Leadership for 21st Century Schools

The list is a great manifestation of what demotivates employees. As Daniel Pink says near the end of "Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc), we need to start treating people like people

As districts are faced with the challenge of building a buget in these extremely tough fiscal times, this article becomes imperative. Seeking new ideas from not only those within our industry, but those stakeholders outside of education may provide new insights and opportunities for us in education. "Outside of the box" thinking may help to save many of our programs and initiatives that we pride ourselves in inspite of the economic crisis we are/ will be faced with.

If you had to come up with a checklist for your organization that was guaranteed to stifle imagination, innovation, and out-of-box thinking...a checklist designed specifically for people who want nothing to do with disruptive change...what would it look like?

"Build Community - The school should bring all learners together into a supportive community that nurtures both the individual and the group. The community should permeate all possible spaces, in the classroom, in the home and Online. 2. Encourage Critical Thinking - The school should actively encourage learners to think critically, continually asking the question, "Why do we teach what we teach?" 3. Reward Risk Taking - The school should actively encourage learners to risk failure in the pursuit of understanding. 4. Focus on all Learners - The school should surround the learner with ideas and information, encouraging the learner to pursue a wide variety of paths to knowledge, and supporting the personal growth for all who inhabit the community. 5. Value Diversity - The school should actively encourage and value the input of those both inside and outside the community with a diversity of opinions and experiences. The school should consistently check that it is inclusive and supportive of learners from diverse backgrounds. 6. Nurture all learners - The school should provide opportunities and encouragement for all members of the community including teachers, students and parents to learn and grow. 7. Pursue Innovation - The school should actively explore, pursue and assess new ideas and technologies, while always keeping the learner at the heart of the pursuit. 8. Teach Empathy - The school should actively and explicitly teach learners to think beyond themselves, encouraging students to value kindness and generosity. 9. Break down the walls - The school should provide access and opportunities for learners to reach outside the walls of the school to the neighboring, national and global community. "

Rodrigo Baggio's Persuasive Leadership. Notice these featured points: Bring people together who aren't connected, Design new business models by combining players and resources in new ways, Persevere with an idea until you see success, Don't rely on credentials, but on the power of your ideas, Persuade others to see the possibility of your ideas and join you in the pursuit, Empower others to also make change. Think on these questions: (1) Why are should these features define the essence of leadership in your schooling organization,and (2) how will you not only lead change, but how will you specifically make these critical features relevant to the work you are doing to lead?