Articles

INTRODUCTION: There can be no doubt that great leaders are good listeners but just as important is the ability to speak. I’m not talking about getting up in front of big crowds and delivering a rousing speech. I’m talking about the everyday ability to convey an effective, efficient, succinct, and meaningful message. I am reminded of a fellow educator who reveled in the opportunity to show off his elocutionary skills whenever possible. And, indeed, he Read more…

PREFACE: In our relationships with others there are so many dimensions; it goes way beyond a 3 or 4 dimensional view of the world. There is what we see and what we don’t see and what we hear and what we don’t hear. There is what we think and what we don’t think and what we are aware of and what we are not aware of. There is what we believe and do not believe Read more…

PREFACE: Do we really know what someone means when they refer to strategies or tactics? Through my years as a leader, I have found these two concepts to be frequently confused and too often considered to be interchangeable. But there is definitely a difference between the two and acquiring the knowledge and understanding of how they differ is a critical competency for any leader. Strategies are plans of action designed to achieve a desired outcome. Read more…

PREFACE: This article focuses on planning. It is impossible to over emphasize the importance of planning for a leader but I often find that people who have a desire to lead frequently are so focused on today that they can short change tomorrow. They are often fairly good short range planners and can develop great strategies and tactics but can lose sight of long the term effects of those strategies and tactics. We experienced this Read more…

PREFACE: The art of leadership requires many skills. To fully understand these skills requires us to know the difference between talent and skill. The free online dictionary tells us that a skill is a “Proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience.” In contrast talent is a “Natural endowment or ability of a superior quality.” (http://www. thefreedictionary.com) So a skill is developed while a talent is attained as a “gift.” Read more…

PREFACE: In the previous article I suggested a number of areas where we have lowered our standards as a society. I paid particular attention to how our current “anything goes” attitude has harmed our national morality. In this preface I want to focus on another very important area where standards have been lowered, education. I spent 34 years in public education and I’ve heard many arguments, both pro and con, with respect to lowered standards Read more…

PREFACE: It seems like standards have been lowered just about everywhere in our society and it appears to be happening just when we need the highest standards ever. If any society is to compete in a global marketplace, and for that matter just on the global stage, that society must have standards that exceed average and expectations for performance that match the standards. But evidence persists that tells us that our standards have been lowered Read more…

PREFACE: In This article I focus on reasons why we don’t access all of our talent. Once again, it is very difficult to do justice to a topic in 500 words. To bring more clarity to this subject, let me add a few other issues that get in our way. One of the key points is confidence. I personally find it to be very difficult to deploy a new skill because I’m not comfortable enough Read more…

PREFACE: I spent 34 years in public education. During those 34 years I taught 7th grade science, High School Biology, High School Chemistry, and Advanced Placement Biology. I also served as a Science Department Chair, and Assistant Principal, a Principal, an Assistant Superintendent, and a Superintendent. Plus, I coached Basketball, Baseball, and Football for several of those years. I had the opportunity to observe 10s of thousands of students over those years and I know Read more…

PREFACE: The best leaders are always learning. This is the one factor that does not waiver no matter who the leader is. How the leader learns depends on the leader and what drives that leader. Some leaders love to read. Others may enjoy listening to experts though recordings, seminars, or webinars. Still others will like to “get their hands dirty” so to speak; they learn best by doing. And still other leaders will learn by Read more…