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.

It is all about PEOPLE - Day 5 - 6.22.10

When I began my teaching career in high school mathematics, to me teaching was all about...math. That ability to think algorithmically and to make order or sense out of the world was very important. I naturally thought that way and saw the world through very black and white lenses. I actually began my college path thinking that I was going to be an electrical engineer, mostly because my dad told me that. Truth was...I didn't even know what engineering was or what engineers did. Throughout my college career, I kept taking math courses that were needed for engineering because it was easy for me, but began failing the engineering courses due to a lack of interest and understanding. I went on this long and winding path for a few years, trying to figure out what I was going to do once I was out of college. What would my profession be. Finally my third year I went to the college counselor, showed her my transcript and asked what the quickest route out of college was. She replied, "teaching high school math."

Now my sister who had math classes with me in high school laughed her head off when I told her I was going to be a math teacher. She had experienced first hand when I had tried to teach her something about math. My rigidity and my frustration at why she didn't understand came out in the worst ways. "I can't believe you don't get that!" was a common phrase I used to use with her. She honestly wanted to know how I was going to navigate the teaching profession with no patience or understanding of others who didn't get math.

In my student teaching and in my first teaching job it seemed easy for me. I had a firm understanding of the math concepts and could almost always find ways to tell a story and engage most of the students in what I was doing. It was those I couldn't engage that I really struggled with. Then the blame game started. It had to be because they were discipline problems...or it was because their parents were bad role models...or it was because of this...or of that. What I didn't get was the very message Howard Behar (2010) speaks of when he said it isn't about the coffee, rather it is about the people. It shouldn't have been about the math, it was about the students.

It has taken many years for this to really sink in to my thick scull. It IS about the people. Throughout our time in many different summer institutes and during out leadership and learning years, over and over again we have learned it IS about the PEOPLE! Consider these quotes from different sources on leadership:

• "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care." (Maxwell, 2002. p. 79)
• "Applying the human equation to leadership challenges conveys respect for the fundamental principle that individual needs have value and the personal fears deserve consideration." (Reeves, 2002, p. 27)
• "In leading people, you will tune into their needs as well as your own." (Heifetz & Linsky, 2002, p. 165)

Once I was able to figure this out, it has made a tremendous impact on my well being, my ability to serve in my profession, and in the collegial relationships that I build with those I work with. 

I have come to know that the way to strengthen myself is to be able to get to know and to help support others. It wasn't so much about teaching of mathematical concepts as it was for building a relationship and instilling a love for mathematics because I could connect individually with each student about how I saw the world through a mathematical lens. This transformation has been a long, winding process for me, but has never been as clear as it has been this summer.

As Behar (2010) reminds us, "you don't always get what you want, you get what you need and it will come at the most appropriate time." It must be my time!

Baher, H. (2020, June). Leadership principles from a life at Starbucks. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

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

Maxwell, J. C. (2002). Leadership 101: What every leader needs to know. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Reeves, D. B. (2002). The daily disciplines of leadership: How to improve student achievement, staff motivations, and personal organization. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Can Experience REALLY affect gene expression - Day 4 - 6.21.10

Since the time I first found out about my father having Huntington's disease (HD), we have been on a course of finding more information, looking deep to find answers to what he will progress through, and trying to seek to find answers about what behavioral changes he will go through. Huntington's disease is a genetic disease. Because it is autosomal dominant,if you have the mutated allele, you will have the disease. Research about what exactly happens inside the brain that causes the symptoms is continually taking place. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2010) states, "At this time, there is no way to stop or reverse the course of HD. Now that the HD gene has been located, investigators are continuing to study the HD gene with an eye toward understanding how it causes disease in the human body."

The research of Dr. Suomi is encouraging. He stated during his presentation (2010) that "experience affects gene expression" in the rhesus monkeys. Because my research is dealing with the impact of Huntington's disease on families, it is interesting to hear this comment. Could this really be true? Is there really the hope that at some point families who have had to experience this disease, all due to genetics, would have hope through providing certain experiences to others that may dramatically improve their quality of life?

After the presentation I was able to ask Dr. Suomi about the HD question and if he knew if his research would have an impact on genetic disease such as this. He pointed me to the studies in Los Angeles that have had some success in turning around behaviors associated with HD by using some drugs that have impacts on how the brain functions. The drug therapy is of high promise, but could this be accomplished behaviorally as well? Just amazing!

