As a leader I have encountered a diverse number of leaders each characterizing certain leadership styles. Some of these leaders have been effective, some not so effective, and some have been extraordinary. What type of leaders have I encountered? Here are a few that come to mind: “Gung-ho” leaders who lead zealously and are overly » Read More
For two weeks in March I had the good fortune to visit five senior secondary schools in Shanghai, China. It was wonderful to be immersed in a different culture and educational system. The expectation going into this excursion was that I would observe contrasts in our cultures and that indeed occurred. However, I was also » Read More
All leaders have been in a position where they are reluctant to tackle a difficult issue or to deal with a conflictual situation. Faced with these situations the predominant act for some is non-action and avoidance. Although I do not like to admit it, I have been in this situation and if you are honest » Read More
It has been a few months since I have retired as CEO/Superintendent of Schools and I am settling in to a life that is clearly different than the day-to-day demands, stresses, and responsibilities of leading a large organization. I have found that retiring after thirty-four years in public education has brought about feelings of unease, » Read More
One of my favorite Christmas television specials is the classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer narrated by the late Burl Ives. I love the story, I love the characters and I particularly admire the qualities of the lead characters Rudolph and Hermey the elf. Why do I admire the characters and what does this Christmas » Read More
If one important outcome of effective character-based leadership is to influence and impact others, how do character based leaders attain this outcome? How do you move from being one rock dropped in the water that creates ripples of influence and impacts some individuals, into many leadership rocks that create waves of influence and impacts » Read More
Today more than ever, organizations are being closely scrutinized and analyzed. In this day and age of instant communication and mass media all organizations have to be extremely cognizant and responsible for the reputation and brand that they communicate. Organizations cannot make assumptions, get complacent and deal haphazardly with issues that may question an organizations » Read More
In the forward to Bill George’s book True North, David Gergen shares, “what ultimately distinguishes the great leaders from the mediocre are the personal, inner qualities – qualities that are hard to define but are essential for success, qualities that each of us must develop for ourselves.” How can leaders develop these inner qualities that are » Read More
As a leader how and what do you do to maintain resiliency in leadership? By resiliency, I mean, recover speedily from problems and maintain elasticity, bend, stretch and not break during challenging situations. All organizations encounter challenges, issues and difficulties everyday including financial shortfalls, downsizing, increased workloads, and succession issues. These challenges force the organization » Read More
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