Leadership, Learning, and Service Applied - Day 14 - 7.1.2010

As was the case last year, many new changes have unfolded in my job for the upcoming year. I suppose it is a blessing in that the jobs keep presenting themselves because people must be happy with the work I am doing. At the same time, these changes bring challenges.

I once thought that by this point in my life I would have taken over as Director of Wisconsin Education Innovations. Accepting that this was not my calling at this time has been a great experience. Because of the classes and learning and knowing what I know about leadership had made it easier to let things unfold instead of fighting for what I thought was supposed to happen. By letting go, new opportunities have emerged, ones that I feel are a calling.

Jeff Monday, the principal and vice president of Messmer, took a new job at Marquette University High School. This was really an unexpected event and it has left me wondering what my capacity at the school will be. Last year Jeff brought me on as a consultant and bought out 80% of my contract with WEI. With him leaving I really wondered what the state of my job would be...and even at times...if I would have a job at all. 

In our meetings before I left, Jeff was very hopeful that I would become the leader of Messmer Catholic Schools. That I would step in and help to continue the great work that has been started there. I didn't know if I wanted to leave WEI and worried about doing so. What has happened over the past few weeks has been so telling. It has made me appreciate my leadership training to the fullest. It has also really opened my eyes to what service means within the definition of leadership. 

I have not been named the "lead administrator" for Messmer. I will continue on in my current capacity. I will not be moving into Jeff's office. I will not be a full time Messmer employee. However, Messmer needs leadership. I am committed to offering that service to them. At one time the title, the office, the position is what I thought leadership was about. Now I have truly come to know that none of this really matters. It's about how your leadership manifests in other people. 

The speakers this summer at Summer Institute had many great words of wisdom that I can continue to take with me on my journey. These are quotes to live by and to help me understand how I can make the greatest impact.

• "It is not about you! It's about the success of everyone around you!" (Bergemann, 2010)
• "You don't always get what you want, you get what you need and it comes at the the appropriate time." (Behar, 2010)
• "Wear one hat. And that is not talking about the roles, but who we are." (Behar, 2010)
• "You are a symbol of what you do." ( Peterson, 2010)
• "You need to build relationships first." (Mortensen, 2010)

As I continue down the path of becoming the most effective leader I can be, this next year will provide opportunities that I have not had a chance to encounter. I think it is interesting that it is all happening during the service year when I am most focus on really living my mission through service. I will remember that it is really all about the people and helping others grow (It is all about the people). I must remember the power of putting great minds together to explore issues we thought we had no answers to (Case Study: A study of great minds working together). I know that the greatest part of leadership is paying attention to that delicate balance of leading and letting others take the lead (31 Leaders). I must always remember that I am being watched and that my actions speak much louder than my words (Collapse: The lesson behind the lesson). Most of all I must remember through all of this that humor is a must (That one essential key: Humor).

In looking back over the past three Summer Institutes, I marvel at the transformation that has happened within myself. While I know many of the qualities that I need to work on are still there, I can tell that I have been transformed in this process. Thank you!

Behar, H. (2010, June). Leadership principles from a life at Starbucks. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Bergemann, K. (2010, June). Leadership at the presidential level. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Mortenson, J. (2010, June). Three cups of tea: A mother's perspective. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Petererson, K. (2010, June). Leading and shaping school cultures. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

31 Leaders - Day 13 (part 2) - 6.30.2010

This year for our summer institute presentation, we decided that Cohorts 15 and 16 would come together for our final summer institute presentation. Earlier on in the SI, we decided that we were going to do a take off of Father Guido Sarducci's 5 Minute University. Knowing that we wanted every member of the cohort to be involved, we broke up in to four groups and the four groups, leadership, learning, service, and research. The task was to come up with our lines for the new Father Guido Sarducci's 5 minute EdD/PhD program in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service. We hadn't quite decided what that would look like, how we would do it, but it was a start.

On those first days, I indicated that I would send out an email to everyone in the leadership group (8 of us) so that we could begin communications and come up with our lines. Task seems simple, huh? Not so much. First, I didn't expect to become the group leader. I was simply providing a service...(see previous posts). Second, I didn't want to be a group leader because I know how hard it is to get 31 leaders to agree on anything!

As the week continued, many people were asking, "What is going on?", "Do you know what is happening with our presentation?" Why were they asking me? I wasn't the leader...or was I? How do people get into those roles? What is because I agreed to provide a service?

Following that I felt that in order to get things rolling, I'd send out an email of my ideas...keep is simple and short (many people wanted to take this very seriously), keep it humorous in Father Guido style, have one person do the talking (I hate acting), and let's use the rest of the time to present each faculty member with a gift of thanks for all they have done. This email stirred up quite an email conversation and brought more questions than answers. YIKES! Our group had now hit utter chaos.