Dr. Suomi reminded me of our obligations as researchers to really continue to preform research and to continue adding to the knowledge of body that exists on any subject. Being part of the doctoral program and knowing that my research will also add to the existing body of knowledge is exciting. While some may have argued that his research with monkeys isn't quite right, without the use of animals to test some of our models, I don't know how we would continue to move forward. At one time I would have been very against research on animals and the impacts it has on them. However, it is such research that is now providing hope that one day no others will have to go through the consequences of a disease like my father has had to. 

That is true inspiration!

Suomi, S.  (2010, June). Leadership, Experience-based Brain & Biological Development. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

NINDS Huntington's disease information page. National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke. Retrieved June 30, 2010 from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/huntington/huntington.htm

Welcome to Summer Institute Year 3

Year 3 of the 3 year program. The last summer I will have to dedicate 16 continuous days to doctoral studies. While 16 days may not seem like much, summer goes by so quickly anyway. It is interesting coming into year 3...being those students that are in their last year. I remember when we were greeted by year 3 students as we entered our first year. We didn't really know what we were getting ourselves in to. We could only anticipate the rigor and intensity of what we were going to experience. Those year 3 students had a sense of accomplishment about them, a sense of peace. 

Then when we came back for year two...the painful year for me. It seemed summer institute would never end. We knew the rigor and intensity we had to look forward to coupled with the realization that we had more years to endure. 

But year 3. Ahhhhhhh...... here we are! We made it thus far. This is the last summer we will have to be away from our families. Our adventures in leadership, learning, and service will be self directed rather than having to be here during this time. Yet there will be something missed.

I am very excited about our adventures for the next year. I also anticipate the conclusion of the formal part of the program. It will be and is a huge sense of relief and accomplishment!

Service is... Grappling with Ideas - Day 1 & 2 - 6.18.10 & 6.19.10

On our journey this year we are asked to define our philosophy of service. This will be an especially hard quest for me because I'm not sure how to define service. In fact, as we started this venture 2 years ago, when we did our KWL (what we know, what we want to know, and what we learned), I had several things in the W column and not much anywhere else. Some of the questions I was seeking to get answers to:

• We know that there are styles of and types of leadership and different ways people learn, are there different "types" of service?
• Can service still be taking place, even if you are receiving monetary gains? 
• So often service is related to giving back to the community...isn't service also giving to your family and to those close to you when in need?
• Are some people more predisposed to serve? Is it a disposition?

When I came in to this program, I had a pretty good understanding of leadership (or so I thought), I knew some about learning, but service is a large area of question for me. 

Blair and Hipp (2010) talked about service as a personal journey, about understanding others and being open to serve their needs (rather than our own?). However, most times what we end up serving is already in alignment with our own value system. This helps us to meet our own needs at the same time. 

So I continually try to ascertain - 

Is service a project, serving on a board, providing community service, service to our children's school, it is a physical act?

OR

Is service really helping others in need in small ways? Can it be all the little things you do to help others achieve their goals?

Here is another example, at my children's school last year, they implemented mandatory service hours from the parents. This really struck me the wrong way, because if it is mandatory, how can it be service? In my mind, the way to encourage parents to be more active and find ways they can give back to the school community doesn't happen by mandating a certain number of hours that somebody "work" for the school. However, service is defined in so many different ways, that is really is hard to put a definition to it. 

Looking in a couple of different online dictionaries, they had 15-23 different definitions of the word service. That really made me think hard about what service is and what we are talking about when we say the word "service".

This year will be a great year to gain new meanings and understandings of service.

Stanford-Blair, N. & Hipp, K. (2010, June). The Service Year. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwuakee, WI

Research Classes Coming to Life!

After spending nearly two years immersed in the CSU doctoral program, there were times I'd wondered if I was really gaining enough knowledge to cover the thousands of dollars being paid to be in this program. Then the revelation hit!

I was asked to be part of a team that was put together in consideration of applying for an i3 grant (Investing in Innovation Fund from the federal government) with an area STEM group. I was pleased about the consideration because of implications it would have on the work I was doing with Engineering is Elementary for Wisconsin Education Innovations. I was also excited about the opportunity to continue to develop my grant writing skills. But the skills needed for this grant required more than that...

As the meeting began, the cast of characters told it's own story. Yes, we did have some K-12 school people, many involved in Project Lead the Way. There were several people from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and a couple that were PhD's that either had been or currently were involved deep in research projects.

