at asking questions and listening, not necessarily providing advice or recommendations. The questions and techniques used in step two can also work well with this strategy.

4. Use group reflection activities.

There are many exercises that can be used in debriefing experiences with teams. Online searches can provide ideas and directions for such activities like Concentric Circles, "Gotcha," Stand and Declare, Fishbowls, Building Solutions, Block Arrangement, Moods or Ball of String. You can also use insightful quotes and poems as a basis for discussion.

Even during these turbulent times, we can continue to develop leadership in ourselves and our employees. If we consciously create deep reflection habits, we can more effectively let our experiences provide transformational learning opportunities that will change the way we perceive and interact with both the people and circumstances in our lives. Strengthening these abilities and skills can help us have a greater impact in the months and years to come.

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Council Post: The Key To Leadership Development Is Critical Reflection

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Many years ago, I started reading the work of Warren Bennis, who is sometimes referred to as the father of leadership development. I appreciated his book On Becoming a Leader , from which I discovered a quote that I have used for over a decade in my coaching, speaking and writing.

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3 Essential Elements of Educational Leadership

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3 Essential Elements of Educational Leadership

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People normally think of educational leaders as principals, superintendents, and higher education thought leaders in our schools, communities, and even businesses. However, educational leadership exists outside of the classroom, too, whenever someone in a position of influence works to guide teachers, students, parents, or policymakers toward a common education-related goal.

Karen Reiss Medwed, PhD, assistant dean of academic and faculty affairs at Northeastern University's Graduate School of Education, provides an honest description of what it means to commit to a career in educational leadership-a career that embraces lifelong learning, hands-on experience, and inclusivity. She shares more about the three tenets of the field below.

Download Our Free Guide to Earning Your EdD

Learn how an EdD can give you the skills to enact organizational change in any industry.

Three Elements of Educational Leadership

1. Lifelong Learning

Reiss Medwed says that a personal commitment to lifelong learning is vital to succeeding in an educational or organizational leadership role. She defines a lifelong learner as, "someone who understands that learning is a continuous process and someone who is going to bring their context into that experience." Making lifelong learning a personal priority gives educational leaders the authenticity to share its value to others.

Whether your role is as a classroom leader, educational professional, non-profit coordinator, or corporate trainer, it's important to understand that every stakeholder you will interact with is a part of a learning network in their own classrooms and organizations. By modeling the love of lifelong learning, it influences others to value that trait, as well.

Reiss Medwed shares that part of the working in the educational field requires accepting that no matter your title or role, you must continue to improve and develop throughout your career.

"Each of us is always a learner...we're constantly going to be learning new things," she says. The nimbler the learner, she adds, the better.

2. An Ecosystem of Experiences

Reiss Medwed says that educational leaders should practice critical thinking, empathy, collaboration, and flexibility in a variety of work environments-and with a variety of people-in order to engage, lead, and effect change in a meaningful way.

For this reason, she says, Northeastern University emphasizes experiential learning as a core tenet of their EdD program, offering students the chance to practice these leadership skills in real-world situations that mirror the environments they'll work in after they graduate.

"Experiential learning is a critical quality for leadership today," Reiss Medwed remarks. She also stresses that increased self-awareness and an understanding of tools such as design thinking-two skills that come out of hands-on learning exercises-are essential ways to get "everyone to the table" when trying to effect change.

3. Inclusivity

The third aspect of educational leadership is one that's becoming more prominent in classrooms and companies everywhere-inclusivity. Reiss Medwed explains more about what inclusivity means for today's leaders and what their role will be in bringing a more diverse perspective to learning:

"We speak a lot about inclusive prosperity, which is a way of looking at the world and saying, ' How do I go about doing this in my organization so that everyone has an equitable seat at the table?' I think that the language of inclusivity speaks to the organizational level of educational leadership because you're trying to track that the improvements and the advances that you're bringing are going to serve the broadest possible population and that you're not going to be advancing one side without bringing everyone else along with you."

Leaders intuitively know that being inclusive is the right thing to do, but it also has a positive correlation to the success of organizations. A recent McKinsey & Company study revealed that surveyed companies in the "top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians." This success metric was consistent for gender diversity, as well, as the top quarter in this group was 15 percent more likely to perform better than their respective industry medians.

As workplaces acknowledge the benefit of focusing more on diversity in hiring, there is an opportunity to recognize diversity in thought and experience among the teams already working in an organization. Recognizing and being inclusive of the strengths of your internal workforce, rather than continually pursuing external talent, can strengthen an organization. An equipped educational leader will know the best ways to bring people with all types of backgrounds and experiences together.

The Value of Educational Leadership

It's easy to see how the embrace of lifelong learning and the noble pursuit of inclusive prosperity can change the classrooms and companies that educational leaders work in, but can it be a worthwhile pursuit beyond your day job? Reiss Medwed shares that there is a value in earning a doctoral degree that extends past the offices in which we work:

"An educational leader or organizational leader who is coming to their work with an understanding of inclusive prosperity (or social justice) is carrying with them some deeper insights into the ways in which all of our organizations are connected one to the other," she says. "This interconnectedness is one way to make bigger changes in the world each day."

One of the most effective ways to become adept at educational leadership principles is through a Doctorate of Education, and the program at Northeastern University is helping students achieve their most ambitious goals.

"We are developing scholar-practitioners which means students are experienced educators who already are in the field and are looking to change problems on the ground. As students are moving through their coursework and learning new knowledge and skills they are able to implement that within their organizations," shares Sara Ewell, associate teaching professor for Northeastern's EdD program.

The program artfully combines classroom learning with the experiential practice needed to meet learning communities where they are to provide the best outcomes for leaders and those they lead.

Is a Doctor of Education Degree Right for You?

