One Thing Series: Getting Results w/ Fred Stuvek — #onethingseries

One Thing Series: Getting Results w/ Fred Stuvek — #onethingseries

by | Jan 12, 2020 | #onethingseries, Core Values, Daily Habits, Decision-Making, Goal Setting, Learning to Lead, Podcast, Results, Teamwork

Fear has killed more dreams than anything. ~ Fred Stuvek

Fred Stuvek Jr. has achieved extraordinary success in diverse realms. Born in West Virginia and raised in Pennsylvania, he has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame for achievements in football, basketball, baseball, and track.

He graduated from the United States Naval Academy, after lettering three years as quarterback for the Midshipmen. After service as a Naval Officer, he transitioned to the business world where he has held senior leadership positions in private and public companies, both domestically and internationally.

Fred’s key successes include an international medical imaging start-up that led to a successful IPO, and forming a private medical services company, which he subsequently sold. From the playing field to the war room to the board room, his leadership and accomplishments have given him a distinct perspective and a results-oriented mindset.

His interview with TheSchoolHouse302 is intense, direct, and filled with effective takeaways for any leader who is trying to reach their goals in 2020 and beyond.

  • Listen to what he says about the importance of belief, mindset, confidence, and success. And he reads our blog!
  • He acknowledges that it’s important to follow a diverse group of leaders to get information from a number of avenues. He follows the hashtags #leadership, #management, and #learning.
  • You can’t miss what he says about being open to feedback.
  • He talks about the fact that growth is not static. He wants his book to be used for leadership development and training. Don’t miss our #readthisseries, we’re going to give away three of Fred’s books.
  • His thoughts on getting out of your comfort zone and stretching yourself are priceless. His career pivots are inspiring.
  • Lastly, you can’t miss his views on not having all the answers as a leader.

Fred’s interview uncovers the powerful insight in getting results, achieving your goals, following key principles of leadership, and much much more.

Please follow, like, and comment. Use #onethingseries and #SH302 so that we can find you. For more great leadership content, follow dereka206.sg-host.com.

Joe & T.J.

Review and Reflect: Learning to Give Better Feedback to Grow Teacher Leaders — #reviewandreflect

Review and Reflect: Learning to Give Better Feedback to Grow Teacher Leaders — #reviewandreflect

by | Dec 29, 2019 | #review&reflect, Communication, Education, Feedback, Learning to Lead, Podcast, Teacher Leadership

This is TheSchoolHouse302’s monthly #reviewandreflect, wrapping up our focus on Feedback: Growing Your Teacher Leaders.

Our Review and Reflect series embraces the powerful sentiment from Soren Kierkegaard: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Throughout this post, we take a deep dive into our leadership content so that you can develop the skills you need to lead better and grow faster.

Skills I need to develop so that I can better prepare my teacher leaders…

In our travels, we rarely meet anyone who isn’t looking to improve in some aspect of his or herself. Yet, despite this desire within so many people, it’s incredibly difficult to take advantage of the most powerful way we learn and grow–listening and acting on critical feedback. Not only is it hard to receive feedback, it’s often even harder to give it. Given how effective it can be to provide and accept feedback, it’s fascinating to think that we would avoid it. As the Japanese proverb states, “better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.”

Knowing the tenuous relationship that people have with feedback, yet understanding its incredibly influential nature, we developed a comprehensive feedback model. Our model specifically focuses on an often overlooked group of educators who need comprehensive feedback, training, and development to grow in the roles–teacher leaders. This is a group that administrators often take for granted because they are typically impressive in the classroom, but not investing in them as leaders is shortsighted and costly.

Effective administrators know that they can’t do it all themselves. Teacher leaders can grow as a very specialized and skilled group within every school. But, they need training and feedback on their leadership skills. That’s why we provide the Leadership Development Continuum Model. It allows leaders to differentiate the four types of training that teacher leaders need as they grow from novice to expert.

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ~ African Proverb

Leadership Development Continuum Model

Quadrant 1–Foundational: The first level of leadership development is simply foundational. These are the building blocks of leadership traits and qualities. These structural elements range from effective communication to delegation. To satisfy this quadrant, we recommend doing a book study with your team.

Quadrant 2–Experiential: The next level of training is far more specialized. Experiential leadership training is designed to provide teacher leaders with job-embedded learning. Including teacher leaders during instructional rounds and other administrative work give them the experiences they need.