In front of us was placed a copy of the federal register that outlined the grant requirements. One of the biggest changes in this round of funding is the fed's priorities of funding are directly tied to research. The amount of funding you could apply for was directly tied to the amount of evidence (research) that had been done. This may annoy some of us in K-12 education, but the bottom line is we really need to find out what is working well, which is a harder task than one might first think. Evidence as defined in this grant application was something like this:

"Strong evidence means evidence from previous studies whose designs can support causal conclusions (e.e., studies with high internal validity)...more than one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study or well-design and well-implemented quasi-experimental study...or one large randomized controlled mulitsite trial that supports the effectiveness of the practice, strategy, or program."

It goes on, but I think you get the "gist". Many of the people in our room could assume what those terms might mean, but it really felt good to REALLY know what those terms mean and have examples in my head of what that would look like. In fact, it was great to enter into discourse about some of the definitions with current researchers in the field about what studies would actually fit those descriptions. As I watched others in the room listen to the discourse, I could see myself a few years back, listening intently but not fully understanding what any of that meant. Most sat quiet and waited for the research discussion to be over to join the conversation. It was an enlightening experience!

Bottom Line:

I'm definitely getting my money's worth! :)

Chaos and Direction, Merging a dichotomy for Leadership, Learning, and Service

As I enter new opportunities that have presented themselves this year, I look forward to new challenges and opportunities that will come my way. As the Director of Professional Development at Messmer Catholic Schools, I am hopeful that I can have an impact on student achievement by helping all teachers become successful in their classrooms. First and foremost I want to see them succeed and have the knowledge needed to reach every student that they encounter. 

While I have my own mission and expectations, as I know having a clear direction, goal, or path is essential for successful leadership. However, I must also always remember that while I have that mission or goal, I must keep my mind open to the natural chaos that will occur. I must remain flexible in order to let the direction carve it's own path as well. It is always important to remember that what matters most is the small impacts that you can make. As those small impacts increase, the overall impact becomes larger and larger. It must start with genuine care and concern for each individual, teacher and students. 

As shared by Perez (2009, June), Robinson (2009, June), and Taulbert (2009, June), I will remember that my main focus must be on developing relationships with those I work with. Each and every interaction has the opportunity to bring us together and to work toward our common mission.  That interaction might also tweak or refine our understandings of the mission and lead us in new directions as well. 

Leadership really is a fine balance of two mutually exclusive events, having a clear direction and mission, and allowing the flexibility for chaos to occur and a new direction present itself. It really is like the understanding of our brain, our left brain focusing on order, and our right brain looking at big picture and pushing to let new realities and understandings emerge. 

Having a basic understanding of how our brains work and how people learn can no longer be ignored. In working with teachers to improve instruction, the relationship that is formed with be the basis for understanding what types of past experiences have shaped a teachers' thinking. It is only then that you can purposefully begin to build new neural networks for the teacher, in hopes that the information presented will become automatic enough that it will help students to achieve in that classroom. Many administrators think/feel that when professional development is presented, teachers should just be able to take that information and apply it to their classroom instruction. What we know now is that our brains just don't work that way. The new information has to connect to prior meanings and experiences (Wolfe, 2009; Estes, 2009). Since we all differ in those experiences, it is important to work with each teacher at a more individual level. Helping to shape their experiences, and to build the experiences for them.

It will be essential in moving forward that I remain true to what I want to accomplish, and at the same time leave enough room for random events to occur and take me in different directions.

• I must keep dreaming big at possibilities that didn't occur before (Wild Ideas about Education). 
• I must use what I know about learning (Learning is Essential to Leading).
  
• I must allow random events to occur in my life (Leadership as a Random Set of Events).
  
• I must take those leadership lessons and continually reflect on how I can put them into my practice (Leadership lessons).
  

It will be an exciting year full of opportunities. I can honestly say, I don't know what it will look like when I am done, but the journey will be full of new relationships built and new lessons learned!

Estes, D. (2009, June). Brain Power. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Perez, J. (2009, June). Power of diversity leadership. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Robinson, E. (2009, June). Four giant steps to leadership. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Taulbert, C. (2009, June). Leadership for the 21st century. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI. 