Those considering a degree in educational leadership are equipped to lead as instructors in traditional schools, but there are also professional opportunities that extend far beyond those more "traditional" roles.

Reiss Medwed says that anyone interested in pursuing a more rewarding career should not look at the requirements of a doctoral program as a checklist of qualities that make you "right" or "wrong" for the program. Instead, she says that prospective students should ask themselves if they have "the passion and the drive" to thrive as an educational or organizational leader. Common traits of a future professional in this field include an insatiable curiosity to explore and learn, along with a desire to go out and change the areas in education that need improvement. Educational leaders aren't generally satisfied unless they are working to promote positive transformation in their learning communities. Reiss Medwood elaborates:

"All of us have questions that we keep asking ourselves and are those nagging questions that keep us up at night. 'How do I change this and make this better?' Someone who has that question-and it just won't go away-would make an excellent candidate for this type of program."

Reiss Medwed's says ideal doctoral candidates have the desire to find and establish a valuable solution for the problems they wish to change. She also believes that the following qualities signify a good candidate for a career in educational leadership and an eventual doctorate degree:

A passion for uncovering the answer to new questions they encounter

A willingness to be a novice and start something in an area in which they're inexperienced

The self-regulation to carve out time on a week-to-week basis for the three years of the program

Reiss Medwed explains more about the personal drive that many students bring with them to the classroom, as well.

"You have to have a problem that you want to solve. You have to have something that you want to change for the better. You want to be passionate about that transformation. You have to be willing to know that you're going to do things as a doctoral candidate in research that you've never done before in your field," she explains. "And no matter where you are in life, you have to be able to know that you're going to have to give yourself the time you need to actually learn something new. If you're ready to do those things, you're ready to get your doctoral degree."

Certain Advice for Uncertain Change Agents

Even the most qualified students have concerns about their candidacy for the rigor of a doctoral program, but Reiss Medwed insists that being self-aware about your learning is the key to success-during their schooling and even after the degree program is finished. She cautions students not to think of a doctorate as a means to an end, but to consider it the next step in their lifelong learning journey.

If you fit the criteria for a lifelong learner and want to change the world, Reiss Medwed also gives this sage advice to those who still fear they aren't poised to succeed:

"Don't look over your shoulder [at other well-known professionals who are] getting a doctorate and therefore decide that you're not worthy. Too many of the right people don't come in and get their final degree. If you're wondering if your problem is real enough-if you're really going to be a good change agent-then you're probably the right person to be going after this degree."

What change do you want to see in the world? How can a Doctorate in Education make it happen?
To learn more about earning your EdD to advance your career in educational leadership, download our free guide below.

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3 Essential Elements of Educational Leadership

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People normally think of educational leaders as principals, superintendents, and higher education thought leaders in our schools, communities, and even businesses. However, educational leadership exists outside of the classroom, too, whenever someone in a position of influence works to guide teachers, students, parents, or policymakers toward a common education-related goal.

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Leadership, advocacy, collaboration and systemic change are woven throughout the ASCA National Model and are integral components of a school counseling program. Collaboration, or the act of working together with other people or organizations to create or achieve a common goal, is key to the success of a school counseling program that affects students' academic achievement, postsecondary readiness and social/emotional development. In this webinar panelists will share what collaboration looks like to them and their school counseling program.

Speakers:

Marianne Matt, School Counselor of the Year Finalist; School Counselor, Capital High School, Madison, Wis.

Kristina Guy, Arizona School Counselor of the Year

Teresa A. "Gibby" Gibbons, Burton Center for Arts and Technology; ACTE-VP Counseling and Career Development Division

Moderator: Olivia Carter, 2021 School Counselor of the Year; School Counselor Support Specialist, Cape Girardeau Public Schools, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Original air date: Feb. 10, 2022

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Leadership, advocacy, collaboration and systemic change are woven throughout the ASCA National Model and are integral components of a school counseling program. Collaboration, or the act of working together with other people or organizations to create or achieve a common goal, is key to the success of a school counseling program that affects students' academic achievement, postsecondary readiness and social/emotional development.

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Have you ever been in a group where someone took control of the situation by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals, a marked passion for the work, and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? This person just might be what is called a transformational leader.

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that can inspire positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed as well.

Quick Background

The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. According to Burns, transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level of moral and motivation."﻿﻿

Later, researcher Bernard M. Bass expanded upon Burns's original ideas to develop what is today referred to as Bass's Transformational Leadership Theory. According to Bass, transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers. Transformational leaders, Bass suggested, garner trust, respect, and admiration from their followers.﻿﻿

Mental Health in the Workplace Webinar

Components

Bass also suggested that there were four different components of transformational leadership.

1. Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo; they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn.

2. Individualized Consideration: Transformational leadership also involves offering support and encouragement to individual followers. In order to foster supportive relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct recognition of the unique contributions of each follower.

3. Inspirational Motivation: Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they are able to articulate to followers. These leaders are also able to help followers experience the same passion and motivation to fulfill these goals.

4. Idealized Influence: The transformational leader serve as a role model for followers. Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate this individual and internalize his or her ideals.

So what are some typical signs of a transformational leader? Groups led by this type of leader tend to be both successful and loyal. They give a lot to the team and care deeply about the group's ability to accomplish its goals. Turnover tends to be quite low as transformational leaders are able to inspire a great deal of commitment in their followers.

In their classic text, Transformational Leadership, authors Bass and Riggio explained:

"Transformational leaders...are those who stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve extraordinary outcomes and, in the process, develop their own leadership capacity. Transformational leaders help followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers' needs by empowering them and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group, and the larger organization."

"Research evidence clearly shows that groups led by transformational leaders have higher levels of performance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders," explained psychologist and leadership expert Ronald E. Riggio in an article for Psychology Today.