Quadrant 3–Practical: This level of leadership development is geared more toward an advanced or advancing teacher leader. Practical leadership development always involves a coach or supervisor who conducts a focused observation and then provides direct feedback to the teacher. You can use your department meetings as a time to observe your teacher leaders in action.

Quadrant 4–Topical: The most advanced leadership development scenario on the continuum is for leaders to attend a session at a conference (or other off-site seminar) on a topic that is specific to her developmental needs. This type of training is reserved for an expert leader who needs specialized training in something that cannot be delivered within the school or district. Remember, this isn’t about teaching; it’s about leading. 

Teacher_Leader_Support_and_Feedback_Self-Assessment

Wherever you find yourself on the scale for each area, we encourage you to immerse yourself into some powerful literature to lead better and grow faster in the concept of feedback.

Great Leaders Are Avid Readers

Review: In our #readthisseries we featured practical books that offer actionable information to improve your feedback skills.

Our first recommendation is The feedback imperative: How to give everyday feedback to speed up your team’s success. If you want to take the mystery out of giving feedback, check out Anna Carroll’s book.

Our second recommendation is from Johnson, Liebowitz, and Perrett, The coach approach to school leadership: Leading teachers to higher levels of effectiveness. This is a terrific book for school and district leaders who are ready to lead the necessary change in their organization.

Our final recommendation is Thanks for the feedback: The science and art of receiving feedback well. This book by Stone and Heen captures the essence and importance of receiving feedback and how we can improve this aspect of ourselves.

Let us know if these great reads change your leadership practices and deliver real results.

Who should I follow…

What does an expert have to say about feedback? Anna Carrol’s book, which is practical, readable, and research-based, provides many of the answers we need to take our feedback to another level. We truly appreciate her book, The feedback imperative: How to give everyday feedback to speed up your team’s success. What we really like is how she spends time explaining the feedback loop and the critical importance of accurate feedback.

Anna Carroll

Action: Throughout this month during our Three Minute Challenges we asked you to take decisive action to improve the level of training you are offering your teacher leaders. All of those actions require a sound assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of your team. 

Think - Plan - Act

Our TPA: A Framework for Growth Through Reflection, is a powerful tool for you to take time and evaluate the current skill level of your teacher leaders and the level of professional learning you are offering them. Reflect on the self-assessment survey you just completed and identify those areas that you need to develop with greater focus. Start today and let us know how well you are doing!

That’s our #review&reflect for feedback. Take a look back to take a step forward.

Please subscribe!

Listen to the entire podcast on iTunes, One Thing Series, and please rate and like (it helps).

TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple and maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.

Please let us know how our leadership posts are working for you, what you are reading to improve yourself, and your thoughts on leadership and growth here on our blog and Twitter. Follow our #onethingseries podcast on iTunes and our #readthisseries on YouTube. 

Joe & T.J.

PS–We have a book on feedback for educational leaders as well. Check it out.

Candid_and_Compassionate_Feedback_Cover

One Thing Series: Everyday Feedback w/ Anna Carroll, @annacarrollMSSW — #onethingseries

One Thing Series: Everyday Feedback w/ Anna Carroll, @annacarrollMSSW — #onethingseries

by | Dec 8, 2019 | #onethingseries, Feedback, Learning to Lead, Organizational Growth, Organizational Leadership, Passion, Podcast, Principal Leadership, Professional Dialogue

Don’t miss this leadership podcast with Anna Carroll.

Anna Carroll, MSSW, is an author, executive coach, and speaker. She helps leaders and professionals speed up their cycles of successful leadership, feedback, and results.

Anna graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, including a year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study the social aspects of computing. She received her MSSW degree from University of Texas at Austin with a focus on human behavior, influence, conformity, and how change does and doesn’t happen. She founded Interaction Design, Inc. in 1990 to facilitate organizational improvement projects and design and lead structured interactive training. She received her Licensed Professional Coach certification in 2013 from the Coaches Training Institute. 

Her clients include Austin Regional Clinic, eBay, Engagio, Fandango, Horseshoe Bay Resort, NES Global Talent, PayPal, and Zimmer-Biomet. She has spoken recently at Microsoft, the Texas Conference for Women, and the Society for Human Resource Management, to name only a few.

