LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGING WORLD

LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGING WORLD SESSION #2 OISE/UT DR. LYN SHARRATT COURSE # 1048

FORMAT FOR THE EVENING • Housekeeping: • “Reflector” • Attendance/Books/Cards etc. • GETTING CONNECTED! • Dr. K Leithwood: 6 approaches to Leadership • Form groups and pairs for assignment #1 • BREAK! • What advice would you give Reflective Leaders? • “Think-pair-share” to review last week’s session • Group Activity: “jigsaw” to share reading • Lecture: Leadership and Change • Group Work re: First Assignment • REFLECTOR!

CHANGE CONSIDER HOW HARD IT IS TO CHANGE YOURSELF AND YOU’LL UNDERSTAND WHAT LITTLE CHANCE YOU HAVE OF TRYING TO CHANGE OTHERS!

The More Things Change ... “Students today depend upon paper too much. They don’t know how to write on slate without chalk dust all over themselves. They can’t clean a slate properly. What will they do when they run out of paper?” Principal’s Association, 1815

The More Things Change ... “Students today depend too much upon ink. They don’t know how to use a pen knife to sharpen a pencil. Pen and ink will never replace the pencil.” National Association of Teachers, 1907

The More Things Change ... “Students today depend on store bought ink. They don’t know how to make their own. When they run out of ink, they will be unable to write words or ciphers until their next trip to the settlement. This is a sad commentary on modern education.” The Rural American Teacher, 1929

The More Things Change ... “Students today depend on these expensive fountain pens. They can no longer write with a straight pen and nib (not to mention sharpening their own quills). We parents must not allow them to wallow in such luxury to the detriment of the learning how to cope in the real business world, which is not so extravagant.” PTA Gazette, 1941

The More Things Change ... “Ball-point pens will be the ruin of education in our country. Students use these devices and then throw them away. The American virtue of thrift and frugality are being discarded. Business and banks will never allow such expensive luxuries.” Federal Teacher, 1950

The More Things Change ... “Students today depend too much on hand-held calculators.” Anonymous, 1985

The More Things Change ... CAN YOU PREDICT WHAT TOMORROW’S ARGUMENT WILL BE? T. Seidenberg, Washington Mathematics, 1989, p.8

“ Nothing changes in an Organization unless people change”

THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT CHANGE! • GETS WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER • TAKES TIME AND PERSISTENCE, AND IS MESSY! • IS ONE STEP AT A TIME • DEMANDS PRESSURE AND SUPPORT • NECESSITATES SEEING A NEED FOR IT (LIGHTENS LOAD), AND BEING INVOLVED IN THE DECISION-MAKING ABOUT IT • TALKING ABOUT IT TAKES TIME AND IS MOST IMPORTANT!

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE • UNDERSTANDING THATVALUESARE THREATENED...FIND OPPORTUNITY TO PRIVATELY ACKNOWLEDGE, RESPECT AND DISCUSS RESISTORS FEELINGS ... BUT DON’T ALLOW THEM TO OVERWHELM • TAKE ANY STEPS TO RELIEVE UNNECESSARYFEARS; ASSIST WITH TIME MANAGEMENT THROUGH “PLANNED ABANDONMENT” • OFTEN RESISTORS FEEL A LOSS OF POWER: FIND WAYS TO COME TOGETHER IN A POSITIVE WAY TO DEVELOP RAPPORT ... BREAKFAST MEETINGS, LUNCH AND LEARN ETC. • ALLOW FOR ON-GOING REVISIONS • DOUBTERS...DON’T BELIEVE THAT CHANGE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE: NEED TO BE SUPPORTED THROUGH RESOURCES, WORKSHOPS, VISITS, BUILDING A SUPPORT GROUP • “INVITATIONAL” VS. “10% FACTOR”

LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGING WORLD • CENTRAL AND LOCAL DECISION-MAKING • EVOLUTIONARY PLANNING • PROBLEM-COPING

In a Learning Organization: • people feel that they’re doing something that matters. • individuals are growing/stretching. • people are more intelligent together than apart. • the organization continually becomes aware of its underlying knowledge base. • visions of the enterprise emerge from all levels. • employees are invited to learn what is going on at every level of the organization. • people feel free to inquire about each others’ assumptions. • people treat each other as colleagues. • people feel free to try experiments, take risks, and openly assess the results.

LEADERSHIP “... entails being a continual catalyst for the change process by formulating and updating a compellingchange agenda, helping the organization envision the future, unleashing the energy and resources to fuel the change process and helping the organization experience change as success rather than failure” (Mohrman and Mohrman, 1993, 101)

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT • SHOWS PERSONAL INTEREST • APPRECIATES • LISTENS AND COMMUNICATES WELL • GIVES FEEDBACK • HAS CONFIDENCE IN INDIVIDUALS • IS FAIR • MAKES APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS

UNLESS MEMBERS OF AN ORGANIZATION ARE INVOLVED IN A MEANINGFUL WAY AS PARTNERS IN REFORM, VERY LITTLE WILL CHANGE, AND THE CHANGES THAT DO OCCUR WILL BE MISGUIDED OR SHORT-LIVED.

INFORMAL LEADERSHIPCHARACTERISTICS • ACCESSIBLE • APPROACHABLE • SUPPORTIVE • KNOWLEDGEABLE • PATIENT • ALWAYS HAVE TIME • DEMONSTRATE WILL AND PERSEVERANCE • MOTIVATED TO LEARN

REFLECTION “VIEW CHANGE AS A POSITIVE, LOOK FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES IT OFFERS, AND REMAINFLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM. CHANGE IS GROWTH, AND DESPITE THE ANXIETY IT CAUSES, IT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE YOUR LIFE”.

A leader is best When people barely know that he exists, Not so good when people obey and acclaim him, Worse when they despise him. Fail to honour people They fail to honour you But of a good leader, who talks little, When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, They will say, “We did this ourselves”. LAO TSU, 604 BC

LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGING WORLD