Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

Winter is a time of year for frigid temperatures across much of the U.S. It is also a time of year when principals look ahead. Photo by mostafa meraji – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@mostafa_meraji?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit Many education leaders may also be considering new positions as they think about the final semester and plan for next school year. This week, Jen Schwanke, Principal of Indian Run Elementary in Dublin, Ohio, joins me again as we talk about important ideas to keep in mind if you are considering that next step in your own education career. Here are some questions we discuss: How are you adding value in your position, and what value could you bring to a new one?How do you not take it personally when a school or district is not looking for the particular value you bring?How do you keep in perspective when you really want a position but don’t get the offer? (Will and Jen both share vulnerable moments when they did not receive offers or opportunities they really wanted.) Tips for Your Own Search Listen to the entire episode for more conversations about the following: Understanding how adding value is the most important part of job seekingLetting your resume reflect your valueKnowing if you found a good fitThinking about your digital environment when interviewing virtuallyNot pursuing something that isn’t right for youAccepting if the interview doesn’t feel right, the job won’t feel rightConsidering the reasons WHY you’re looking for a new position Understanding if you DON’T get the offer, it’s not personalLeaving others with ways they can make their school better – with or without you Let’s Wrap This Up Jen wraps up this conversation with a story about a friend of hers who realized why it is important it is to ‘be yourself’ and to accept ‘who you are’ even when you’re not chosen over someone else. Listen to the entire episode for more takeaways and stories! You can check out previous Principal Matters episodes on tips for interviewing for education positions or questions principals may face in interviews at the following links: 10 Tips for Seeking Education Openings 30 Questions for Principal Interviews Now It’s Your Turn Whether or not you’re offered a position, ask yourself: What value can I provide in an interview or interaction with a prospective opportunity? At the end of the day, if you can keep that your focus, then the goal is no longer about you, it’s about helping others – which is what others need most from your leadership. Book Recommendation If you want a deep dive into your own gifts and how they match best with the work you love, I recommend a book that helped me in that journey: 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller.  The post PMP232: Looking for a New Education Position appeared first on Principal Matters.

When I was a little boy, I remember sitting in a small theater with my family where we watched the 1977 release of the first Star Wars movie. Photo by Tobias Cornille – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@tobiasc?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit It was a pivotal moment. The visual effects and music were like nothing I had ever seen or heard. The characters were funny and endearing. Afterwards, I pretended to be Luke Skywalker with my friends who used tree limbs or broom sticks for light sabers. I was eight years old at the time. Although the movie became iconic in its stamp on American cinema, I did not realize until much later that something was missing. A few weeks ago, my 15-year-old son, Jack watched the movie with me via Disney Plus. When it ended, what was missing dawned on me, and I asked him, “I’m curious. Did you notice how many characters in that movie were black?” He thought about it for a moment.  “Well, I don’t know what color all the aliens and droids were, but all the main characters – including the Empire and Resistance actors – they were white.” I can guarantee that question never crossed my mind when I was eight years old, but I would bet it came across the mind of lots of African American girls and boys in 1977. White School Leaders During Black History Month This month marks the beginning of Black History Month. During the protests and marches that spread across our nation and the world, I was challenged, like many other educators to reexamine my own understanding of racism.  Frankly, I made a lot of promises to myself to go deeper, to learn more about my neighbors and to find better ways for educators to meet the needs of all members in their school communities. Keeping this promise has meant reading new (and old) books, having difficult conversations, and learning to look at life from the perspective of others – including re-examining some of my favorite old movies. A Discussion on Race with Jen Schwanke Recently, I sat down with Jen Schwanke, Principal of Dublin Elementary School in Dublin, Ohio, for this week’s podcast episode. We talked about the momentous summer of 2020. We talked about our struggle as white educators to become better listeners. And we discussed several ways education leaders can keep their promises about anti-racism. Here are some of the takeaways from the episode: Increase Your Reading Over the summer, Jen and I read or reviewed several books we would recommend for other educators, including: Open Wide The Freedom Gates: A Memoir by Dorothy Height Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Sonja Cherry-Paul (Adapter), Jason Reynolds  (Author), Ibram X. Kendi (Author), Rachelle Baker (Illustrator) Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson  Getting Around Brown: Desegregation, Development, and the Columbus Public Schools (Urban Life and Urban Landscape) by Gregory S. Jacobs  The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism Paperback by Jemar Tisby  Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life, 2nd Edition with an Update a Decade by Annette Lareau Look Locally This summer Jen enrolled in a class at a local university on equity and social justice. Reading books and talking about racism in her own town in Ohio have brought those lessons closer to home. My family and I have participated in tours of North Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the Tulsa Race Massacres took place during May 31, 1921. At Jen’s school, teachers have established an Equity and Inclusion Committee at the building level. They provide resources for learning and encourage an atmosphere where others can discuss what they are learning and raise awareness. Think about how you can unpack the stories of racism where you live and ask others for their stories. As you attend school board meetings or city council meetings, listen and observe how your own community is responding to the needs of minority or marginalized community members. Take Advantage of Current Events February is Black History Month. This important celebration recognizes African Americans and their central role in U.S. history.Talk about the struggle of meaningfully honoring Black History Month – moments in history that should be celebrated year-round, but ones that still deserve special recognition in February. In addition, think about the responsibility education leaders share in ensuring accurate history is a part of our shared history.Black History month should not just include notable figures like Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King, Jr, although each is very important. We should also highlight contemporary heroes. With the election of Vice President Kamala Harris, for instance, we must allow our students to recognize the historic moment – a moment where millions of our students are seeing themselves for the first time in the person elected to one of the highest offices in the land.A quick search History.com will show you that “the event grew out of ‘Negro History Week,’ the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history…Every year there is a specific theme. The Black History Month 2021 theme, ‘Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity’ explores the African diaspora (the dispersion of any people from their original homeland), and the spread of Black families across the United States.”  Let’s Wrap This Up My son and I have continued watching the Star Wars movies together. Recently, we finished the Empire Strikes Back, originally released in 1980. I won’t make you guess how many African American actors we saw. I’ll just say: Billy Dee Williams. Remember him? Lando Calrissian. Just him. Not surprisingly, we have come a long way in the past decades of representing the diversity of our nation in media productions. But not surprisingly, we still have a long way to go in keeping the promises we have all made to do better. Now It’s Your Turn What promises did you make this summer about better understanding racism and its influence in your school community? In what ways are you creating a safe environment for students to talk about issues that most concern them? What other books or resources would you recommend during Black History Month? Listen to the entire podcast episode for more takeaways. The post PMP231: Keeping Your Promises on Your Anti-Racism Journey appeared first on Principal Matters.