Wolfe, P. (2009, June). Brain research and education: The vital connection. Lecture delivered at Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Let our voices be heard! - Day 12 - 6.30.09

There really something to what Ben Merens (2009) described in his workshop as the "need for our voices to be heard." In working in large organizations, such as a school, and in a small non-profit organization, I have experienced this need to be heard.  We also know that our brains are constantly assimilating information, but when people are able to share that information with someone else, it continues to build their neural networks. We also know that if we are in a situation where we are not emotionally "safe", the neural networks will not work as efficiently as we might have hoped. 

Over and over in any leadership training program, you hear the importance of listening to people. It is one of those things that you may hear, believe, and know from the speaker side of things, becoming a great listener is harder than one might think. Even in a position like Ben's where he is listening to people on a daily basis for the radio show.  I must admit, however, in listening to Ben's show, there are times when I think...Ben, LISTEN TO THE CALLER! Even if we think we are great listeners, a honest check in should be done once in a while. 

It's funny how when you listen to someone speak about listening and wanting to be heard, how applicable it is to the audience right away. As an audience, we are all supposed to be listening. Which we were. In one case, the person who was sitting next to me happened to disagree somewhat with Ben's point that we should turn off our cell phones and try to be present in the moment when we are in a listening situation. The person next to me right away whispered, "But I have to have mine on in my situation. That just wouldn't work for me." When Ben came to the question and answer portion, this person kept raising their hand in order to make that point to Ben. If it were me, I would have just let it go. But this person needed to have their voice heard! It took a turn, stemmed by an emotional response, that turned the situation from a listening one to a "I need to be heard"  one. At that point, there wasn't much more listening going on. 

This experience made me wonder how many times I didn't take the time just to let other people let their voices be heard. Sometimes I'm sure I even predict what they will say and not wanting to hear that, do not allow them the time to speak. 

Relationships (Perez, 2009) are the most important aspect of leadership. We must make sure that we take the time to listen. To really listen. By being present. By allowing our minds to try to create new neural pathways with the information we are hearing. By seeking other perspectives and giving others an opportunity to be heard. Just 5 minutes, as Ben Merens (2009, June) described. Just 5 minutes!

Perez, J. (2009, June). Power of diversity leadership. Lecture delivered at the Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Merens, B. (2009, June). People are dying to be heard. Lecture delivered at the Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Other resources:

http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm

http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article40.htm

http://www.benmerens.com/

Synthesized ideas for Leadership, Learning, and Service - Lens through Readings - Day 11 - 6.29.09

The underlying thread that connects the books is the process of moving from "personal centered" to ever-expanding inclusion in order to transform. Within this is the acceptance of risk and randomization.

In our intergenerational sharing groups (people in all three years in the program), we discussed all of the book readings for the summer. It was a fascinating discussion as the books are selected to specifically address each of the three years, leadership, learning, and service. The themes we identified that carried across all six books were:

• That leadership begins as a personal commitment to leading people or being committed to a certain cause.
  
• As people continue to transform as leaders, their role moves from that personal mission to an ever expanding inclusion or a vision greater than themselves. 
  
• Great leaders must always set goals and have purpose, but must balance that with the ability to transform as new experiences and opportunities present themselves.
  
• Most great leaders will tell a story of how important taking risks, building relationships, and allowing the flexibility to move in different directions has led them to their success.

The process of debriefing the books and thinking about how each were interrelated was amazing. It helped to synthesize and solidify what was learned throughout the first year and set the stage for years two and three. My understanding of our program crystalized after this experiences. It was surreal!

Super Heros of the Summer Institute! - Day 10 - 6.28.09

Many years ago in a land not too far from here Top Down Leadership, along
with his evil sidekick Status Quo, ruled the world

They joined together in an effort to stamp out innovation, end
transformational change and throw leadership, learning and service into
the trash can of theory...

Meanwhile, out of sight of the current regime, a group of rebels met in a
secret underground location laying the framework for the future. They
worked tirelessly under cover of night in fear that their work would be
discovered.

Unfortunately, the group was SO collaborative that they advertised their
efforts in a Summer Institute titled, "Ten Ways Rebels Should Oppose Top
Down Leadership."

Thus, they alerted their enemies to their efforts, and to the discovery of
their lair. Realizing this, the rebels quickly devised a plan to pass on
one piece of their special transformational code to each of their children
before they were captured and taken over.

They knew that alone and apart their children would go unnoticed but that
one fateful day all six children would reunite, collectively unleashing
their untapped potential to transform the world.