Carroll wrote The Feedback Imperative: How to Give Everyday Feedback to Speed Up Your Team’s Success (River Grove Press, 2013) and The Everyday Feedback Workbook: How to Use the Everyday Feedback Method with Your Team (Ingram-Sparks, 2015) and conducts training for how to give and receive helpful, transparent feedback. An important quality of her “everyday feedback” approach is lowering stress and building great relationships along the way. She is passionate about researching future workplace trends and exploring the brain science and psychological factors that are key to making great feedback happen. She is currently writing a book about surprising insights regarding good and bad feedback in organizations.

She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Michael Wilkes and loves world music, cities, and great conversations.

Her interview with TheSchoolHouse302 cuts straight to the heart of what we value and believe in for organizational growth, which is quality feedback.

  • Listen to what she says about organizational dynamics and how leaders often handle tough conversations. She talks about what is often ignored yet we complain about it and still expect improvements to occur.
  • She acknowledges that much of the feedback conversation is steeped in brain research and the NueroLeadership Institute is leading the way.
  • You can’t miss what she says about how she learned under duress. We can all benefit from her story. Don’t miss this part.
  • She’s the third person to bring up Tango on our One Thing Series. The beauty is in why!
  • Anna’s thoughts on luck, excellent performances, and solutions are thought-provoking, to say the least.
  • You can’t miss what she used to believe. It’s something we typically think regarding success but she challenges the notion! Most importantly, she reminds us to Stay Calm & Try Things!

Anna’s interview uncovers some of the dysfunctional behaviors common in many organizations. She calls out the typical reactions to feedback as ineffective and provides simple ways to work through them. What really resonates with us is that feedback is the key to improvement. Her experience and wisdom provide insight for leaders to create an environment where feedback is the norm. Be sure to listen and share so that we can all learn to address tough issues through difficult conversations.

Please follow, like, and comment. Use #onethingseries and #SH302 so that we can find you. For more great leadership content, follow dereka206.sg-host.com.

You can find our One Thing Series on iTunes and SoundCloud.

Joe & T.J.

Review and Reflect: Better Decision-Making Through C.A.R.E. — #reviewandreflect

Review and Reflect: Better Decision-Making Through C.A.R.E. — #reviewandreflect

by | Nov 24, 2019 | #review&reflect, Core Values, Culture, Daily Habits, Decision-Making, Leadership, Learning to Lead, Long-Term Decision-Making, Organizational Leadership, Podcast, Reflect, Relationships

Direction

This is TheSchoolHouse302’s monthly #reviewandreflect, wrapping up our focus on Decision-Making.

Our Review and Reflect series embraces the powerful sentiment from Soren Kierkegaard: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Throughout this post, we take a deep dive into our leadership content so that you can develop the skills you need to lead better and grow faster.

Skills I need to develop for improved decision-making…

If you’re reading this post, which we are very grateful that you are, you probably made about five decisions just to get to this point. You may have asked yourself, should I read it on my phone or laptop? At my desk or on my couch? Should I grab a cup of coffee first? Will I take some notes or just screenshot what really jumps out at me? The point is that we constantly make decisions every second. Some of them are significant and critically important, while others are common and ordinary. Regardless of the type of decision, we make over 30,000 of them per day.

Because we are rapidly deciding on one thing or another all the time, we need to establish the right environment to improve our decision-making skills and align them to our core values and purpose. That may sound simple, given that we are the ones making the decisions for ourselves, but we know how easily influenced we can be by friends, co-workers, social media, and marketing techniques.

For stronger alignment with your values, we ask you to use C.A.R.E. when making decisions. It’s a formula to ensure better decision-making in life and work. 

CARE

#1. Core Values–If someone were to ask you, “what are your Core Values” could you answer them clearly and succinctly? If not, don’t read another word before identifying them.

“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” ~ Seneca

#2. Automate Routines–If someone were to ask you, “what does your morning routine look like that sets you up for success” could you tell them? If not, stop reading and identify what your morning routine will be from this day forward.

“Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” ~ Jim Rohn

#3. Rely on a Trusted Few–If someone were to ask you, “who do you really trust and can seek their wise counsel when needed” could you readily identify them? Take a minute, grab a pen, and write their names down, then call them and let them know how much you appreciate their advice.

“We need people in our lives with whom we can be as open as possible. To have real conversations with people may seem like such a simple, obvious suggestion, but it involves courage and risk.” ~ Thomas Moore

#4. Evaluate the Impact–If someone were to ask you, “how do you know if the decisions you make are any good” could you show them the results? If not, take a few minutes right now and evaluate if a decision you recently made turned out the way you had expected.