What do you do when every decision is a new one? How do you keep perspective amidst decision-fatigue? Photo by Laura Chouette – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@laurachouette?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit This week, Jen Schwanke, Principal of Indian Run Elementary in Dublin, Ohio, joins me for a conversation about leading through a pandemic. Welcome back Jen! Jen Schwanke is the author two books on education leadership. She provides keynote presentations and trainings for school leaders across the nation. A frequent guest and co-host of Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast, her books and resources are available at her website: jenschwanke.com.  Questions & Answers with Jen Schwanke Listen to the entire episode for great takeaways and stories. Here is a summary of this week’s conversation: WDP: When you’ve done the work of school leadership for a while, you begin to enjoy planning ahead. What do principals do when they are always planning ahead? Jen Schwanke: This is not forever. Pandemics don’t last forever. We’ve had the hope for a long time that “this is almost over.” But the bigger lesson is that we are still building relationships and staying connected to families. We are also learning about what really matters in student learning. Maybe this is a year teachers are freed from some content that needed to be removed. I think we will have new tools after this that we never dreamed of. WDP: Even in my own family, my daughter who is a high school senior has been experiencing a virtual setting as an All-State band member. Is it ideal? No. But she’s still found joy and moments to learn that she wouldn’t have otherwise. Jen Schwanke: Think about what your daughter is learning. She’s learning to be flexible. Students are not getting hung up as adults are on what is being lost. They are resilient. We have a lot to learn from them. WDP: How are you helping your teachers during their own decision fatigue? Jen Schwanke: In some ways, things are easier, especially for teachers who have less classroom management issues. What’s harder is packing in content in a new ways and shorter time periods. Or their planning has doubled with synchronous and asynchronous learning. My role has been to keep giving the grace and the benefit of the doubt. One of my veteran teachers told me she couldn’t do remote learning. Now she has become one of the best teachers I have seen on teaching remotely. The decision for her was how deep would she be able to go, and she made the leap. I’m seeing teachers stronger through this experience, not weaker. WDP: Sometimes I think the dilemma we have is not recognizing all the new skills we have learned. Most of us did not know how to teach and communicate through virtual settings. Now we all have new skills. Jen Schwanke: Yes, technology has made this do-able. The funny thing is that we didn’t hesitate to take risks as young educators. As older educators, we have to keep that same mindset. When we do, it feels like we’re young again. WDP: What are doing to keep teachers encouraged? Jen Schwanke: I don’t have it all figured out. But I have found that surface-level appreciations don’t get you as far in this new situation. One-on-one, look-me-in-the-eye, asking about personal and life updates – those kinds of questions give teachers permission to share their stories with you. This pandemic has allowed us to take time to share stories and know our people better. WDP: How are you managing keeping up with what meaningful instruction is happening in your school? Jen Schwanke: I know some states and districts have exempted schools from evaluations. I want to do evaluations in this new setting. I feel almost a drive to document the amazing things I’m seeing teachers doing well this year. This year they have had to make a 180 in their approaches to communicating with students and teachers. I want to use my observations and evaluations as way to celebrate that success. Are some teachers struggling? Yes. But we also have a lot to gain from this experience to carry into future learning. WDP: What I love about that perspective is your decision to make the best of this experience. You also are making the decision to find the joy in this moment of difficulty. Jen Schwanke: I’m seeing teachers do amazing things. I’m looking forward to reminding them about that when someday we’re back in school full-time. I chaff against the notion that we are facing a learning gap we cannot overcome. I think teachers and students are more resilient than that. Let’s Wrap This Up Yes, it is challenging to lead during a pandemic. But there are also positive moments you can be capitalizing on during this season of learning.  Now It’s Your Turn In what ways can you take advantage of this unique time to take note of the new ways of learning your teachers and students have embraced? How can you use observations and evaluations as way to elevate those new lessons for future learning? What is one way you can remind your teachers that they are still making a difference, no matter what setting they find themselves in this year?  The post PMP230: Managing Decision-Fatigue with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

In the book David and Goliath (Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants) by Malcolm Gladwell, the author presents two ideas in the introduction of his book. First, he says that much of what we consider valuable in our world arises out of ‘lop-sided’ conflicts – the act of facing overwhelming odds creates moments of greatness and beauty. Second, he says that we consistently get these conflicts wrong. We mis-read them. “Giants are not what we think they are” (page 6). This reminds me of the ‘Bull fight’ story from another book by Tim Elmore who says, “If those bulls knew that the little red cape was not their real enemy, and began to pursue the real enemy, that little matador wouldn’t have stood a chance” (Pivotal Praying, page 107). This week my guest Principal Samantha Batrom shares the lessons she has been learning while facing unexpected giants in her own school leadership journey. Meet Samantha Bartrom Samantha Bartrom is the Principal of Coastal Academy High School, a charter school, serving students in grades 9-12. Her school is located in San Diego, California. Prior to becoming a Principal, Samantha served as an Assistant Principal, Director of Student Leadership, Writing Specialist and 6th grade teacher. She also has experience supporting military families through previous work for the Department of Defense. Also known as the “Power Lifting Principal,” Samantha enjoys competing as a powerlifter.  Samantha is also a member of the Principal Matters Mastermind. WDP: Can you think of a time where you have faced an enormous ‘giant’ to later find out what you were facing was something much different or more meaningful? If so, can you share that story and lesson? Samantha: Let me take you on a walk down memory lane. A couple of summers ago, I just returned from a trip to Europe. My chief executive officer came to see me. He wanted to know about my trip. I told him about Postano, Italy. And then he asked me to prepare myself to channel those favorite memories into an unforeseen challenge. The summer renovations to my current building had not gone well, and we were not going to be able to begin school in my building. We were two and half weeks away from the start of school, and we needed a backup plan.  We had about 400 students who needed a home for school to begin. We ended up finding space at a nearby convention center in the San Diego area. QLM has large meeting rooms for conferences. I stood and looked at the enormous space with no walls, desks, white boards or technology. I was at a crossroads: delay the start of school, or make this work. I was able to gather other directors from our organization. This giant was too big to face alone. We stood in the space and imagined what could we accomplish. Two days before school began, we brought students to campus to meet. Imagine walking into a huge convention room that looks like a maze. We were able to turn that space into a school. Once we made it through that orientation day, I knew we could make it work for the start of school. WDP: What unexpected outcomes did you experience from conquering this ‘giant’ of moving your entire school? Samantha: Even though I thought finding space was my giant, I soon discovered the bigger challenge was finding a way to foster a love of learning in an environment where everyone could hear one another. Our students and teachers had to whisper to teach and learn. Very quickly, though, they learned to use ‘inside’ voices with one exception. Whenever students were giving presentations, their classmates always gave them a round of applause. Pretty soon, anytime a presentation was happening, the rest of the school heard and the entire school would applause. What began as an overwhelming challenge actually turned into a moment in our school history that students still talk about today. Even today, our seniors will brag about how much they had to overcome then – even as they struggle with the challenges of a pandemic today. WDP: What are some other ‘giants’ you feel like you are up against in your own leadership journey right now? Samantha: I think the greatest challenge lies around the uncertainty. We are coming up on a year since my school closed. Since then we have been able to serve students in small groups and virtually. Depending on our governor’s guidance, I never know from week to week what our reality is going to look like.  Back in March 2020, virtual learning was what I call Distance Learning 1.0. When August 2020 came, we were launching Distance Learning 2.0. We started with a schedule with students that was mostly virtual. By October, we were welcoming small groups back to the school through a hybrid schedule.  WDP: When you transitioned to having kids back in the building, how did you manage the anxiety of balancing safety and access? Samantha: Throughout distance learning, we maintained incredibly close contact with our teachers. By the time we were talking about bringing students back to campus, we had talked about every aspect as small groups and as a large team. There were no surprises. The question we keep asking: What’s at stake if we do or do not take this step to bring more students onto campus? Once we ensured we had systems that assured safety, we felt empowered to take the step.  As the day drew near, my assistant principal told me he felt like we were the Titantic – organizing the furniture before another tragedy. But once we decided to step forward even with the risks in mind, we welcomed students back. And having them back in the building with safe protocols, masks and social distancing – we ‘ripped off the bandaid’ and this completely changed the atmosphere and removed the fear. Let’s Wrap This Up As Samantha and I wrapped up this conversation, we also talked the steps she has taken to hear one-on-one feedback from teachers so that she knows how they are feeling and coping with the added burdens of teaching virtually and in hybrid settings. We also talked about how the Principal Matters Mastermind has helped her collaborate and share ideas with other leaders. As she explains, principals should not lead in isolation. Listen to the entire episode for even more takeaways! Now It’s Your Turn How are you staying connected to the parts of leadership that matter most to you – relationships? As you think about your teachers and staff, how can you reach out one-on-one to find out where each of them is emotionally? Perhaps you are facing decision fatigue. How can you be honest about your own struggles with your team while remaining patient with those whom you are serving? The post PMP229: Facing Your Giants with Samantha Bartrom appeared first on Principal Matters.

