Leadership and Change

1. Leadership and Change Jeffrey J. Smith Ed.D.Superintendent of Balsz SchoolsPhoenix, Arizonajsmith@balsz.k12.az.us 1

2. Leadership and Change As superintendent you have many pressing issues to deal with Deciding what to change and how to lead change is a major consideration for any school system The following are some helpful tips on how to manage and lead change in your organization 2

3. Positive Energy vs. Negative Energy Are you moving toward what you want or away from what you don’t want? Positive energy attracts momentum because you are working toward a preferred future Negative energy wears you down in ways you might not even know. Wearing you down with worry, emotionally hijacking your thoughts. When we are worn down emotionally we cannot make the best decisions “In my experience, men go to greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire” Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code 3

4. Changes are like Waves It seems only logical to be on the lookout for the next wave that might swamp your boat but you might be surprised how many leaders are not prepared when a wave of change swamps the organization Be careful not to be so focused on present issues that you pass up on incremental changes that can move you in the right direction Putting together various strategies can bring synergy to an approximation of your destination- kind of like tacking in the wind “We can’t change the direction of the wind but we can change the direction of our sails” 4

5. The Change You Seek Should Matter The wrong fight can debilitate an organization, fighting over things that don’t really matter, wasting time and energy Big changes are about big things that have the potential to fundamentally change the performance and success of your schools Discussing things that matter engages people No matter how conflict avoidant a culture may be in general, most people are willing to fight for things that will dramatically improve their well-being and that of their students Things that matter stir passions and controversy 5

6. Does the Change have a Sense of Noble Purpose? A Noble Purpose energizes people to go above and beyond People have a more significant investment in the change It should affect all levels of the organization There should be no personal advantage to you You should be able to explain the change so the average person understands and agrees with the need Navigating change involves a logical and cerebral discussion of the facts. However successful change efforts also include an emotional connection to the people in the organization Noble fights are not always tidy, but they are worth the struggle 6

7. Focus on the Future Make the change not only believable and desirable but compelling- so compelling in fact that not making it happen becomes the problem A truly compelling future vision focuses people so intently on real, achievable benefits they are willing to work through the costs and controversies associated with achieving those benefits Make gains explicit, especially at key moments in the process The key is always looking out in front of the organization and considering every option “Leadership is serious meddling in other people’s lives” Max Dupree 7

8. Success and Failure are a Result of Leadership One thing both successful and dysfunctional organizations have in common is leadership Successful organizations got there through leadership and failing organizations got there through leadership Some want to blame the families, the students and the environment for the poor performance of students. The truth is that most of the choices made that lead to a widening of the achievement gap are made by schools Develop a patient focus on building strategic intent into sustainable reality 8

9. Leadership is about Authority not Power Power- (do it or else!) When we resort to power it is because our authority broke down. Asserting power damages relationships Authority- The skill of getting people to willingly comply because of your personal influence Give people what they need and they will give you what you need Leadership is not about lighting a fire under people’s butts it’s about lighting a fire in their hearts 9

10. Make it Sport not War Characteristics of War Firestorms, friendly fire, collateral damage and civilian casualties You risk devolving into a messy protracted civil war that can bog down the district Characteristics of Sport Timelines, rules of engagement, definition of the field of play including what is out of bounds Sport involves consequential uncertainty Your role is to be cheerleader, coach and referee Judge behavior without regard to personal preference The greatest conqueror is he who overcomes the enemy without a blow   -- Chinese Proverb 10

11. Universal Reactions to Change People feel awkward and ill at ease They think about what they lose not gain They feel alone, even if others are doing the same thing They feel they can only handle so much change Everyone is at a different level of readiness for change Some are concerned they do not have enough resources When the pressure is off, people revert 11

12. For any questions feel free to contact: Dr. Jeff Smith Superintendent, Balsz School District jsmith@balsz.k12.az.us 602 629-6410