The reason, he suggests, is that transformational leaders believe that their followers can do their best, leading members of the group to feel inspired and empowered.

What can you do to become a more transformational leader? Leadership experts suggest that having a strong, positive vision of the future plays a critical role. Not only is it important to believe in this vision yourself; you've also got to inspire others to buy into your vision as well.

Link to Well-Being

According to the results of one study, this style of leadership can also have a positive influence on employee well-being.﻿﻿

The study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine involved surveying workers at several different German information and communication technology companies. Researchers asked participants to answers questions about their employer's leadership style.

A score for transformational leadership was then determined based on qualities such as providing intellectual stimulation, giving positive feedback for good performance, leading by example, and helping employees feel like they were making a contribution toward the goals of the group.

The researchers discovered that employees who identified a higher level of transformational leadership in their employers also had higher reported levels of well-being. The effect stayed significant even after researchers controlled for factors that are linked to well-being such as job strain, education, and age.

"The results of this study suggest that a transformational leadership style, which both conveys a sense of trust and meaningfulness and individually challenges and develops employees, also has a positive effect on employee well-being," the authors summarized.

Real-World Applications

So what impact could such results have for managers and workers?

The study's authors suggest that the results are important and can help companies develop leadership training programs that can be used to teach transformational leadership skills. Acquiring communication skills such as resolving conflicts in the workplace and recognizing the needs of employees are an important part of transformational leadership.

"Such training programs can be seen as another essential component of workplace health promotion and prevention efforts and therefore should receive wide support," explained the study's authors.

A Word From Verywell

The transformational style of leadership can be highly effective when used appropriately, but it might not necessarily be the best choice for every situation. In some cases, groups may require a more managerial or autocratic style that involves closer control and greater direction, particularly in situations where group member are unskilled and need a lot of oversight.

One way to improve your own leadership skills is to assess your own current leadership style and think about ways in which your strengths can benefit the group you are leading. By evaluating your own skills, you will be better able to play to your strengths and work on improving your areas of weakness.

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How Do Transformational Leaders Inspire and Motivate Followers?

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Have you ever been in a group where someone took control of the situation by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals, a marked passion for the work, and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? This person just might be what is called a transformational leader.

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The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown | TEDxHouston

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Every leadership style has a different area of focus. For instance, some types of leadership - such as democratic leadership - focus on the development of people. Others, such as bureaucratic leadership, focus on existing processes and hierarchies. Today, we're going to focus on a leadership style that puts the spotlight on the leaders themselves: charismatic leadership.

What is charismatic leadership?

The definition

Charismatic leadership is defined by a leader who uses his or her communication skills, persuasiveness, and charm to influence others. Charismatic leaders, given their ability to connect with people on a deep level, are especially valuable within organizations that are facing a crisis or are struggling to move forward.

The characteristics

Every charismatic leader looks a little bit different. However, there are many key characteristics that most charismatic leaders share:

You may notice that charismatic leadership shares many traits with transformational leadership . While similar, there's one important difference: charismatic leaders rely on their own personality and skillset to move their followers to action, while transformational leaders rely on a shared vision to create change. So while most transformational leaders tend to be charismatic, not all charismatic leaders are necessarily transformational.

What are the pros and cons of charismatic leadership?

Charismatic leaders can have a powerful, positive influence on an organization and the people they lead. But if approached the wrong way, this leadership style can easily lead to unintended consequences. To help you better understand what these potential strengths and weaknesses can look like, we outlined the pros and cons of this leadership style below:

Pros

Highly inspirational and motivating

Encourages a sense of camaraderie, collaboration, and union

Makes followers feel heard and understood

Creates movement toward positive change

Cons

Can become more focused on themselves than their people

Has the potential to become self serving

Frequently viewed as shallow or disingenuous

How to apply charismatic leadership

As we mentioned before, one of the potential pitfalls of charismatic leadership is its tendency to focus too much on the leader instead of the people. To prevent this from happening, and to maximize the potential of this leadership style, we recommend taking the following steps:

Practice vulnerability

A common negative association with charismatic leaders is that they're not authentic. To combat this, we recommend practicing vulnerability. It's easy to get caught up in the idea that you always need to be perfect or demonstrate strength as a leader. But the truth is that vulnerability lies at the root of human connection . When you're brave enough to show your authentic self, your employees will be more trusting of you and find you more relatable.

So if your organization is facing challenges, don't try to sweep it under the rug and pretend like everything is okay. Instead, have the courage to share your fears, doubts, and insecurities with employees - who are likely already aware of the issues and may be experiencing anxiety themselves. Being vulnerable in situations like this will make it more likely that a company moves forward together as a team.

Develop your listening skills

Imagine that you had a deep, thoughtful conversation with someone at your company. During this interaction, you shared personal details with the other person and felt more bonded to them as a result. But the next time you run into them, they don't seem to remember anything you talked about! This is a surefire way to make someone feel terrible and overlooked.

As a charismatic leader who engages in many conversations on a daily basis, it may be tempting to tune out what the other person is saying or operate on autopilot. As you can see in the example we shared, this can have detrimental effects. So work on developing and practicing your active listening skills. If you think you need some more guidance in this area, look for training opportunities or to a coach to help you develop this skill.

Be transparent

Don't praise an employee or make empty promises simply because it sounds good. This is a trap that charismatic leaders can fall into since they're so focused on inspiring and motivating others. In the process, it's easy to say things that aren't entirely true for the sake of making someone feel good. Instead, always prioritize being honest, sincere, and straightforward in your communication. Over time, your employees will learn to trust what you say and increasingly look to you for information and feedback.

If approached thoughtfully, charismatic leadership has the potential to bring positive change to any organization. Be aware of the potential pitfalls of this leadership style, take the action needed to prevent them from happening, and you'll find that this to be an incredibly effective type of leadership to practice in your role.