Years ago, when I was transitioning from assistant principal to high school principal, my superintendent gave me an assignment to map out goals for the next three years of my school. Photo by shixart1985 – Creative Commons Attribution License  https://www.flickr.com/photos/156445661@N02 What was helpful about this assignment was the long-term planning required. Determining where I wanted my school to grow in the next three years meant taking a hard look at student data as well as understanding my school’s culture, community and resources. In essence, my superintendent was asking me to think strategically. It is the strategic vision that helps us define the overall purpose and mission of our schools. But strategy is ineffective unless it is followed by action. I also needed organizational and tactical applications. Enter my staff, teachers, students and school community members. Leaders cannot implement strategic vision without the input and relationships of the people whom you are directly serving. You may be asking: “How do I work tactically, operationally, and strategically during a time of pandemic?” “How do I respond to the pressures you are facing with current social and political unrest?“ Before I answer those questions, I want to first unpack the terms tactical, operational, and strategic in two separate applications. #1 A Military Application A few months ago, I interviewed Colonel Brad Ruttman, an Airforce officer and fighter pilot, on my podcast. Colonel Ruttman talked about tactical, operational and strategic leadership from a military perspective. In the military, tactical leadership involves the ‘boots on the ground’ activities and personnel – those who are involved in like maintaining equipment or the delivering of weapons, for instance. The operational side includes the day-to-day management and coordination of systems, protocols and policies that govern implementing the work at hand. Strategic leadership involves understanding the purpose of the overall mission and communicating what’s ultimately at stake as the entire organization is involved in successfully accomplishing its mission.  Colonel Ruttman told a story of when his commanding officer came to visit a division of maintenance operators at the end of their work day. He wanted to see them increase the speed of maintenance on aircraft so that pilots could accomplish more flights. He began to talk to them about strategic concerns happening with rival countries. Colonel Ruttman noticed the maintenance personnel members were only politely listening. Frankly, they didn’t care about the strategic mission at that point. They were at the end of a work day and wanted to head home and pick up their kids from football practice.  #2 A School Application When you apply this to school leadership, your staff and teachers are often the ‘boots on the ground’ or tactical personnel in working with students in learning and well-being. Principals and building administrators often function as operational managers in organizational leadership, hiring personnel, overseeing site budgets, and guiding instructional outcomes. District leaders are tasked with strategic leadership: understanding the moving parts of the entire organization, including policies, school finance, oversight and compliance, and developing and relaying the mission of the collective community. But for the people you serve, all they often care about is right in front of them. For parents, they want to know if their students are making good grades. For students, they want to know if they can still be a part of their favorite sport or activity. For teachers, they want to know what their key responsibilities are for instruction. To meet the needs of your school members, however, school leaders must pay attention to the tactical, organizational and strategic – even if it is not what you are communicating to others on a day-to-day basis. Unpacking the Standards Several years ago, the National Policy Board for Educational Administration put together the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, a document shared by almost all the national associations that support school leadership development. Just like we unpack standards for students, this report identifies ten standards for strong education leadership, including: Mission, Vision, and Core ValuesEthics and Professional NormsEquity and Cultural ResponsivenessCurriculum, Instruction, and AssessmentCommunity of Care and Support for StudentsProfessional Capacity of School PersonnelProfessional Community for Teachers and StaffMeaningful Engagement of Families and CommunityOperations and ManagementSchool Improvement (Source here) It’s easy to look at a list like this and see why education leaders, and principals in particular, have such wide-ranging responsibilities. In any given day, you as the principal may be managing decisions involving placement and services for a student identified with severe and profound disabilities while minutes later observing and evaluating instruction for a teacher of Advanced Placement Calculus. You may be supervising students during a passing period followed by a meeting with a guiding coalition of student, teacher, and community leaders. You may be writing a weekly newsletter for your community and then attending an evening school board meeting.  The list goes on and on for how school leaders consistently manage the tactical, operational and strategic responsibilities under their care.  Managing During a Pandemic And then throw in managing during a pandemic. Suddenly, you are asked to re-structure an entire school master schedules for in-person, virtual or hybrid offerings. Your district may be in a highly populated area where in-person instruction is impeded by high infection rates. Or perhaps you’re in a rural setting where your school began in-person but now you have so many adults testing positive, you no longer have substitutes available to service students so you have pivoted to virtual instruction for the first time. Throughout this school year, the strategic tasks involved in education leadership have often been eclipsed by the tactical and organizational requirements of meeting the basic needs of student well-being and instruction.  So how do you keep leading in this new reality?  First, acknowledge that you can only control what you can control. Second, you are managing change. And change is stressful and always results in some kind of resistance.  Wired to Resist Takeaways In 2017, Britt Andreatta wrote a book called Wired to Resist: The Brain Science of Why Change Fails and a New Model for Driving Success. Andreatta’s studies show that our biological reactions to change are evident in the different cortexes of the human brain. Three things happen to your brain when confronted by change: 1. Fear Response The Amygdala is the part of our brain that reacts to change with flight or flight reaction. Even in organizational change, our amygdala kicks into gear when we are asked to do something new, innovative, or disruptive. Educators know that disequilibrium is a powerful force in creating learning opportunities. People cannot operate or think clearly when they feel deeply threatened by change. That is why leaders have to guide, direct, coach, and anticipate change with as much patience as they can muster. When we do, we help relieve some of the stress that naturally takes place when the amygdala floods the brain with danger alerts. 2. Personal GPS The Entorhinal Cortex of the brain helps us navigate new settings, situations or changes. Sometimes people react to new environments with curiosity while others may react with panic. It is important to understand that when someone is either optimistic or resistant, they still have an uphill climb mentally when they are facing any new change.  Think about the first time you worked in a new school or classroom. Until you figured out a place for everything and had organized that new environment for habitual use, you burned a lot of brain energy adjusting.  The same stress happens with any other changes: email upgrades, website changes for absence requests, curriculum mapping programs…pandemics. Any time we introduce anything new into the daily tasks of our team members or students, expect resistance as the entorhinal cortex kicks in the navigate the changes, memorize patterns, and establish new habits.  This is why many leaders I talk to have spent most of the year trying to establish new norms. Whether they are in-person or serving students virtually, they are working harder to establish routines that reduce the stress that happens with constant change. 3. Embedded Routines The Basal Ganglia is the third part of the brain cortex Andreatta describes in her book. This is the part of the brain that helps us move from identifying new patterns to memorizing them and storing them into our brain as newly learned habits. The longer we practice an action, the more engrained it becomes in our muscle memory.  