“Reflective thinking turns our experience into insight.” ~ John Maxwell

Decision-Making_Self-Assessment

Wherever you find yourself on the scale for each area, we encourage you to immerse yourself into some powerful literature to lead better and grow faster in the area of decision-making.

Great Leaders Are Avid Readers

Review: In our #readthisseries we featured practical books that offer actionable information to improve decision-making.

Our first recommendation is The one thing: The surprisingly simple truth about extraordinary results. If you’re tired of thinking about what needs to be done, and you are ready for real results, read this!

Our second recommendation is from Doug Reeves, Leading change in your school: How to conquer myths, build commitment, and get results. This is a terrific book for school and district leaders who are ready to lead the necessary change in their organization.

Our final recommendation is Leading with focus: Elevating the essentials for school and district improvement. What we truly respect about Mike Schmoker is that he cuts to the chase and provides real examples. If you don’t have a lot of time but want to read incredible stories about real schools, pick this up!

Let us know if these great reads change your leadership practices and deliver real results.

Who should I follow…

What does an expert have to say about decision making? Toni Faddis is the real deal. We truly appreciate her book, The Ethical Line: 10 Leadership Strategies for Ethical Decision-Making. Strategy #6, Unifying Around a Collective Vision, is just one aspect that all leaders need to read. She walks you through an organizational values audit that is quite telling.

Toni Faddis

Action: Throughout this month during our Three Minute Challenges we asked you to take decisive action to improve your level of C.A.R.E.

Our TPA: A Framework for Growth Through Reflection, is a powerful tool for personal development and growth. Reflect on the self-assessment you just completed and identify those areas that you need to develop with focus.

Think - Plan - Act

Please subscribe!

Listen to the entire podcast on iTunes, One Thing Series, and please rate and like (it helps).

That’s our #review&reflect for decision-making. Take a look back to take a step forward.

TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple and maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.

Please let us know how our leadership posts are working for you, what you are reading to improve yourself, and your thoughts on leadership and growth here on our blog and Twitter. Follow our #onethingseries podcast on iTunes and our #readthisseries on YouTube.

Joe & T.J.

One Thing Series: Better Decision-Making w/ Dr. Toni Faddis #onethingseries

One Thing Series: Better Decision-Making w/ Dr. Toni Faddis #onethingseries

by | Nov 17, 2019 | #onethingseries, Decision-Making, Education, Learning to Lead, Podcast, Self-Efficacy, Teacher Leadership

 

Don’t miss our leadership podcast with Toni Faddis.

Dr. Toni Faddis has served as a public school educator for the past twenty-six years as a teacher, principal, and district leader. For 13 years, she was a principal of two schools close to the United States/Mexico border and established strong, collaborative teacher teams that resulted in improved content delivery, greater student achievement, and increased teacher self-efficacy. In her current capacity as a district leader, Toni coaches and supports aspiring and novice school leaders.

She is also a faculty member of the Educational Leadership Department at San Diego State University, teaching courses on problem-solving, professional learning, and instructional leadership to teachers who aspire to become school principals.

Toni’s passion for educational excellence, equity, and ethical school leadership led to doctoral research to understand principal decision-making in the unique contexts of border school communities. The degree, conferred by San Diego State University, marked the end of Toni’s study, but not of her learning journey.

She recently authored The Ethical Line: 10 Leadership Strategies for Effective Decision Making (Corwin Press, 2019) and is currently developing a second book for new principals. Toni looks for something new to learn every day and is committed to improving access and outcomes for learners of all ages.

Her interview with TheSchoolHouse302 was engaging and incredibly authentic. Check it out.

TheSchoolHouse302.
  • Listen to what she says about how we have to transform ourselves professionally to meet the demands of the job. She describes how her values truly drive her decisions, her attitude, and her behavior.
  • She acknowledges that Brene Brown is very influential in her life. The quote, “being clear is kind and being unclear us unkind,” truly resonated with us. We completely agree that Brene Brown is someone we all should follow.
  • Toni talked about the power of nature. Get outside!
  • One thing we love about so many of our guests is what they share about their “bucket lists.” Toni doesn’t disappoint with her desire to go to the Olympic Games. “Citius, Altius, Fortius.”
  • Regarding what continues to support her growth as a leader…yoga! After you hear about her initial attempts, you’ll be inspired to try it.
  • We always ask our guests about one thing they believe anymore. The responses are phenomenal and Toni’s is something we all need to get better at doing–stop wasting energy on worrying about what people think. Free yourself and live with courage.