But the beauty that unfolded in the days to come are exactly what we as leaders should be open to in all of our situations. Because sometimes that letting go bring forth an outcome that is even better than could have been expected. For those of us with strong personalities and strong desires of our own outcome, it was about letting go. Letting go to let others take the lead. Letting go of our own ideas and letting a new path take place.

For others it was about taking on that leadership role. We had people from the group rise to the top and put things together. Those people worked off of their own vision, but knew they had to take into consideration all the other information provided in the email frenzy to have an outcome that 31 leaders would be happy with. And that is just what happened!

To me this shows we have listened to our presenters. As Howard Baher (2010) told us, "you don't always get what you want, you get what you need, and it comes at the appropriate time." Oh how true this was! As Carole Commodore, Bonie Laugerman, & Pauli Nikolay (2010) shared, "embrace dissonance". That was really important as we went through this process.

May we all (however focusing on my own personal learning...may I) take this experience and allow this process to recreate in our work environments. While many of us are considered the leaders, let us try to seek the leaders within the group. Let the unexpected leaders shine. Let those leaders who want to step back, to step back as that is an important process as well.

What is it about Cohort's 15 and 16 that make us such a cohesive group? What is it that allows 31 leaders to figure out how to work together toward a positive outcome? I'm not sure, but I bet it involves the grace of God. Learning about leadership for the greatest leaders right around me.

That one essential key: Humor - Day 13 (part 1) - 6.30.2010

Humor has saved my life. Really. It likely has saved my job a few times, too. I'm not talking about having to be a stand up comedian like Roz Turner, but how about a few little lines to break up otherwise very serious and crucial conversations. How about adding some positive emotions through the use of humor in tough situations. It is one of the only ways I have been able to survive taking care of my father. That lesson can be directly applied to every work situation I have encountered as well. When humor exists, everyone is happier. That seems simply to say, but it is true.

It has been terribly devastating over the last 9 years to watch my fathers long and slow decline with Huntingon's disease. Many times there isn't much to laugh about. Like the time when he went into our basement and was laying on the floor and he really believed he was in a coffin. He kept screaming, "Get out, get out" thinking that if we were there it would mean death for us to. Not funny.

I can honestly say, however, that humor is the one thing that has consistently gotten us through all these tough times. Like the time he entered a place where he had a tick that he ended "*%ck you" to everything he said. I would go into his room to put him to bed and tell him I loved him. He would respond in a quite loud tone, "I love you, *%ck you." While some may take that as quite a negative expression, for my dad ti was quite funny. In fact, if you think hard about all of the relationships you have entered either with a spouse, best friend, children, etc. "I love you, *%ck you" probably very well describes how you feel at times in every one of those relationships. I do think there is a story somewhere in that one. 

I think that Ron Berk (2010) best describes it, "It's all about time and how we spend it. How do we best use our time so that it is something that we look forward to." Humor does that and it is an essential ingredient in the care plan for my father. 

Over the years I have also found that humor is an essential component of work as well. Whether giving professional development workshops for teachers, or working in a principal position, humor goes a long way in creating at atmosphere that works. I think it is about the how the molecules must loosen up in a situation where people are laughing. I'm sure you have felt it. It is such a wonderful feeling to laugh. It changes our demeanor and makes each day something we can look forward to.

One of the tips given by our local panelist Jim Lindenberg (2010) is to "make sure you have fun! Enjoy what you do and have a passion for it." This is so essential to happiness in the workplace and I do think the old adage that laughter is contagious is true. A leader's passion demonstrated to others will bring about a workplace surrounded in fun.

As Roz Turner (2010) said, "Humor is hazardous to your illness." All those toxic cultures can be broken down with humor. Laughter in a caring and compassionate way. A story to tell that others can connect and laugh with. 

Much of the work of leaders is very serious just like the work involved in taking care of my father, but leaders must never forget that humor is one essential key!

Berk, R.A. (2010, June). Humor in the workplace: how to create a “fun” work environment.  Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Buerosse, M., Lindernberg, J., & Gayhart, R. (2010, June). Local panel of business experts. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch Unviersity, Milwaukee, WI.

Turner, R. (2010, June). Practical exercises for using humor in the workplace. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Collapse: the lesson behind the lesson - Day 10 - 6.27.2010

Isn't it great when we get to watch leadership in action!! From my perspective, there are very few leaders that really model great leadership in action. As Kent Peterson (2010) in his presentation on Leading and Shaping School Culture told us "you are a symbol of what you do." Howard Baher (2010) also shared, "People watch you, they don't care what you say." Dr. Laugerman (2010) stated, "It's about what you do, what you model. The actions prompt inspirations."