And this happens because the basal ganglia transfers information into stored memory that if practiced long enough can eventually become almost second nature. Here’s a quick application: Understanding how the human brain reacts to change helps us realize that resistance to change is normal. Under the best circumstances, you try to look down the road and plan for change in advance. In times like we are in now, you are often managing change on the run. Tactical, organizational and strategic leadership are still important. But keep in mind that change always result in times of resistance.  5 Practical Applications of Leading Through Change As I’ve talked to principals across my state and across the nation, here are some things I’m learning that may be helpful for you to keep in mind as you try to manage the tactical, operational and strategic roles in leading during times of change: Work the plan. Many schools with strong organizational plans for both in-person and/or at-home instruction have still been able to serve students. I know there is a lot of pressure for school leaders and teachers to feel like they must be back to school as normal and serving at high levels of performance. The truth is no one is doing it perfectly. Some are experiencing more success than others. For those I’m seeing be more successful, it is often because they developed plans far in advance that they are still executing with as much consistency as possible.Remember when a new process becomes routine, it becomes more manageable. I’ve talked to many leaders who are beginning to find some stride in their new school protocols. At the same time, a surge in community infections can change that overnight. Don’t beat yourself up if you are managing conditions beyond your control. The safety and well-being of your students and staff must still come first as you respond to circumstances within and outside of your control.You still serve as a powerful influence on maintaining patience and calm during uncertainty. A leader’s measured response during difficult times sets the tone for others. You won’t do this perfectly, but keep in mind that your brain and every brain in your building is trying to adjust to change. It’s okay to admit it’s stressful. Keep treating others like you would want to be treated when you are asked to change.Find ways to celebrate success while maintaining a sense of optimism during times of uncertainty. I’m still hearing wonderful stories from principals who take time to recognize student and teacher success. This past week Kim Coody, Glenpool High School, near Tulsa, Oklahoma had one of her teachers highlighted on the nightly news for the ways he has been interviewing students and helping them serve families during the pandemic. Even though your communication with parents is more often about schedules or plans, still take time to give kudos to the others.Keep tabs on your staff and teachers. Another principal, Samantha Bartrom, from Coastal Academy in Escondido, California, told me recently, she has made it a point to reach out to each of her teachers for one-on-one feedback. When she does this, it allows teachers to voice in private what they may not want to voice in a larger group setting. Keep building trust in your staff so that they you care and want to listen. Let’s Wrap This Up At the end of Andreatta’s book, she gives advice for how to take personal, proactive steps during times of change. The three strategies I liked most: • Self-care• Mindfulness• Play  Just like you may increase good nutrition, sleep, and vitamin intake to increase your chances to stay healthy during past flu seasons, taking care of yourself through healthy practices allows you to better manage the stresses that happen to your brains, bodies, and emotions during times of change. Now It’s Your Turn In the days and months ahead, school leaders still have a far way to go before pandemic conditions improve and vaccinations begin making a significant difference. Thank you for the ways you’ve lead with courage and sacrifice. Whether you are managing tactically, operationally or strategically, you are doing so during times of enormous change. Leading in uncertainty is hard. That’s why we need leaders like you. How can you plan ahead while also giving yourself permission that it is normal to be stressed during times of change? How can you practice patience in the ways you interact with anxious students, staff, and community members? What’s one action you can take today to keep caring for yourself so that you can keep caring for others during times of uncertainty? Thanks again for doing what matters! The post PMP228: Strategic Leadership During Times of Uncertainty appeared first on Principal Matters.

Have you ever had a dream you’ve been unable to fulfill? Phil Vischer was born in Muscatine, Iowa, in 1967. He grew up mesmerized by Disney films, Star Wars, and later by MTV. Phil also came from a family that was deeply religious. As he grew up, he longed to see media created that would portray his Christian values in ways that were both appealing and entertaining. Phil Vischer was a technology wiz, even at a young age. Some of his earliest memories involved making special effects with his grandfather’s home video camera. And when the first Atari 400 personal computer was on the market, his family found a way to buy one for him. He went to St. Paul’s Bible college in Minnesota, but he dropped out in his second year and began his first company making advertisement videos in 1989. It was during his twenties, that he began to experiment with software that allowed him to do what no one else was marketing at the time, lattice deformation: the ability to make digital images “squishy” instead of just blocks on a screen. This discovery led to his creation of a cartoon character named Larry: a green cucumber with quirky eyes and a toothy smile. Later he created his sidekick, Bob the Tomato, and the VeggieTales industry began. Actually, the company was called Big Idea Productions, started in August of 1993. Throughout the origin story of the company, Phil Visher had several benefactors whose combined contributions gave him the capitol to take the next steps he needed in making his first 30-minute children’s video with animated vegetables telling stories from the Bible with funny songs and Phil’s brand of sly humor throughout. For the first time in his life, Phil felt he was on the verge of creating something that matched the dreams he had as a boy. He idolized the stories of Walt Disney, and he thought maybe this was the opportunity to launch something as appealing as the Disney brand but with a focus on the values of his faith. By 1994, Vischer had a staff of 4 and 50,000 orders for their first two VeggieTales videos, “Are You My Neighbor?” and “Dave and the Giant Pickle.”  By November 1996, with 700,000 copies of his first six videos sold, Big Idea Productions now had 15 staff and revenues at $1.8 million. By 1997, with the release of “Madame Blueberry,” Big Idea Productions had 36 staff with $4 million in the bank and no debt. Enter the leadership team. It was at this juncture, that Vischer decided to bring in some heavy hitters in finance and marketing. He hired a new company President who took over day-to-day operations, and increased the staff to 80 members with 8 million videos sold. But the rapid growth soon hit several snags. As Phil’s dream began to grow, he began to wonder would happen if Big Idea Productions became successful enough to build an amusement park. Already, families were traveling to their office area outside Chicago to see where ‘Bob and Larry’ were being made.  That same year, Phil and his leadership team took on several new ventures in addition to children’s videos. The idea for a new office headquarters launched a $10 million dollar building project. In addition, an idea for an extended video release soon became plans for a full-feature film.  Also, Big Idea Productions started a new cartoon series as well as creating lots of merchandise. All these decisions moved Big Idea Productions from creating an essential product (children’s videos) to several products while hiring at a rapid rate to keep up with anticipated growth. By July 1999, with the release of the video “Larry & the Rumor Weed,” the company had 150 staff. From 1996 to 1999, revenues grew 3,300 percent, from $1.3 million to $44 million. It seemed as if Phil’s dreams were coming true – that everything he touched was turning to gold. But here’s the catch. Expenses at Big Idea Productions had grown to $30 million a year, and this was not factoring in the anticipated final budgets of several of the upcoming product releases.  By the start of 2001, Phil began seeing the writing on the wall. The company had 210 staff, but missed their company’s growth estimates by 80%.15% of the staff had to be laid off, which was not nearly enough to cover the losses Big Idea Productions was incurring, but he didn’t have the heart to cut any deeper.  