Toni’s interview is a powerful example of a great educator committed to students and staff. Her examples are real, doable, and honest.

Please follow, like, and comment. Use #onethingseries and #SH302 so that we can find you. For more great leadership content, follow dereka206.sg-host.com.

Joe & T.J.

SoundCloud

 

#reviewandreflect: Supporting Creativity as a Leader

#reviewandreflect: Supporting Creativity as a Leader

by | Oct 27, 2019 | #review&reflect, Creativity, Culture, Daily Habits, District Office Leadership, Education, Engagement, Fulfillment, Innovation, Leadership, Learning to Lead, Organizational Growth, Organizational Leadership, Podcast, Teacher Leadership

Creativity Chart This is TheSchoolHouse302’s monthly #review&reflect, wrapping up our focus on Creativity. Our review and reflect series embraces the powerful sentiment from Soren Kierkegaard: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Take time with this post as we take a deep dive into our leadership content so that you can develop the skills you need to lead better and grow faster.

Skills I need to develop for improved creativity…

This month we focused on creativity, and we introduced the topic through our low-level leadership series. We truly espouse the notion that finding “bright spots” and “soaring with your strengths” are keys to accessing and duplicating superior leadership qualities. However, there is tremendous value in identifying key behaviors that thwart a desired result as well. We often need to know what not to do first, before we can explore what to do.

We liken our low-level leadership series to that of the great vehicle app, Waze, which informs travelers of all kinds of potential obstacles and issues that lie ahead during a drive. By identifying the three surefire “waze” to crush creativity, we provide leaders a navigational tool to help them avoid common hazards.

Passing judgment, over-prescribing recommendations, and limiting risk-taking are all creativity crushers. An effective leader simply responds differently than using any of these three low-level methods. Rather than passing judgment, she supports her subordinates to gain a greater understanding. Instead of restricting thoughts and controlling situations, she collaborates and creates a space to think. Lastly, she rewards the people who are taking calculated and thoughtful risks to support the core of the vision. 

Be Creative

Creativity_Self-Assessment

If you find yourself thinking, “well, it really depends on the person,” then we encourage you to dive into the following great reads. Organizational cultures should not be situational, and organizational norms should not fluctuate based on individuals.

Great leaders are avid readers…

Review: In our #readthisseries we featured books that highlight real people who we can emulate and real wisdom for the courage we need to succeed as leaders.

Our first recommendation is, Steal like an artist: 10 things nobody told you about being creative.. This is a quick read that we feel sparks creativity.

Our second recommendation is from Eric Sheninger and Trish Rubin, BrandED: Tell your story, build relationships, and empower learning. This is a terrific book for school leaders looking to brand their school or district and truly bring their story to life. It offers practical yet creative advice.

Our final recommendation comes from Sir Ken Robinson, Creative schools: Revolutionizing education from the ground up. The bottom line is that Ken’s message challenges us as educators. Only read this book if you are serious about change, creativity, and alternative to the current system of schooling.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQTAMFF_0nk?list=PLEDYf65jBDzZGq4wt4rPO7dsjq9Hi36ti&w=962&h=541]

You can’t miss our #readthisseries on 3 books you need to read now.

Who should I follow…

What does an expert have to say about creativity? If you want to dig even deeper into the mind of a creative thinker, you’ll want to listen to our #onethingseries this month, which featured creativity expert and author of Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon. One simple but magical act you can do each day, according to Austin, is to take a walk. We champion this sentiment because it encourages the need to find our center, to find “me” time, to enjoy nature, and to open the mind to creative thought.

Austin Kleon

Action: This month we asked you challenge yourself through TPA: A Framework for Growth Through Reflection

Think - Plan - Act

To learn more about supporting the people you lead, complete this #ThreeMinuteChallenge.

To become more collaborative, complete this #ThreeMinuteChallenge.

To become better at rewarding risk-taking, complete this #ThreeMinuteChallenge.

Please subscribe! Listen to the entire podcast on iTunes, One Thing Series, and please rate and like (it helps). That’s our #review&reflect for Creativity. Take a look back to take a step forward. TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple and maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster. Please let us know how our leadership posts are working for you, what you are reading to improve yourself, and your thoughts on leadership and growth here on our blog and Twitter. Follow our #onethingseries podcast on iTunes and our #readthisseries on YouTube. Joe & T.J.