Merging Ideas on Leadership - Day 9 - 6.27.09

As the Summer Institute has continued, several emerging themes are beginning to come out about leadership. Many of these themes aren't new, they are ideas that have been around for a long time. However, moving those themes into our practice or really seeing the value of those in our practice is what can be hard. 

Where do these themes come from? Often they are from studying what we consider great leaders. We identify who these people are, then look at what they did in order to make them successful. Leadership is then defined by things such as being a gift from those you work with (Owen, 2009), how we build relationships with others (Perez, 2009), and how we draw and channel energy from others (Marshall, 2009). Building community, working with others, and developing relationships (Taulbert, 2009; Robinson, 2009) are also important traits of leaders. This all makes sense and really is difficult to argue. However, the definition of what leadership is brings about more complexity to leadership. 

Leadership for our program has been defined as the process of influencing others toward the achievement of a goal. Using this definition, almost anyone can be defined as a leader. At one time or another in our lives, it is likely that you would be in a position of influencing others toward the achievement of a goal. My son happened to convince the whole family tonight to go see the movie Transformers Rise of the Fallen. He sure influenced all of us toward his goal of going to see the movie! :)

It would be interesting to think of leadership in terms of what it isn't. How about we start at the characteristics that the people we don't consider leaders posses. What is it that keeps them from being a leader? Why wouldn't we consider them a leader? I think that would give us a very new theory on leadership. One that may (or may not) be more insightful. As we continue to search for leadership it may be easier to tell us what leadership isn't rather than trying to define what it is. 

Was Hitler a leader? If he isn't what you would consider a leader, what is it that he possessed leaders shouldn't have? Or are we sufficed to say that Hitler was a leader...just not one we think is worthy to follow. 

We should continue to contemplate leadership, what is it, what isn't it, and how can we use our leadership in service to others!

Wild ideas about education. Popping the bubble of Academia - Day 8 - 6.26.09

Jason Freid (2009) challenges current thinking about how a business should be run. His business is a small (14 employees) web design company. It was so interesting watching him present to a room full of doctoral students who, for the most part, work in large, traditional organizations. Whether in health care, education, business, or non-profit, most of us can't imagine working in a company with only 14 employees.

His ideas really stretched our imaginations also. It was interesting watching most of us struggle with whether to agree or disagree with the information he was sharing. After he was done presenting, the conversations either indicated that the person thought he was crazy, the information didn't apply to their situation, or they got it but it wouldn't work for their organization. 

Today's blog is an attempt to put a context around what life in school would look like follow the "Fried" principles. So here we go!

Failure isn't "cool"

Freid (2009) argues that failure is overrated. For some reason failure has become "cool", like fail early, fail often. You don't have to throw things against a wall and see what sticks. In schools you often hear people say, this is a learning environment, and that includes failing. Do we ever stop to think what failing in schools really means? Why is failure an option? Isn't the point that we want to teach kids techniques to succeed? And wouldn't our success with students be higher if as teachers our main goal was to find ways to get students to succeed? What if all schools took the approach that this doctoral program takes and that is for the cohort community to work together to see that all of the cohort members experience success? Just for a moment, close your eyes and try to image the classroom where the goal was to never let people experience failure. 

Practically speaking I get that we do experience failure and that failure does provide great learning opportunities. I do agree however, that if our schools were more focused on teaching kids to go into things thinking they can make them work and finding a way to make that happen, our students would learn the problem solving skills needed for them to be successful in the future.

Planning is overrated

We don't know what is going to happen in the future...bottom line. Fried (2009) tells us that planning is what people do to make them feel better about the unknown. We are experts at this in education. An example is the textbooks we spend millions of dollars on (and that may be a conservative estimate) every year in our schools. By the time we get them in the hands of the students, they are 5-7 years old already. Most of our new initiatives take years to fully implement. Our professional development programs are training teachers on concepts and ideas that have been in circulation for 10 or more years. 

A large portion of our teacher preparation programs train teachers how to plan for their instruction. We spend a great deal of time in education on the planning. It makes me wonder exactly how much time of our day is planning and how much time is actually on doing. 

Realizing that not planning could be detrimental to the education of our students, I believe we need to refine "how" we think about planning. The backwards design of planning lessons has been around now for almost 10 years, and many educators have not yet grabbed this concept. We do need to be flexible in our planning. How about starting with this one thing...teachers you can no longer hand out a semesters plans of assignments at a time. How about a little flexibility to respond to the stimuli of your students? How about taking into consideration current knowledge and being flexible with where you want to go? 