They abandoned the plans for a new headquarters. By the time Big Idea Productions released its first film, “Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie,” the company had to raise the money necessary to finish the movie, and ticket sales did not recoup the costs. Then the President of their partner distribution company died. Releases of Big Idea Production’s other new product lines fell well below projections. And Big Idea Productions was sued by HIT Entertainment, the company taking over from its distribution predecessor. More cuts followed in the of winter of 2002. By April of 2003, with only 65 staff remaining, Big Idea Producations entered its final chapter of devastating events, HIT Entertainment won its lawsuit against them, and the company went bankrupt. If you were able to follow that timeline, Phil Vischer’s company went from the launch of a dream to its bankruptcy in 10 years. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that so honestly unpacks the rise and fall of a dream. But Phil Vischer does not try to place the blame anywhere else but with himself. How did this young man who launched a dream at age 24 watch it unravel by the time he was 34?  He relays 7 takeaways: Lesson 1: Never lose sight of the numbers. Like ignoring your health at your own peril, Vichser paints a picture of a company where he let go of control of the finances as it grew. He asks an important question for creative types vs. managers: Who should call the shots? In his case, he says if he could back in time, the answer would be both. “The balance between creative inspiration and good stewardship is vital to any successful enterprise. Neither can be subordinated to the other without serious and detrimental consequences,” Vischer explains. Whether it is a trusted partner or board of directors, Vischer advises that leaders find others whose mutual interest is seeing you succeed while at the same time being willing to tell you ‘no’ when it’s needed. Lesson 2: Ignore the voice that says, “You deserve it.” Your personal commitment to not over-spending (or rejecting the attitude that some work is beneath you) will set an example for others on how you want them spending the company’s time and money. The temptation will be to push expenses up to match your perception of other successful executives. Pretty soon, Vischer, warns you’ll start paying more for everything, and so will your organization. The temptation ‘you deserve more’ should be called out for what it is: selfish. It lures you into a mindset of extravagance rather than humility. Then Vischer applies this to his own Christian faith. Christians should believe anything good they receive is a gift of grace, not something they deserve. You should never think you are better than anyone else. When it comes to money, choose the budget rental car, for instance, and avoid the temptation for more. Lesson 3: If you successfully identity a need and create a product that meets it in a unique way, you are the expert. This is an important lesson for Vischer who doubts his own ability to lead a company without bringing in experts – even some with whom he does not share the same values of dreams about the business. His point is to not doubt the value you bring and do not keep people on your team who doubt your value. Lesson 4: Know yourself.  The simple lesson here is to understand your own strengths and weaknesses. Then you’ll better know who to bring along to compliment your strengths and shore up your weaknesses. This becomes a challenge when Vischer realizes his leadership team is meeting without him and making strategic decisions without his input.  Lesson 5: Bigger is no longer better. Watching his company grow so quickly gives Vischer a false sense of security. As a result, he commits to hiring more staff and beginning more projects than he has the capacity to fulfill. Fast forward to the present, and Vischer now runs a much smaller business where he operates from a philosophy that smaller and smarter is better and more flexible. And he believes key relationships, not size, build strong businesses and organizations. Lesson 6: If I did it again, I would let my business model determine my pay scales. Vischer makes the mistake of believing he can only attract talent if he pays equivalent salaries compared to other industry leaders at the time, like Disney. In retrospect, he would have rather attract team members committed to the mission, even if he has to pay below market value to grow slower and with more stability.  Lesson 7: Build a team that rows in the same direction. Vischer tells a painful story of a long meeting with his company’s leadership team where they are discussing the mission of Big Idea Productions. When Phil voices the mission of his company: to create videos that proclaim biblical truths for children, the CEO at the time says he did not agree with the mission. Looking back, Vischer realizes he was sharing his dream with audiences and investors but had not instilled that same mission and core values within his own organization. Final thoughts… In the last chapter of the book, Vischer gets even more personal about the loss of his dream. He reveals how much of his identity was wrapped up in the ten years of creating and growing Big Idea Productions. He was being invited to speak on television, in large churches, and was covered in Inc. magazine. His mission to ‘make a difference’ in the world had become all consuming.  Ironically, he realizes his work has become even more important than his own spiritual growth. In essence, his dreams were lost. But in this loss, he rediscovers the joys of what matters most. He begins to transition from a mindset of ‘making a difference’ to simply finding satisfaction where God has placed him and looking for the ways to joining God in the work he sees around him.. By the end of the book, Vischer makes a point I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone else make in a business story. When he was running Big Idea Productions, he had read ‘Built to Last’ – the book that coins the acronym BHAG ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goal.’ Phil realizes that his pursuit of a BHAG became more important that his pursuit of what matters most to him, primarily his faith. I’ll quote him here: “I am very serious when I say this, beware of your dreams, for dreams make dangerous friends. We all have them — longings for a better life, a healthy child, a happy marriage, rewarding work. But dreams are, I have come to believe, misplaced longings. False lovers. Why? Because God is enough. Just God. And he isn’t enough because he can make our dreams come true — ”  Let’s Wrap This Up As I read Phil Vischer’s book, I had to ask myself what lessons I could apply to my own dreams. And as you lead your school or organization in the coming year, let me encourage you to reflect on lessons from someone who saw lived the fulfillment and loss of his own dreams. For many people 2020 has been a year of lost dreams.  Schools are going into a new year with tighter budgets. School leaders are still facing the uncertainty of how much longer they will be managing the protocols of a pandemic. For many students and families, the situations are equally stressful. For those who have lost loved ones to the pandemic, the loss is bitter and personal. So how do you keep pursuing what matters even in the face of so much uncertainty? Phil Vischer’s book is a helpful glimpse at some common sense reminders on how to keep your eyes on your purpose, remaining optimistic while also facing the future with wisdom. Now It’s Your Turn As you step into a new year, consider these questions as you think about plans for yourself and your own school or organization: 1. How do you not lose sight of what matters most as you pursue your dreams and goals? 2. How do you keep perspective on the real data driving the outcomes of your organization and not become disoriented by what you ‘think’ is happening?3. How do you resist the voice telling you that ‘you deserve it’ when you want to something else that may not be good for you or your team?  4. How do you trust your own expertise while also trusting others who can help where you are weak? 5. How can you build a team of others with like-minded goals and core values so that you are rowing in the same direction?  I don’t know if you have ever pursued a dream you have lost? Or maybe you are reaching for a dream now you’re not sure if you’ll ever reach. As you look at lessons from Phil Vischer’s story, keep in mind how important it is to keep your dreams in perspective. Don’t let them control you. Keep what’s most important in mind even as you move toward reaching goals in 2021. The post PMP227: Me, Myself and Bob. 7 Lessons from the Rise and Fall of VeggieTales appeared first on Principal Matters.