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your own leadership style can help you better identify which approach is best for your current role. Check out our ebook, 10 Leadership Styles You Should Know, to learn more about different approaches to leadership and when and how to apply them.

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Do you possess the traits to be a charismatic leader? Learn more about the characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of this leadership style.

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How School Leaders Can Respond to Pushback Over Social-Emotional Learning

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See 7 tips for how to talk to parents and community members about social-emotional learning.

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The Authenticity Paradox | Professor Herminia Ibarra | TEDxLondonBusinessSchool

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School Counselors: Collaborating for LCAP Goals

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School Counselors: Collaborating for LCAP Goals

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Often underutilized, school counselors can be strong partners in meeting the academic, social-emotional and career development needs of students.

By Caroline J. Lopez and Loretta Whitson
Administrators are currently faced with directing and implementing several initiatives, including Common Core State Standards, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium testing, and Local Control and Accountability Plans. Within that context, it is important to recognize that the eight core LCAP priorities require intensive and authentic involvement of stakeholders.

The challenges of meeting these goals are too complex for any one individual to manage. Instead, meeting the wide range of student needs in today's educational settings calls for strong collaborative leadership.

The report "How the World's Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better" examined school systems in 20 diverse countries that experienced continuous improvement (Mourshed, Chijioke and Barber, 2010). One common thread was a strong reliance on teamwork to identify and respond to problems. Through collaborative leadership, administrators can make the changes required to raise the bar and close the gap for all students.

One often underutilized collaborative partner is the school counselor.

The LCAP creates a unique opportunity for school counselors and administrators to act as allies in school reform. Too often school counselors have been left at the periphery of education reform. As part of the administration's collaborative team, school counselors have a vital role to play in addressing three broad domains: 1) Conditions of Learning; 2) Pupil Outcomes; and 3) Engagement.

As California aims to improve its education system and implement the Local Control Funding Formula, school counselors can play a critical role in addressing equity challenges and meeting the eight state priorities, which include school climate, high school graduation rates, and access to college preparation courses, among others.

The principal-counselor relationship

How do administrators and school counselors begin to build a collaborative relationship? What are the qualities and actions that make a strong relationship? According to a study conducted by the College Board (Finkelstein, 2009), the 10 characteristics of a strong principal-counselor relationship include:

Open communication that provides multiple opportunities for input to decision making.

Opportunities to share ideas on teaching, learning and schoolwide educational initiatives.

Sharing information about the needs within the school and the community.

School counselor participation on school leadership teams.

Joint responsibility in the development of goals and metrics that indicate success.

Mutual trust between the principal and school counselors.

A shared vision of what is meant by student success.

Mutual respect between the principal and school counselors.

Shared decision making on initiatives that impact student success.

A collective commitment to equity and opportunity.

There are several ways that administrators and counselors can begin to establish collaborative relationships. First, administrators and counselors should set aside time for regular communication and collaborative planning. Administrators and counselors have identified time as the greatest challenge to collaboration (Finkelstein, 2009).

Collaborative planning can be accomplished through weekly, bi-weekly or monthly meetings that include a review of student needs, mutually established goals and individual tasks for the week. Purposeful planning helps ensure that school counseling services align with the mission and vision of the school.

Secondly, administrators and school counselors should share information. The more each knows about the work they are doing, the better they are able to support the whole child.

Lastly, administrators can include school counselors on school and district leadership teams. School counselors understand children as individuals and as participants within a system. They take a holistic approach to student development and can provide valuable insight into how to best meet the academic, social-emotional, and career development needs of students.

Simply put, a strong collaborative relationship takes place when members of an inclusive team work together as equals to assist students to succeed in the classroom. Michael Fullan argues that purposeful collaboration is one way of ensuring that there is coherence and centrality of purpose within any reform process. By merging effective skills sets and abilities and making effective use of time, school counselors and administrators can address current issues and challenges more comprehensively.

The role of the school counselor

Effective collaboration is focused and intentional. Therefore, it is critical that administrators understand what expertise and services school counselors bring to the table. According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, school counselors play an important role in the academic, social-emotional and career development of all students through the implementation of a comprehensive developmental school counseling program.

School counselors are specifically trained to provide services that identify and resolve barriers to student success (Whitson and Stephens, 2014). To achieve maximum program effectiveness, ASCA recommends a school counselor to student ratio of 1:250.

California is second to last in the nation, with a ratio of 1:826. Given these enormous caseloads, it is essential that administrators and counselors are strategic in the ways in which school counseling programs support students.

School counselors should spend 80 percent or more of their time in direct and indirect services to students. Direct services include classroom lessons, individual and group counseling, advisement and crisis response. Indirect services include consultation and collaboration with parents and teachers, and referral.

In October 2015, Senate Bill 451 was passed, updating Section 49600 of the California Education Code authorizing school districts to provide the structures for a comprehensive educational counseling program to meet the growing demands of California's K-12 students. These updated statutes align school counseling services in a way that helps districts meet the eight statewide education priorities.

The following outlines the LCAP priorities, along with examples of authorized counseling services that meet district goals.

The eight LCAP priorities

Priority 1 - Student Achievement: Improving student achievement and outcomes along multiple measures, including test scores, English proficiency, and college and career preparedness.

Administrators and school counselors can work together to disaggregate achievement data and identify students in need of support. School counselors are masters at relationship building. By meeting with students individually and/or through the administration of a needs assessment, school counselors can help identify barriers to learning, including self-esteem, home-life, study skills, motivation, learning or mental disorders, and coordinate appropriate and targeted intervention services, such as counseling, community agencies, tutoring or study skills and time management groups.