On Sunday afternoon, June 27, after 10 previous days of intense thinking, we came together one more time to watch a movie none of us were familiar with that was going to promote some critical thinking for all of us. When Dr. Frontier introduced the activity of the day he quickly corrected that it was not "movie day" even though that is what we wanted it to be. To be honest, by this time we are tired. We don't want our minds to be challenge any more. Critical thinking will hurt our brain. I suppose this is where many employees get when many changes happen at a quick pace in any business or institution. 

We gathered at noon. The popcorn was ready. We want to get on with it and get home. Maybe we can even leave early. Ready...set...oops technical difficulty!

12:20 - Dr. Jonas expresses that the technology wasn't working. They were going to give it about 15 more minutes to try to get things going. The crowd began chanting, "Let us go, let us go." Unrest began.

12:30 - Nothing yet. Can we just go home?

12:35 - Still waiting

12:45 - Here comes Dr. Frontier. The video is working. Our hearts sink. Now we are starting late and there is no hope for getting out early. Oh, man.

What happened in the next 30 minutes was one of those times where was was demonstrated had a profound impact on me as a leader. Watching Dr. Frontier handle this crowd who wanted nothing more than to go home was really something else. While the film was very though provoking and interesting, watching our leader is the lesson that we should have all taken away that day. 

Our lesson began with an activity to prepare our thinking. Carefully selected, it quickly got us engaged in conversation with others around a topic to set up the activity. We moved into a couple of other intriguing questions that would guide our thinking. The use of powerpoint (visuals) to supplement the presentation, not lead the presentation, were used. An quickly, our group was fully engaged in the learning opportunity for the afternoon. How did this happen after such a rocky start? Here are key components of leadership modeled that day by Dr. Frontier...

• All difficult situations are recoverable!
• Never give up.
• Have resolve.
• Be resourceful.
• Be kind. Thank each other.
• Show compassion.
• Use what you know about teaching and learning.
• Don't give an option to opt out.
• Question, question, question.
• You don't need to have the solutions/answers
• Take the time to set the context, it will help you get through the toughest of times.
• Promote critical thinking.

In my current situation where I provide professional development opportunities for teachers very often, I need to keep this example in my mind. It exemplified the type of leader that I want to be seen as. That my actions speak much louder than my words. I call it the lesson behind the lesson.

Baher, H. (2010, June). Leadership principles from a life at Starbucks. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Frontier, A. (2010, June). Documentary analysis: Collapse. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Nikolay, P., Commodore, C., & Laugerman, B. (2010, June). Shaping leadership for innovation. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Peterson, K. (2010, June). Leading and shaping school cultures. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Case Study - A Study of Great Minds Working Together - Day 8 - 6.25.2010

Over the past few years we have been taught to critically analyze what good leadership means. One of the components that continually reoccurs is that great leaders listen to people. No...really listen. In our brief introduction to Theory U (2009) we discussed the four levels of listening as:

• Level 1 - Downloading
• Level 2 - Factual listening
• Level 3 - Empathic listening
• Level 4 - Generative listening

In reflection, there are only a few times and certain people that I get to generative listening with. My study team is one of them. 

Watching our interactions "from the balcony", as described by Heifetz & Linsky (200x), it was interesting to see how our conversations evolved in our discussion of the case study. 

Zambia, Africa and the secondhand clothes industry was the issue. The lens to which we were to study it, political. Now our group decided to pick the political lens as a favor to another group, but also understanding that one of our group members, Dan, was very politically savvy. He would help us walk through this process for sure. When Dan was unexpectedly called away, the 5 of us remaining walked on a venture that was very unexpected and interesting.

In the lack of knowledge, most of us immediately pulled out the laptops and searched for answers. That really describes who we are. We are all in schools and typically how we handle problems is in finding solutions. We are known in our profession all as people with a great deal of knowledge and we have come to find a comfort in that. Not knowing much about politics in general, but also not knowing anything about the politics of Zambia created quite an uncomfortable dissonance for us. To top it off, I couldn't get my computer to work.

What I had left to do was to rely on others through listening. Really listening. I had no screen to view, I had no other information in front of me. This was such a surreal experience because it forced me into a place of relying on others understandings and information to create the future conversation. The lack of understanding from all of us created a situation where we had to connect in a way that created an emerging whole (or idea that came together). We wrestled with ideas, listened to one another, learned from one another, and before my eyes I saw attitudes of others unfolding, emerging. I felt my own understanding being challenged and could almost feel the new neural networks being formed. Different ideas about immigration were discussed, different ideas around politics, what is right, what is wrong. It just kept unfolding. Scharmer (2009) tells us that you know you have entered generative listening when you are no longer the same person when you started the conversation. I believe that happened to us as a study team that day.