If we spent a little more time "doing" like Fried (2009) suggests, we may be much better off. Let our instruction be driven by student questions. Let inquiry and problem solving take our instruction into a random direction. Who knows, we may actually help students to experience much more learning than if we continue to give them worksheets and assignments from the book! Inspiration is perishable (Fried, 2009) so we should have systems in education that help students to act on their inspiration when it occurs instead of constantly missing the moment.

The workplace (school) is a place of interruption

I will use this as my last example because I think it is the hardest one to grasp for schools. Schools are a place of interruption also. Let's be honest, they really aren't a place for students to sit and concentrate on solving a problem. We constantly have students moving from class to class, teachers spend most of their time directing instruction, and student "think" time to solve problems is rarely allowed at school. (Those experiences are supposed to happen at home...where no interruptions happen...) 

Think if our schools could institute a "no-talking" day once in a while. A day where kids would know that the point is to give them time to think, explore, search for answers, and solve problems. So you can't imagine that? Try to imagine the impact that would have had on you if those were experiences you had on a regular basis in school. Do you think it would have provided a very different educational experience? Do you think school would have been much more than filling out worksheets and writing papers? Keep thinking? 

Wolfe (2009) and Estes (2009) discuss how the brain learns best by connecting new information to past experiences and that reflection and working those neural networks requires time for students/adults to assimilate that information. Yet most schools just keep pouring the information in without allowing students time to reflect, think, and create.

I'm not sure if I'm done dreaming on this subject yet. but enough for now!

Estes, D. (2009, June). Brain power. Lecture delivered at the Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, Wi.

Freid, J. (2009, June). 37-signals. Lecture delivered at the Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, Wi.

Wolfe, P. (2009, June). Brain research and education: The vital connection. Lecture delivered at the Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, Wi.

Understanding Learning is essential to Leading Revisited- Day 7 - 6.25.09

"What if the hokey pokey is what it is really all about?" (Estes, 2009).

In recent years there has been much information that has come out about how our brains learn. While this is great for educators, what does this tell leaders of all organizations? Promote just a little more EMPATHY. (Empathy for the purposes of this article is identification with or understand of another's situations, feelings, motives.)

When you learn about the brain and how the neural networks work, you can't avoid the discussion of hooking new information into the experiences that people have already had (Estes, 2009). As a leader of an organization, this hold true as well. 

As an administrator at a high school, the conversation of empathy would occur quite often. If teachers could only be a bit more empathetic of the current student situations. If only they could empathize about family situations and what families were going through. Maybe they wouldn't be quite so rigid. Maybe this could revolutionize the success of American schools. 

Many schools have used the Gallup Teacher Perceiver when hiring. Empathy is one of the categories that this instrument tries to measure. Perspective employees supply answers to questions that fit into several categories including empathy. Studies have shown that empathy is a category that high school teachers do not score well in. A common saying about teachers is...elemenatary teachers teach children, high school teachers teach subjects. 

Knowing this information, the leaders of the school then need to ask this important question. Can empathy be taught? This is where learning about the brain fits in. As we learn more and more about our thinking and how we understand the world, it builds our neural pathways to understand more and more about others perspectives as well.

Debbie Estes (2009) gives an example for us to consider. Read the following statements.

Mary hear the ice-cream truck coming down the street. She remembered her birthday money, and ran into the house.

Now let's follow up with a few questions...

What is an ice-cream truck? What do they look like? What do they sound like? What are they for? With is birthday money? Why would she go into the house for it? Was she going to stay in the house? 

Even this short little statement assumes that we understand a large amount of background knowledge in order to make sense of what is written. According to our experiences with ice-cream trucks, we interpret the information in that statement differently. My nephew is currently visiting, he is 6. Just as a test, the statement was read to him to see how he would respond. It was part of the 99% of information that gets dumped everyday (Estes, 2009; Wolfe, 2009). He did not even respond or try to ask questions. His lack of background knowledge or experience left those words empty to him. 

Learning about the brain can build powerful networks about empathy. Simply reading the short passage and considering the information above can help all of us to take a step back and imagine what it would be like to be in another's situation if they had never seen an ice-cream truck. 

Empathy is an essential quality that resides in many successful leaders. I believe it is an essential quality that needs to exist in every teacher in every school. It can be taught. If we purposely take the time to build the neural networks of our teachers so that they have the background to understand why their brains create preconceived notions build on experiences and neural networks and why students may act in certain ways because of theirs.