School counselors collaborate with parents, community members and community agencies to secure resources that may not be available within the school setting. When appropriate services are lacking, school administrators and counselors can brainstorm to identify and seek out resources. Furthermore, school counselors can conduct classroom lessons and parent workshops on a variety of topics related to student achievement including: 1) the purpose and impact of the Common Core State Standards and Smarter Balanced assessments; 2) the benefits of Advance of Placement courses; 3) test-taking strategies and ways to reduce test anxiety.

By participating in leadership teams, school counselors can work with administrators, teachers and the counseling department to develop systems for monitoring and increasing enrollment in AVID, Honors and AP courses, A-G courses and early assessment programs.

Priority 2 - Other Student Outcomes: Measuring other important student outcomes related to required areas of study, including physical education and the arts.

School counselors should assist administrators and teachers in educating parents and students about multiple student outcomes, including academic pathways. Because school counselors work with students on academic planning and career and college counseling, they are in a unique position to support in this area.

For example: school counselors can assist in monitoring course enrollment patterns. They can also work on educating students and parents on standardized testing such as PSAT, ACT and SAT, as well as monitor results and passage rates.

School counselors frequently utilize computer assisted career guidance systems, such as Naviance, with students. Their knowledge of these systems can be useful in monitoring enrollment patterns, goal-setting and successful completion of community college and four-year colleges and universities.

Lastly, school counselors can refer students to career technical education programs and internships.

Priority 3 - Course Access: Ensuring all students have access to classes that prepare them for college and careers, regardless of what school they attend or where they live.

Academic and career planning resources are part of a comprehensive school counseling program designed to guide students through a successful transition from school to viable postsecondary options and to develop the career self-management skills necessary for life-long career success. Furthermore, counselors can assist in professional development workshops that train teachers on recruiting under-represented subgroups for enrollment in Honors/AP courses.

School counselors are uniquely trained in career development theory and interpreting career assessments. Given this knowledge, school counselors can assist administrators in the development of interest inventories to determine next steps in increased course offerings.

School counselors work toward removing systemic barriers at any level to create an environment where all students can succeed. Through the use of focus groups and needs assessments aimed at parents, teachers and students, school counselors can assist in investigating barriers to UC/CSU A-G completion rates and help administrators develop a plan to reduce these obstacles.

Together, administration and the counseling program can review current graduation requirements and move toward greater alignment to UC/CSU A-G course requirements.

School counselors can also lead parent workshops to provide in-depth information on CCSS, UC A-G, post-secondary options, college admissions, as well as financial aid parent education workshops, in collaboration with community organizations.

Through vertical team articulation between elementary and middle school, and middle and high school, school counselors and administrators at all levels can collaborate to ensure successful transition plans and systems of support are in place for students in need of additional assistance.

Priority 4 - Common Core State Standards: Implementation of California's academic standards, including CCSS in English language arts and math, Next Generation Science Standards, English language development, history social science, visual and performing arts, health education and physical education standards.

School counselors in several ways can work collaboratively to contribute to the success of CCSS implementation. Over the years, researchers have pointed to the relationship between high-stakes testing and teacher stress, suggesting the additional stress undermines meaningful instruction as well as diminished job satisfaction for those working in low-performing schools (Foley and Nelson, 2011).

In 2013, Frank Wells wrote for the California Teachers Association, "Educators are heading back to school with a mix of optimism and anxiety over the transition to the new Common Core State Standards."

School administrators, in recognizing staff needs regarding stress, could work with their school counselors to develop staff development modules to reduce stress and increase productivity and tolerance for the changes they have had to face because of the implementation of CCSS and other reform measures.

Another partnering opportunity is school counselors supporting the school's parent outreach goals by conducting parent workshops, assisting parents in understanding the CCSS and the Smarter Balance assessment measures.

Priority 5 - Core Services: Providing all students access to fully credentialed teachers, instructional materials that align with state standards, and safe facilities.

School counselors and school administrators working collaboratively can help "equalize the playing field" for California's legislatively identified youth, providing the additional services and support they may need in gaining access to instructional materials. This begins by school counselors utilizing their skills in building community partnerships and to increase access to the variety of services available to these youth.

For example, they can collaborate with churches and community outreach centers to increase community referral resources. Additionally, they can work with foster care providers and social workers to ensure each student has the school supplies they need and understand the other provisions offered under California law for transitioning foster care youth to access college or other post-secondary opportunities.

Equally, homeless youth often need a school-based case-management approach in managing the unique challenges associated with being homeless. They may need special arrangements for managing text books, instructional materials and after-hour access to technology.

Priority 6 - Student Engagement: Supporting student engagement, including whether students attend school or are chronically absent.

Administrators and school counselors can identify and track chronically absent students, determine reasons for absenteeism, and develop appropriate intervention plans. By working in partnership, truant students are quickly identified and referred to individual or group counseling services offered through the school counseling program.

School counselors can also conduct workshops for both parents and students on topics such as time-management, establishing routines, or coping with anxiety-based school refusal behavior.

Priority 7 - Parent Involvement: Parent involvement and participation, so the local community is engaged in the decision- making process and the educational programs of students.

According to the American School Counselor Association, school counselors are called to work with students, their families and community members as part of a comprehensive counseling program to become knowledgeable about community resources and actively pursue collaboration with family members and community stakeholders.

School counselors are skilled in family-school collaboration and in program development and evaluation. Consequently, school counselors are called to create, lead, facilitate and evaluate these partnerships and work to remove barriers to collaboration, including mistrust and miscommunication between parties, resistance to the concept and practice, transportation and childcare issues, and accessible meeting times.

This can include collaborating with administrators to provide parent information nights, academic planning programs for parents and students, and classes on parent and family education. School counselors can invite parents for one-on-one conferencing to review student progress toward both education and career goals, assist in the interpretation of assessment results for parents, provide resource referral information, and exploration of college/career options with parents and students.