This past semester, Dr. Jeff Springer has helped me facilitate the weekly book study portion of our Principal Matters Mastermind. In this week’s podcast episode, we share Part 2 of a conversation about the benefits of Masterminds for education leaders. Dr. Springer’s dissertation was on the power of play at the secondary level. As we planned for this show, Jeff asked me, “What if we took each tenet of ‘play’ and tied it into the benefits and results of participating in a Mastermind?’ The Power of Masterminds, Part 2 For a quick overview, Dr. Springer explains P.L.A.Y. and its connections to a Mastermind as follows: People – A Mastermind community helps members establish and identify who your people are. Love –  A Mastermind helps members verbalize how are you care and love for your team and others. Acknowledge – A Mastermind helps participants acknowledge success, failures, and develop a plan for areas of improvement and investigation. Yearn – A Mastermind helps members establish a platform to reconnect educators why they became educators in the first place, renewal with passion. It’s a reminder of what gets them out of bed in the morning and gives them purpose! Listen in to this week’s podcast episode to enjoy these takeaways and more! Principal Matters, 2020 Review Some of you have been readers of the Principal Matters blog or have listened to the podcast for a long time. Others may be brand new members to the community.  I began blogging in 2013 and podcasting in 2016. At the beginning of my blogging journey, I had just been named Oklahoma’s Assistant Principal of the Year. I continued sharing blogs and podcasts as a high school principal. In 2017, I began the fulltime work I do with my state principal association. Principal Matters, LLC, has always been and continues to be a passion project for me. I dedicate time in the evenings and weekends to writing and recording. If I’m invited to present or keynote, I take vacation time from my full-time work, which means my time is somewhat limited. To date, my blog posts have been downloaded 345,885 times and my podcast episodes 495,784. On average, between 2,000-2,500 education leaders are digesting my weekly posts.  I like to think about how many students are being impacting by our collective learning. If each Principal Matters podcast listener, for instance, represents 300 to 500 students, it is possible we are influencing the lives of over 1 million students.   Whether you are a long-time subscriber or first-time listener, I want to thank you for learning along with me. It seems odd to be celebrating at the end of such a crazy and difficult year, but as I look back on the past 12 months, I am amazed at the opportunities we had to grow together through a global pandemic, school shutdowns, and re-openings or hybrid settings. I have so many people to thank for the wins of 2020. These include my guests, partners, Mastermind members, and executive coaching clients.  Guests A special thanks to the 20 friends who shared on my podcast this past year, including: Juan David Campolargo, Tim Elmore, Anthony Fisher, Marlena Gross-Taylor, D.J. Klein, Jethro Jones, Jeremie Kubicek, Sonia Lopez Morales, Andrew McPeak, Patrick McLaughlin, Anthony Muhammad, Jena Nelson, Don Parker, Brad Ruttman, Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj, Jen Schwanke, Jeff Springer, Josh Stamper, William Stubbs, Justin Thomas. Early 2020 Masterminds I had the privilege of managing three separate Masterminds this year. Thank you to Cathy Blankenship, Anthony Fisher, Barbara Hawley, Eric Harrison, and Terrence Simmons – all principals who were a part of my first Mastermind offerings.  Re-Opening Mastermind Over the summer of 2020, I switched to a free Mastermind offering to help principals navigate school re-openings. What a privilege to connect with education leaders from coast to coast. A special shout out to Kim Doepker, Cythina Winchester, Brighid Gates, Joy Wright, Dennis Shug, Eddie Trygar, Jessica Johnson, Brayden Savage, Eric Hoops, Sonia Lopez-Moralez, Kimberly Miles, Andrew O’Farrel, Sam Fuller, and Angie Garrison for the incredible learning we accomplished together. We created an amazing shared Google Doc with school plans and practices. Fall 2020 Mastermind The fall semester began with a new Mastermind offering as schools pivoted to both virtual and in-person options. This included another power-packed group of leaders from across the U.S. Thank you to Samantha Bartrom, Yolonda Dawson, Andrew O’Farrell, Erin Igoe, Kimberly Miles and Jeff Springer for ending out 2020 with such amazing learning! Partnerships One of my most exciting moments of the year was the publishing of my third book, Pause. Breathe. Flourish.: Living Your Best Life as an Educator. My goal was to self-publish this book, but when my friend Jimmy Casas read the manuscript as a reviewer, he reached back with an offer to join him and Dr. Jeff Zoul in publishing the book through ConnectEdd Publishing. What an honor to collaborate with these two education leaders. I hope you’ve picked up your own copy and would love more reviews on Amazon if you have time to leave one!  Guest Appearances With the new book came invitations to present on other podcasts. I’m grateful to Justin Baeder or Principal Center Radio, Joshua Stamper at Aspire Leadership, and Jethro Jones at Transformative Principal for hosting me on their podcasts this fall. Presentations and Keynotes A global pandemic changes a lot of plans. Any in-person events I had planned were either cancelled or switched to virtual offerings. I am grateful to Sheila Vitale, Director of the Office of Ohio School Sponsorship for an invitation to train select school leaders in Ohio this past year through the Principal Matters Academy. These monthly half-day trainings allow us to dig deeply into each of the essential roles of school leaders based on the ‘8 Hats’ content I’ve shared with education leaders for the past 8 years. In addition, I am thankful for invitations I had to present virtual sessions for friends at Tulsa Technology Center and Southern Nazerene University’s Education Leadership Alumni Association. (Contact me if you are interested in discussing any of these offerings for yourself or your team members.) Executive Coaching In addition to Masterminds, I have had select opportunities to connect with some amazing leaders through one-on-one coaching. What’s In Store? As I look ahead to 2021, I’m excited to share a new Pause. Breathe. Flourish. Study Guide which will be a companion for anyone wanting to lead a book study. ConnectEdd will post the new resource after the New Year. Also, I already have a couple of invitations for virtual presentations in the months ahead. My monthly virtual Principal Matters Academy trainings will continue with my Ohio education leaders. My current Mastermind group will continue throughout the new semester, and applications open for anyone interested in additional offerings with my friend Dr. Jeff Springer facilitating as a Principal Matters Coach. If you’re interested in any of the resources or trainings for your growth or for your own leadership teams, reach out by email at will@williamdparker.comor see links on my website at williamdparker.com. 2020 Episodes For those who want to go back into the archives of this past year or share with others, here is a list of the Principal Matters episodes for 2020: PMP225: 4 Wishes for Your Much-Deserved Break (Plus Will’s Bonus Christmas Hymns) PMP224: The Power of a Mastermind with Jeff Springer PMP223: A Fighter Pilot’s Lessons for Leaders, Part 2 PMP222: A Fighter Pilot’s Lessons for Leaders PMP221: Designing Leadership Outcomes with Jethro Jones PMP220: Aspire in Leadership with Joshua Stamper PMP219: Pause. Breathe. Flourish. Part 2 with Jen Schwanke PMP218: Reflections on Pause. Breathe. Flourish. with Jen Schwanke PMP217: 57 Years Together, A Tribute to My Parents PMP216: A Principal’s Toolbox with Justin Thomas PMP215: Reflections from Pause. Breathe. Flourish. with Sonia Lopez-Morales PMP214: Pause. Breathe. Flourish. Part 2, Review with Dr. Jeff Springer PMP213: Pause. Breathe. Flourish. A Review with Dr. Jeff Springer PMP212: Strategies for Helping Gen Z Students with Dr. Tim Elmore PMP211: Reflections on Reopening Schools, Part 2, with Jen Schwanke PMP210: Re-opening Reflections with Jen Schwanke PMP209: Supporting Students from Immigrant Families in a Pandemic PMP208: New School Year Celebrations and Challenges PMP207: Equity in Education During a Pandemic PMP206: Growing Through a Mastermind with Anthony Fisher PMP205: Preparing the Start-of-School Year in a Pandemic PMP204: We are all Pioneers and Tweeners this school year! PMP203: Cultivating PLAY in Leadership with Jeff Springer PMP202: Transforming School Cultures with Dr. Anthony Muhammad PMP201: Rebooting for the Summer with Jen Schwanke PMP200: Looking Back at Distance Learning with Jen Schwanke PMP199: Panel Discussion on Equity & Racism, Part 2 PMP198: Panel Discussion on Equity and Racism, Part 1 PMP197: 10 Tips for New Assistant Principals PMP196: Generation Optimism with Juan David Campolargo PMP195: Instruction from a Distance with Jena Nelson PMP194: Lessons from Leading in New York with Principal Patrick McLaughlin PMP193: Taking a Music Break from COVID-19 PMP192: Leading from a Distance, Part 2 with Jen Schwanke PMP191: Reflections on Leading from a Distance PMP190: 5 Tips for Running the Uncertain Leadership Roads Ahead PMP189: Building Bridges to Reach Students with Dr. Don Parker PMP188: COVID-19 Update, Principal Reboot, Finding Balance Continued PMP187: Reboot for Principals, Part 2 PMP186: Reboot for Principals with Jen Schwanke PMP185: The Power of Sharing Your Own Story PMPEncore151: Hiring High Quality Educators, Part 2 PMPEncore150: Hiring High Quality Educators, Part 1 PMP184: 5 Voices for Leading Teams with Jeremie Kubicek PMP183: Gen Z Unfiltered, Part 2 with Andrew McPeak PMP182: Generation Z Unfiltered with Andrew McPeak Encore099: Collaborating for Results – Interview with Dr. Judi Barber PMP181: Finding Your Swing – How Leadership & Teamwork Go Hand-in-Hand PMP180: Tipping Points and Why Small Things Matter PMP179: Special Edition – Principal Matters 2019 Year In Review Now It’s Your Turn: Share and Rate on iTunes The best way to grow a community of learners is by sharing with one another. If you have found value in our learning together this past year, would you take a moment to share the podcast with others? Also, please leave a review on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. When you do, the show becomes more visible to others. Thank you for doing what matters! The post PMP226: Year in Review and Power of Masterminds with Jeff Springer, Part 2 appeared first on Principal Matters.