Estes, D. (2009, June) Brain power. Lecture delivered at the Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Wolfe, P. (2009, June) Brain research and education: The vital connection. Lecture delivered at the Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Leadership Lessons - Day 6 - 6.24.09

As I was growing up, our family participated on the swim team. I say our family because my only sister and I both swam, my dad was the coach, and my mom helped with organizing our swimming meets and trips. Being raised in Wyoming, we had many swimming meets that were more than 150 miles from home. We travel much and worked hard. Our head coach, Bruce Gresley, is a man that I believe exemplifies the word LEADERSHIP. 

Clifton Taulbert (2009) states how important vision is in leadership. In fact, having a clear vision is what will drive the organization to success. 

In small town Lander, Wyoming (population approximately 7500), the swimming team was the city's largest organized sport. Bruce's vision was clear. He wanted to have an impact on children and families, to help them live and learn leadership, stay healthy, and to bring the community together. Year after year, Bruce was able to have a large impact on the people of the Lander community by bringing families together around this vision. His track record is unbelievable. He led the USS competitive team to state championships year after year. The boys and girls high school swimming teams won state championships year after year. The enrollment in the swimming program never took a dip. How did he do this? By staying true to his vision.

Taulbert (2009) uses the analogy of being on a sailing ship when a large wind comes up. In that scenario there are two things a leader can do is 1) adjust the sails and 2) rally the crew. There is no sense to try to stop the wind.

When I was first part of the swimming team, the Lander community did not have a pool of it's own. We practiced at the Wyoming State Training School (a state run facility for handicapped people).  I remember the dinner table discussion of our family about what was going to happen when the "state school" would no longer allow us to use their pool. Bruce adjusted the sails and rallied the crew and in an amazing 2 years, Lander had it's own Olympic size swimming pool in the community. It was THE premier swimming facility in the state. Bruce's vision was so clear and the community he worked with was so strong that he was able to realize this dream in a short amount of time. 

Taulbert (2009) states the importance of building capacity, which is driven by the vision. building capacity is the creation of an enabling environment for all to participate by embracing their skills, experiences, and perspectives. 

Swimming is an individual sport. Yes, there are relays, but for the most part it is about an individual working to improve their time, stroke, and the place they finish in the race. Bruce was able to take every single person on that team, embrace the strengths they had, and find a way for them to experience success. His care and concern that every child learn leadership skills, experience the feeling of success when you have achieved your personal goal, and become a better person because of being part of the "team".

Leading the future is about investing in others, leaving a legacy (Taulbert, 2009). 

Bruce left that legacy. After the death of Bruce's son, a facebook page was created for Bruce, showing him the support from all the lives he had touched. Thousands of people who now live all over the world were contributing words of encouragement and giving thanks for the impacts Bruce had on their lives. 

Community is an important asset no leader wants to lead without.

Bruce led with integrity, was a role model, and exemplified what building community was about. His greater concern was that all children had a safe, healthy environment to be raised in, and that we could work together to have positive impacts on the lives of all the children in the community.

Taulbert was an amazing speaker. In the first few minutes of his presentation, you could see that he exemplified what he was speaking about. You could tell that his life was dedicated to helping others. His stories of success showed that he has worked hard to be a role model for others. He is concerned about who his is as a person because of the effect that will have on his followers. The most powerful of his message was through story. He uses his stories to show others how leadership can happen, even in the smallest of events.

Taulbert (2009) reminds us to RAP-Reflect, Analyze, and Plan. This is an important leadership lesson for all of us. It is in the reflection that we can continually check our vision. Are we on target? How are our core values? What do others see? Are our actions matching what we are wanting from others? Analyze what we have done and where we are going. Then plan. If we plan without the other two, we are likely to be headed in the wrong direction.

We must remember that the community we are leading is as strong and solid as their core values and the core values of the leadership charged to implement them. When the leadership's personal workplace behavior becomes unethical, it chips away at the company's core values, impacting others...sending signals of what is now acceptable behavior (Taulbert, 2009).

Bruce was such an incredible man because his core values and vision were in alignment. They were transparent. They were real. From the lives of those who he touched...we thank you for your leadership!

In the video below you can get a flavor of the power of story that Taulbert has. Enjoy!

Clifton Taulbert

Taulbert, C. (2009, June) Learning for the 21st century. Lecture delivered at the Summer Institute at Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.