In order to ensure joint responsibility in the development of goals and metrics that indicate success, school counselors should participate in the creation of parent surveys to ensure parents have the opportunity to provide feedback on school counseling programs and services. School counselors can sit on a variety of schoolwide advisory committees, including committees related to LCAP priorities.

Priority 8 - School Climate: Highlighting school climate and connectedness through a variety of factors, such as suspension and expulsion rates and other locally identified means.

School counselors work to promote safe learning environments for all members of the school community and regularly monitor and respond to behavior issues that impact school climate, such as bullying, student interpersonal struggles and student-teacher conflicts. School counselors use research-based strategies to reduce stigma, conflict and pupil-to-pupil mistreatment and bullying.

Administrators can work with their school counselors toward promoting and maintaining safe learning environments by participating in leadership committees implementing Restorative Justice practices, Positive Behavior Interventions and Support services. School counselors can assist in analyzing climate survey data, including expulsion/suspension rates and the California Healthy Kids Survey, and deliver evidence-based curriculum on violence prevention, social and emotional competence, character development and health.

School counselors and administrators can work collaboratively to develop an improved, progressive and developmentally appropriate discipline plan, that includes teacher training, in order to provide other means of correction. Furthermore, school counselors can assist administrators in consulting with teachers on student behaviors and in monitoring schoolwide small group and individual interventions for students.

Elementary, middle and high school counselors can assist in the coordination of peer mediation and character education programs.

It is through effective collaboration that school staff can begin to accomplish extraordinary things. Fullan attributes this to two factors. One is that knowledge about effective practice within education specialties becomes more widely communicated and accessible. Second is that working together creates a commitment to shared goals for student success.

By merging skill sets, administrators and school counselors can more efficiently address current issues and challenges more comprehensively, and creative possibilities can be imagined and implemented.

Resources

ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs: http://schoolcounselor.org/ascanationalmodel/media/anm-templates/anmexecsumm.pdf (accessible at http://goo.gl/HuFCGP).

SB 451 and the updated role of school counselors in California: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB451 (accessible at http://goo.gl/7S3B3j).

Planning tools to enhance the principal-counselor relationship: https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/nosca/11b_4729_PC_Toolkit_WEB_111104.pdf (accessible at http://goo.gl/DMCLWO)

Finkelstein, D. (2009). "A Closer Look at the Principal-Counselor Relationship: A Survey of Principals and Counselors." College Board Advocacy & Policy Center.

Foley, G. and Nelson, S. (2011). The impact of annual progress on middle school principals' job satisfaction. National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal, 28(2), 27-50.

Fullan, M. (2011), "Choosing the Wrong Drivers for Whole System Reform," Centre for Strategic Education Seminar series paper no. 24, available at: www.cse.edu.au. (2011b), "The Moral Imperative Realized," Corwin Press and Ontario. Principals Council, Thousand Oaks, CA and Toronto.

Mourshed, M., Chijioke, C. and Barber, M. (2011). "How the worlds most improved school systems keep getting better." Educational Studies, (1), 7-25.

Wells, F. (2013, September). "Transitioning to common core standards: CTA provides resources, training, and assistance." California Educator, 18(1), 50-60.

Whitson, L. and Stephens, D. (2014). "Brief: Increase college- going rates in California and fulfill the goals of LCFF" (accessible at http://goo.gl/rgcYvi).
Caroline J. Lopez, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the counseling program at Chapman University in Orange. She previously worked as a school counselor in Los Angeles County. She can be reached at *protected email*. Loretta Whitson, Ed.D., is an assistant professor, currently serving as chair of Educational Counseling Program for the University of La Verne. She is the founding president and executive director for the California Association of School Counselors. She can be reached at *protected email*.

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School Counselors: Collaborating for LCAP Goals - ACSA Resource Hub

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Often underutilized, school counselors can be strong partners in meeting the academic, social-emotional and career development needs of students. By Caroline J. Lopez and Loretta Whitson Administrators are currently faced with directing and implementing several initiatives, including Common Core State Standards, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium testing, and Local Control and Accountability Plans.

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What Guides an Authentic Leader?

There are several ways to describe an authentic leader - they're passionate about their work, they have a commitment to the organization, and they focus on the future ahead. Authentic leaders are those who are true to themselves and the principles that guide them. Although they may be in charge, their principles ultimately govern them, and people ultimately matter. For authentic leaders, building character and culture is a function of aligning their beliefs and behaviors with the principles of the organization.

Authentic leaders have the integrity and skills to make the right choices when necessary. Here are the other skills that define this leadership style:

Self awareness. Enables you to understand yourself and your relationship to your employees, the organization, and the vision.

Genuineness, modesty, and humility. Allows you to share the glory with your team members.

Empathy and ethics. Gives you the ability to make necessary decisions with integrity and allows you to support your team and remain committed to doing what's right.

Results-focus. Empowers you to create a future beyond your present reality and enables you to energize your employees to see the vision as clearly as you do.

Becoming an Authentic Leader

Becoming a more authentic leader doesn't have to be complicated. Try these 5 helpful tips to start building a more authentic leadership style.

5 Ways to Be a More Authentic Leader

1. Rethink "leadership image."

A sincere passion and desire to learn and change is what building a leadership image is all about. With that in mind, consider the gap between the image that others have of you and the image you would like to project. A big obstacle to authenticity is a strong need to maintain a certain image. You may have defined your image of "executive" or "leader" more narrowly than you need to. Try to let go of the tight limits or expectations of how you need to appear - revealing your personality and humanness is a better sign of effective leadership.