As you are wrapping up the semester, I wanted to send this note of encouragement. Photo by Brooke Lark – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@brookelark?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit This semester you have managed school in ways you never have before. Some of you have served students who have been at home all semester. Others have been in-person or in hybrid models. Whatever your circumstance, I have heard from many principals that this has been the most challenging year of their education career. With that in mind, I want to wish you the following during your much-deserved break: 1. I wish you rest from unending decision-making.  For some of you, you will still manage a lot of family to-do’s over break. But give yourself permission to turn off your technology. Put an automatic reply on your email that you are on vacation until the New Year. And then ignore your inbox. You deserve this time off. 2. Do something that recharges your emotional batteries.  If you are an extrovert, it will be hard to avoid crowds, but find an outlet that brings you joy. If you are a hunter, hunt. If you love exercise, start a new workout. Whether it is: dancing, knitting, reading, or taking long walks – find that thing and do it. 3. Make a list of what has been challenging and what has been a blessing this past year.  Sometimes it’s helpful to see the pros and cons of your experience. Accept the things you could not or cannot change, and then celebrate the experiences that were still happy moments this past year. 4. When you’ve had time to re-charge, think of something outrageously optimistic you’d like to accomplish this year.  Mike Mattos, Solution Tree author, calls this a ‘BHAG’ – a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. I like to encourage leaders to apply this to your personal life too: Maybe you want to run a marathon, start a YouTube channel, earn your doctorate, write your first book, or climb a mountain. If it’s a school-wide goal you’ve always dreamed of reaching, go for it. I can’t tell you what that dream is, but think of a BHAG, and give yourself permission to pursue it. Even if you don’t accomplish the goal, you’ll always go farther when you take action and learn a lot about yourself in the process of trying. On behalf of the Principal Matters community, I want to wish you a much deserved time-off. As a bonus to this week’s podcast episode, I have included an additional 15 minutes of Christmas piano music from my home to yours (with ‘Yours Truly’ playing, mistakes and all). I look forward to continuing to learn together in the year ahead. In the meantime, cheers to your Christmas Break & Happy New Year! The post PMP225: 4 Wishes for Your Much-Deserved Break (Plus Will’s Bonus Christmas Hymns) appeared first on Principal Matters.

This past semester, I had the honor of leading a Mastermind with principals from across the U.S. Photo by Viviana Rishe – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@vivirishe?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit Like eating a meal with family members each week, a Mastermind is a way for consistent growth with people you trust and admire. Dr. Jeff Springer has helped facilitate the Principal Matters Mastermind by leading our weekly book study portion. In this week’s podcast episode, we spend time talking about the benefits of Masterminds for education leaders. Welcome Back Dr. Jeff Springer An educator for 34 years, Dr. Jeff Springer is the founder of Spring Strategies LLC and the G.O.A.L. TEAM (Getting Others to Achieve Higher Levels), created for helping high school students and young adults to maximize their personal leadership potential. Jeff, a former Texas High School Head Football Coach and eleven-year veteran of the classroom, is also formerly the Principal at Magnolia High School (2002-2016), in Magnolia, Texas. In 2013, he was selected as the State of Texas TASSP State Principal of the year. Jeff resides in Montgomery, Texas with his wife of 38 years. They have two children, and two grandchildren. Community, Engagement, Transformation and Collegiality WDP: One of my friends Jethro Jones compared the Mastermind to eating a great meal. A conference or workshop can be a great event or experience, like a quick meal. But a Mastermind can be like a family meal shared every week with people you trust, admire and respect. Dr. Springer: Yes, I like that analogy. The opportunity to sit around the table with leaders from across the country who bring their own flavors to the feast. We enjoy several courses, and each week we experience new recipes from each other. And you walk away with one new idea to apply every time! WDP: I know we want to talk about how Masterminds building community, engagement, transformation and collegiality. Can you start with how a Mastermind builds community? Dr. Springer: The ability to share what you learn is a powerful opportunity. To listen to leaders share where they are – the different localities, grade levels, experiences that can inform others. That support provides a community approach to leading your campus. WDP: Yes, it seems every time you are together, you discover something new about the other members you didn’t know before. During our book study of my new book Pause. Breathe. Flourish., for instance, we build community through exploring areas each of us is discovering in self-reflection. Dr. Springer: There is the professional growth. But the bonus is knowing each other on a personal level. Between meetings you also share via Voxer messages. This Mastermind is a great model for carrying into your in-person relationships with your teams and schools. WDP: Can you unpack how Masterminds lead to engagement? Dr. Springer: What I have seen and hear from our Mastermind members is that this is vital part of their week. Whether they are principals or assistant principals, they make this a priority. They are so involved in the process, they don’t want to miss a week. If duty requires them to miss, they ask for the recording so they can keep learning. WDP: I love how the Mastermind also facilitates additional conversations. Even outside the hot-seat moments, people continue connecting after the meetings for further learning and collaboration. Dr. Springer: That leads to our next area, which is transformation. We didn’t do this intentionally, but community builds engagement. And you cannot have transformation without engagement. Even though you come to the table with an idea, you discover there is plethora of ideas because there may be more than one idea for a solution. Now you have more tools in your toolbox because of the conversations that happen in a Mastermind. WDP: During the pandemic, principals have brought ideas that have helped one another with lessons that can help them as they face new challenges that others may have already faced. Can you unpack our final takeaway: the benefits of collegiality? Dr. Springer: Collegiality and community are closely related. The professional growth that happens in these meetings leads to a group of professionals who care deeply what is happening in each others’ schools. This happens with confidentiality and a commitment to helping each other grow, which is why the resulting collegiality of a Mastermind is so powerful. WDP: One of things I’m excited about for 2021 is the possibility of opening an additional Mastermind with you, Dr. Springer, leading as a Principal Matters Coach. If school leaders are interested in these offerings for the new semester, they can visit the “Mastermind” tab on my website for more information. Now It’s Your Turn Listen to the entire podcast episode for more takeaways.  Whether or not you join a Mastermind, you can always find more growth when you are willing to connect with others and to be vulnerable about the challenges you are facing and lessons you are learning. What is one way you can commit to connecting with others in the coming semester so that you continue growing? The post PMP224: The Power of a Mastermind with Jeff Springer appeared first on Principal Matters.