The next day when we were able to meet with Dan and ask for his understandings, it was interesting that he did fill in some gaps, but that the five of us together were able to come up with many of the same ideas even with our lack of prior knowledge. We were both surprised and comforted by the fact that we could create a similar meaning without Dan there, but also happy we had him back to provide another context and understanding. This was a true study of great minds working together...

Heifetz, R. A. & Linsky, M. (2002). Leadership on the line: Staying alive through the dangers of leading. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Scharmer, C. O. (2009). Theory U: Leading from the future as it emerges. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Leadership, learning, and service: A balancing act of influencing others and appreciating differences - Day 7 - 6.24.10

Leadership is often defined by a person who knows a great deal about what they are leading. A school leader would have knowledge and expertise in all things related to schools and education. Business leaders would have knowledge and expertise in all things related to their specific industry. Political leaders would know a great deal about the laws and legislation and what the people they represent want. While this knowledge is essential to be successful in a specific leadership position, there are many other types of knowledge that great leaders come to understand and know.

And knowledge isn't enough. Leadership is about the act of influencing others. Helping them learn and grow. Sharing the expertise and understandings that the leader has come to know. This is the "learning" part. 

All of this that we consider leadership must also be balanced with service. Service to the organization, the willingness to listen instead of just impart or share knowledge. It is a balancing act of influencing others and listening to appreciate differences to continue the leaders own growth and understanding.

Consider the picture at the left. This is a picture from American artist Bill Dan who creates pieces of artwork by balancing rocks and stones of any size on top of each other. While this may sound simple...it is not as easy as it may seem. Bill Dan explains in an interview with Fractal Enlightenment (2008) , "the key to the process is basically 'connection' - if the connection is right between the rocks, then it is on."

International business experts came together at the summer institute this year to talk to us about what is needed to help leaders to succeed in a global society. Al Dertka (2010) stressed the importance of knowing you own value systems and what you are about before trying to understand others. Nelson Solar (2010) stressed the importance of knowing your own value system, but also being very open and willing to understand the systems of others. This is achieved by getting to know what others are about, what their operating principals are, and respecting those differences. Solar, Dertka, and Brennen (2010) stressed that we have to know we are all interconnected, in some way or another. 

No matter how you look at it, leadership is a balancing act between leadership, learning, AND service. It isn't about each of those three independent of one another, it is about the connectedness. And if the connection between leadership, learning, and service is right, then it is 'on'! 

http://www.fractalenlightenment.com/2008/11/rocky-balancing-act-of-bill-dan.html

Dertka, A., Soler, N., Brennen, C., & Prisling, J. (2010, June). International panel of business and non-profit leaders. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

How is service connected to leadership - Day 6 - 6.23.10

Before I get in to the question "how is service connected to leadership?", I think first we must ask "is service connected to leadership?" Both of these questions have not found an easy answer in my mind yet, as there are times they seem dichotomous to one another and other times they seem to be very closely aligned. 

As Dr. Jerene Mortenson (2010) shared with us the story of her son in Afghanistan, at first light many may think, what a great leader he was. He has built all these schools, met with high Afghani officials, and really had an impact on a whole nation of people. While this is true, the story of Greg Mortenson is really one of complete service. Greg got lost in the mountains while attempting to climb K-2. His work began simply as giving back to the people who helped to save his life. Returning the favor of building a school for this small community became a driving force in his life, his mission. Greg had seen a need that this community wanted and needed and he dedicated himself to finding a way to make that happen for them. That clearly is service.

As Greg went on to build this school, he had to go through a transformation in order to find the best way he could support this community in building a school. Greg brought his own mental models or understandings as to how to complete this task. Dr. Mortenson (2010) shared that Greg had to learn that "you have to build relationships first. Don't take over and be the boss, let the people do what they can. Build relationships. Listen. Stop being arrogant." These type of statements would lead me to believe that Greg was continually reminded that he came there to provide a service, not to step too far into the leadership role.

However, maybe that is what leadership is really all about...service. Kent Peterson (2010) indicates that when leading and shaping school culture, "people are key in building the culture." Doesn't this match exactly what Greg was learning? Our jobs as leaders many times slip into being roles of managers. I think the true leadership is when you can fully immerse yourself into the culture, find what the culture needs from their perspective, and find ways to help them achieve that. Let's be honest, that is harder than one might think because often times our arrogance as leaders tells us we have answers to fix the problems that may exist. 

Leadership that spawns out of service is the kind of leadership we are talking about here. Servant leadership. Tightly woven, tightly connected. 

Mortenson, J. (2010, June) Three cups of tea: A mother's perspective. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Peterson K. (2010, June) Leading and shaping school culture. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.