Often, gaining awareness of your current image and leadership brand goes a long way. But before you make any changes, be sure to get a good, truthful picture of your current image. Take time to understand how others see you and why. Seek feedback from your colleagues, boss, and direct reports. Ask your friends, children, and significant other. Each of these points of view will shed light on how your words and behavior are viewed by the people around you.

2. Increase your self-awareness.

A key component of behaving authentically is to understand what you care about most. Try these ways to boost your self-awareness. What are your values, likes, dislikes, and weaknesses? This might sound simple, but we often avoid or overlook the process of clarifying what's most important to us. Sometimes, given societal norms and conditioning, women in particular struggle with this aspect of leading authentically. Consider asking yourself questions like, what is my current skill level and knowledge related to the role? Or, how would others view my performance so far?

3. Assess and evaluate.

Once you have established your values, likes, dislikes, and weaknesses, you can better understand how aligned your behaviors are with your values and ethics. Assess what you have already given up, and be clear on what's most important to you now and what you will and will not do to get there. Remember, there are no "right" trade-offs to make, and your choices will likely change at various points in your life. Set goals for yourself that are aligned with your values.

4. Take action, but get support.

Make a change in your life, turning your intentions into reality. You may decide sweeping changes are needed, but, if so, remember that you don't need to do it all at once. You can start with small steps and gradually align your behaviors with your most important values. Remind yourself that genuine change is rarely dramatic or sudden. For leaders, a significant change is likely to be viewed suspiciously as false or manipulative behavior.

You're not likely to make real, sustainable change without a commitment to small, daily tweaks over time. Bring trusted colleagues and friends into your plan for greater authenticity, too. They can be sounding boards, feedback-givers, cheerleaders, and problem-solvers. At the same time, have faith in your own judgment about what's right for you and your leadership style.

5. Work on being a more effective communicator.

Communication is so important for leaders to build trust and show authenticity, so consider these tips:

Tell stories. Leaders who give examples through their stories are more engaging. You influence the organization's culture when you tell stories about what happened, about how a problem was solved, or about someone who did something notable.

Master your message. Clarity of thought and message is key, so think about what you want to say. Every question and every conversation is an opportunity to share ideas, vision, and values with honesty. But strike a balance between too much detail and not enough. Also, be sure you can talk vision and concepts, yet show your grasp of the tactical.

Leverage leadership networking. It's not about collecting business cards or schmoozing. It's about building relationships and making alliances in service of others and in service of your organization's work and goals. To assess your network and enhance communication, think about your current priorities and challenges, then create a network diagram that directly relates to these factors. Rank the people in your diagram in terms of their importance to you, and identify your most important relationships. Finally, diagnose any weaknesses and gaps in your network and take action to learn from others.

Use vocal variety. People listen better to a pleasant and enthusiastic speech pattern. Pay attention to your intonation, speed, diction, pacing, and volume. Do you regularly overuse a word, or forget to breathe and rush through what you have to say?

Focus on "we." Leaders who use inclusive language, like "we" and "us," inspire passion in their listeners and draw on shared effort and interests.

Smile. You'll appear friendly if you tap into your personal warmth, and the best way to convey warmth is to smile. Often leaders don't relax or crack a smile unless they're talking about something personal such as a child's school event or a recent vacation. You'll be more effective if you take the same tone when talking about the business.

Consider visual impact. Your listeners will see you before they hear you, and nonverbal communication is powerful. Change your haircut or update your wardrobe. If you feel good about your appearance, you'll project an image of greater confidence and job satisfaction. Consider how to make the most of your virtual persona and communication effectiveness, too.

As you work on becoming a more authentic leader, practicing new behaviors may feel uncomfortable or strange. That's okay, but avoid doing anything that doesn't mesh with your values, ethics, and intentions.

Your image can be either an asset or a liability for you as a leader. Building a more authentic leadership image is not about creating a false picture of yourself, but about recognizing genuine aspects of yourself that should be coming across to other people - but aren't.

Ready to Take the Next Step?
Build more authentic leaders and strengthen the culture of your organization. Partner with us to craft a customized learning journey for your people using our research-based modules. Available leadership topics include Authentic Leadership, Communication, Conflict Management, Emotional Intelligence, Listening to Understand, Self-Awareness, and more.

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Authentic Leadership: What It Is, Why It Matters

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Leadership success starts with authenticity-learn why it's important and how to become an authentic leader with these 5 tips.

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Authentic leadership is a theory that is still forming in the business world. The idea of authentic leadership is that leaders are seen as genuine and "real." This theory was created by Bill George in his book Authentic Leadership, published in 2003. This book takes on the entire theory that for leaders, being themselves is key to finding success. There are other important leadership skills, but being yourself helps you hone those skills. But does it work? It appears that the answer is yes. In fact, research shows that authentic leadership is the biggest predictor of an employee's job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and workplace happiness.

If you're studying to become a business manager or leader, it's important to understand the variety of leadership styles and theories, as well as understand authentic leadership and how being yourself could be your best option. Learn more about the authentic leadership theory, how you can develop it, and how it could benefit your team.

Bill George's Authentic Leadership model focuses on five distinct qualities that leaders that are authentic have, or may develop. It's important to note that these aren't unnatural characteristics that would make a leader less genuine, but are general ideas that leaders that are authentic fill with their own real intentions and beliefs.

Being a leader that is authentic involves demonstrating sense of purpose in order to seem real and approachable. Often, having a sense of purpose will come out as a sense of passion in practice. Passionate leadership involves caring about the work they are doing, and seeing leaders care makes employees more interested in caring about their work too. Leaders that have authenticity connect to their employees by showing interest in what they do, an interest in the large picture for the organization, and a passion for helping create success.

