LeaderProof
A future book on building strong leaders and teams that live on beyond their time in office. (Coming Soon) www.leaderproof.net
Introduction
The goal of any great leader should be to build teams and initiatives that live beyond their tenure. Too often, however, that is not the case. The average tenure of a state education chief or large urban superintendent is less than three years. Exacerbating the situation even more is the constant revolving doors of school boards. This constant interruption of leadership negatively affects continuity and threatens effective governance. With that kind of turnover, it is no wonder why getting a foothold on decades old disparities and improved outcomes for children and families evades us year after year. It is what Jim Collins calls the “Doom loop.” Leaders and teams find themselves lurching from one strategic plan to another when leaders change. This causes a lack of focus, disruption, and threatens commitment and belief from those doing the front line work each and every day.
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That is why this book is so necessary. Because, if people are going to invest themselves fully and put in the work, they must trust their leaders will still be there to support the work to the end or that they have built Leaderproof plans and systems that continue even if they move on. This requires leaders to work broadly and deeply at the systems level with those closest to the work. It is important that any future work be viewed as worthy work, meaningful work, work that gets results. It could be new work that has been ignored, work that builds upon the good work that came before, or some new innovation. This is especially critical for deep implementation and continuity of effort. When leaders initiate new work for the team, they must in earnest “seek first to understand,” as Covey says. Take the necessary time to learn and listen. This isn’t a task, it is a daily practice. There is no end to listening and learning for an effective leader, especially one who holds a top leadership position such as superintendent or state chief school officer. Authentic engagement is your greatest strategic tool, both internally in the organization, and externally as you build consensus and the necessary political will to enact your ideas.
In this book, I will share the essential Leaderproof principles a state chief school officer and large urban district superintendent must exhibit to last beyond the average school leader tenure, while providing critical insights into how the two leaders can and should work together to accelerate their state’s student achievement and more broadly, child outcomes.
These top-level jobs in large urban districts and state chiefs often can be lonely ones and we are most vulnerable when we first start. Discernment and judgment are essential characteristics if you wish to be successful for longer than the average tenure. Avoiding pitfalls early and navigating the landmines that get set politically, requires incredible discipline. Any one misstep at this level of leadership could end your career instantly. The stakes are high and the public scrutiny intense. Being as prepared as possible before you step into this new role and incredible opportunity will determine not only your tenure, but your success.
The pages that follow will be filled with the knowledge I’ve gained over my thirty plus years as an educator and leader. From classroom paraprofessional to teacher and assistant principal to superintendent and state chief. I hope you find it useful, informative, at times inspiring, and a resource you come back to often as you work to make a difference for kids. For functionality, the book is broken up into several usable parts that can be read individually or cover to cover.
At the end of the book, I will speak personally on how to discern as a leader when it is time to step down to make room for new leadership and vision, and the difficult decision to do so. But, it is my belief that great leaders not only know how to lead when called, they too can sense instinctively when it is time to leave and pass the torch, so the work can reach new heights and be re-energized for even greater results.
Creating continuity from one leader to the next doesn’t always come easily or naturally. Transitions are always difficult. But those who master the LeaderProof principles will not be only more personally effective, but they will build highly effective teams, and high performing systems as well; and their impact will be felt for generations, and not confined to the years they were in office. What kind of leader do you want to be? Hopefully, the pages that follow will help you be a better one!