In last week’s episode, Colonel Brad Ruttman shared lessons from his military experience that may also apply to education leaders. Oklahoma Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. C.T. Michael This week, he unpacks more of his “Pocket-List for Leading a New Command” as well as some of his favorite leadership quotes. Meet Colonel Brad Ruttman  Col. Brad Ruttman is a 21-year veteran of the US Air Force and currently serves as the Operations Group Commander for the 138th Fighter Wing.  He has commanded at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels and is a graduate of Air War College. As an F-16 fighter pilot, Col Ruttman has 5 combat tours and over 100 combat sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He is the recipient of several military awards to include 2 Meritorious Service Medals, 4 Combat Air Medals, the Aerial Achievement Medal and the Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals. He resides in Owasso, OK with his wife Stephanie and their five children: JJ, Christian, Coleman, Savannah, and Dawson. All five of his children attend Owasso Public Schools. Part 2 of the Leadership Pocket-List WDP: Thank you again for being on the show. Last time you shared several takeaways, including setting boundaries/instilling discipline, project empathy/right any wrongs, and building trust. Can you take us through the other elements of your list? Col. Ruttman: Sure. Let’s talk next about “Leading Your People Where They Are.” For strategic leaders, it is very important you think about your tactical team members from their perspective. That means understanding your people, what they do, and your own limitations. You cannot just assume you know how to do their work. In my own experience, I have seen officers or commanders show up to enlisted personnel and tell them why they need to work harder because of the global, strategic outcomes needed around the world. This kind of feedback is not helpful. Most people at the tactical level, however care about purpose, security and relationships. Don’t spend time trying to convince others of strategy. Meet them in the ways that matter most to them. WDP: I’ll give an education application. When I was a high school principal, I would visit our cafeteria staff to thank them for the good work they were doing in feeding our students. Sometimes we would have lunch together or a quick meeting so that I could hear any concerns. I did not try to burden them with academic targets, for instance, as they were really not interested in the organizational or strategic plans I was working on. They were most interested in making sure every student was eating.  Col. Ruttman: That’s a great segue to the next area: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” (Covey). I think many times as leaders, especially brand-new leaders, someone may have been a teacher for a long time, and when they become a principal, they cannot wait to lead a school the way they always dreamed of it being. The challenge is finding ways to influence others because most of them will not be inspired by your ideas. As a leader, it is your job to take your ideas and influence others. The best ways to influence are to first understand what their priorities are, understanding their history, and showing empathy for their experiences. If you can convince others that new ideas are ones they suggested, then they will be more committed to new outcomes.  WDP: Yes, ownership has to happen for accountability to be meaningful. You also talk about the “Staying sharp” with several bullets:     Never think “you’ve arrived”    Think like your boss’s boss    Beware of the Bathsheba Syndrome    Study Psychology What lessons would you unpack from those areas? Col. Ruttman: ‘Sharpening the saw’ is another Covey takeaway. It is very easy when you are younger to set a goal for a higher level of leadership. When you finally have that position, however, it is easy to exhale and think you have nowhere to grow. You have to keep finding ways to be a better leader than you were yesterday. This happens by studying others, reading good books, and accepting that you never arrive. The ‘Bathsheba Syndrome’ came from an article I read on how leaders often fall from grace when they do not know how to hand the responsibility of their own position of leadership. When you think you have no more to learn, you start compromising to hold onto your position, instead of staying sharp and continuously being self-awareness and self-management.  On the area “Think like your boss’s boss,” I believe it is important to be aware of those you are leading as well as those whom you answer to at the operational level. It means thinking two-levels above yourself.  WDP: For school leaders, one of our greatest fears should be becoming someone no one would want to work for. Even the strongest leaders can slide. Can you explain how you’ve seen that happen? Col. Ruttman: Yes, the foundation for that article on the ‘Bathsheba Syndrome’ was in response to General Petraeus, a four-star General who everyone respected. After all of his success, he had an affair with a news reporter while in Afghanistan and lost his entire command. How does this happen? It happens when people do not stay self-aware.   WDP: Entire organizations disintegrate around lack of trust and character. If the outcomes we want for others requires those we lead to behave with integrity, then we have to model integrity as well.  In addition to your ‘Pocket list,’ you also keep a running list of great leadership quotes, including this one from Colin Powell: “Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it.” What does that mean to you? Col. Ruttman: The reason I love that is quote is because I have seen it happen. For fighter pilots, for instance, sometimes they can wrap their identity in that position. I’m sure there are educators who wrap their entire ego into that position. What happens when they retire or no longer have that seat? If your identity is wrapped into that position, you may feel like your life has fallen apart. The most successful leaders can lead without placing all their marbles in that own ‘bowl’ of their leadership position. They learn to find meaning outside of work.  WDP: Yes, investing in all those other areas of your life (outside of leadership), make you a better leader. As we wrap up, what is one of the most meaningful experiences you have had as a leader? Col. Ruttman: It’s funny because as a fighter pilot, you are not trained to care about relationships. You are trained to accomplish a mission. You want your front-line pilots to be the best. But as you get older, you have to learn how to work with others. What I think has been most important is that in the end, it is the relationships that matter most. Another of my favorite quotes is: “The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.” – African Proverb Every relationship you have has impact. This is especially true when you are a leader. What you may think is insignificant may be significant to others. When I look back on my career, I am proud that I’ve been able to bridge the relationships between others.  WDP: Another quote from your list is: “The two most important days in our lives are the day we are born and the day we find out why.” – Mark Twain. If you can help someone find the purpose in their life, you are the greatest leader ever, in their eyes! Col. Brad Rutman, it is an honor to call you a friend. Thank you for sharing these lessons with leaders. Col. Ruttman: It is so important we reach as many people with these important lessons. Don’t let these ideas end with your leadership. We must share them with others! Additional Quotes Colonel Ruttman also shared several leadership quotes he carries in his pocket-list: – Resist complaining (only up, never down), resist the need to explain your decisions unless you need to repair a relationship – Resist the need to win at all costs. Sometimes losing will help you more in the long run. Leadership is a contact sport and a constant negotiation. – Realize that sometimes subordinates bring ideas to impress you, not to make themselves look smarter than you. Even if you’ve already thought of it, praise their idea and push it forward if it’s good. – Get mad, then get over it (Colin Powell); 90% of things I got upset about in my career really weren’t that bad. – Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it. (Colin Powell) – ALWAYS appear approachable. – Show up to work and leave work on time… to the max extent possible. Not excessively early, not excessively late…on time. If you are unable to get your work done in your allotted duty day then you are not using your time wise. – Never use hyperbole in electronic messages. It almost always gets misconstrued. – Be careful about using exaggerations and conjecture to get your point across. Most individuals will be argumentative and defensive and will focus on your data than on the bigger picture. Then they will call you out on the data instead. – As a leader your words will matter more, so choose them wisely. But keep in the back of your mind, you’re not as cool as you think you are. – The large majority of your troops don’t want you in their house or want to be social media friends. It’s not that they don’t like you, they just don’t like you in their personal lives! – A society grows great when old men and women plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. – Greek Proverb – “You can train a bright, willing novice in the fundamentals of your business fairly readily, but it’s a lot harder to train someone to have integrity, judgment, energy, balance and the drive to get things done” – unknown – “The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.” – African Proverb – “The two most important days in our lives are the day we are born and the day we find out why.” – Mark Twain…If you can help someone find the purpose in their life, you are the greatest leader ever, in their eyes! Now It’s Your Turn What is one step toward self-awareness you can practice to avoid the pitfall of thinking you have arrived? What is one step you can take today to invest cultivating positive relationships with those whom you are serving and leading? Thanks again for doing what matters! The post PMP223: A Fighter Pilot’s Lessons for Leaders, Part 2 appeared first on Principal Matters.