For example, leadership that shows authenticity is seen when a manager is assigned a new project from upper management, and will then hold a meeting for employees about this new role. They share the things that they are excited about, the structure of the project, and how everyone will be involved to create a good result. They demonstrate a good attitude to followers and show positive behavior as part of their leadership and passion. When an employee sees a passionate leader, they can catch the vision for what success can look like. A sense of purpose can look different based on the leader, but ultimately authentic leaders won't need to fake a sense of purpose, they already are passionate about their work, and followers can see that in their behavior and in their practice.

Authentic leaders have specific values, and they don't compromise on them for anything. This is also known as integrity. Integrity is crucial behavior for leadership to truly be successful. A leader behaves in a way that is always in line with their values, and expect high ethical standards and integrity in employees as well. Employees that see leaders who have values and things that are important to them will find respect and appreciation for their leader. The values of an authentic leader will vary based on their specific beliefs and morals, and they can be shaped by their company policy as well. Ethical leadership and authentic leadership goes hand-in-hand. This kind of leadership means that a manager will have their own personal standard of ethics and values that they will stay by no matter what.

For example, an authentic leader has standards for how work is done and values that work is done correctly. They articulate regularly that they won't tolerate shortcuts, they won't compromise the rules, and that they themselves would never do that either. This can be in regards to work, coworker relationships, management, and more. Values are a crucial element to this kind of leadership. Followers see this ethical behavior and have trust in the organization as a whole, and begin to grow more self-aware of their own ethics and discipline.

Authentic leaders build relationships with their employees and colleagues, and try to establish real connections with the people around them throughout the organization. They are willing to share things about themselves, communicate, and actually listen to others. Employees react better to managers who they believe really care about them and remember things about their lives. When an employee has a manager that they know actually cares about them and their life outside the office, they're more invested in staying and having a good relationship with that manager.

For example, authentic leaders ask employees about their family. If an employee says they have to leave work early to take their spouse to the doctor, the manager can politely ask if everything is ok, if they need any help, or if there's anything they can do. Management that is genuine and real will always listen, as well as make connections by sharing details of their lives as well. This can be as simple as talking about a game or show they watch, or go deeper in sharing about their children or family. Team members are much more likely to respect and like leaders who they can connect with in a real way.

Goals and self-discipline helps authentic leaders have the focus they need to move forward, no matter what comes their way. Consistent, cool, calm-that is the kind of leader you want during a storm or stressful times. Having goals in mind, and the self-discipline to get there is what makes an authentic leader easy to follow. Employees feel confident and calm when they see a leader that has that self-discipline as well. It also encourages their own self-awareness for their reaction and response, encouraging them to be calm and relaxed as well. An organization can thrive when leadership demonstrates patience and calm no matter what.

An authentic leader will communicate specific work goals to the team and then help provide a path and a plan to accomplish those goals. When things come in that add stress to the situation, authentic leaders don't freak out or complain. They set the tone for their employees by keeping their cool and adjusting the plan when necessary, all the while encouraging the team that they can still reach the goal. Staying focus, adjusting when needed, communicating, and moving forward are key for authentic leaders.

Authentic leaders are willing to show compassion to their employees. They are sensitive to the needs of others, and are willing to help them get what they need. This self-awareness is important to help team members really trust leadership. There are many positive effects that can come from this kind of self-awareness and leadership. This genuine heart helps employees feel that they are more than just a cog in the machine-they know that their leader sees them as a person and cares about them as a person. Mental health, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and sensitivity are all important to this kind of leadership.

An authentic leader shows their genuine heart, self-awareness, and compassion in many ways. One way they show this is by checking in on employees regularly. For example, during a busy time in the office an authentic leader will check in with their employees often for one-on-one time to ensure they are feeling OK, and find out if they can do anything for them. An authentic leader will make sure relationships between coworkers are going well, be sensitive to personal issues employees may be facing. Authentic leaders show genuine concern and ask because they want to know and help, not out of politeness.

There are many things leaders can do to develop their authenticity and become more genuine leaders. Some of the things they can do include:

Explore their life story. Authentic leaders can learn about themselves as a good way to become more true to themselves. They need to process their experiences, understand the things they've gone through, and discover who they really are. When you dive into your own understanding of yourself, you're better able to be yourself and let others see that side of you.

Take time to reflect. It's important to take a step back in our 100-mile-an-hour world and be introspective. Taking time for reflection helps you understand what's important to you, allowing you to be a better leader. Set aside time without your phone, task lists, and just reflect. Examine how you're living your life and engaging with people around you to be more true to yourself.

Seek out feedback. Authentic leaders know that they need to understand how other people see them in order to be effective. Seeking out honest feedback and then taking that feedback to heart is important for leaders to grow and develop. Authentic leaders want to get better and change for their employees, so surrounding themselves with people who will give honest feedback is key.

Understand their leadership style. Authentic leaders understand what kind of leadership styles comes naturally to them. They understand the situation they are in, the people they manage, and they can adapt their style as needed to fit that situation while staying true to themselves. Flexible styles aren't inauthentic, because they come from a genuine place and are part of the compassion and heart leaders have to make the best connection with their employees.

There are lots of critiques for the authentic leadership theory. Some people argue that employees and followers don't need an authentic person, they need a true leader. They need someone who is more than just themselves to lead and guide them. They argue that faking it until you make it is the key to a strong leader. While there are pros and cons to authentic leadership, overall the theory is focused on leaders being strong, but genuine and true to themselves which helps employees feel connected to and confident in them. Seeking to understand their flaws helps authentic leaders become stronger, and forging those real connections with employees helps them feel better about their work and their management.

Overall, the authentic leadership theory is a solid foundational way to be a good leader. Coupled with a business degree, authentic leadership can help you work to become the manager that you truly want to be.

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Authentic leadership is an up-and-coming theory about leadership and management. It looks into how genuine a leader is, and how their perception of being genuine impacts their ability to lead. Learn more about authentic leadership and how you can develop it in your career and life.