I’ve been curious about what motivates people for a long time. As such, I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out ways to establish the conditions by which team members are inspired. Incorporating opportunities for team members to link their purpose to their work, providing a degree of autonomy over how they work, and giving …
Tag: motivation
“Systems” Thinking
Hiring the ideal team and focusing on culture are among the most important high impact leadership practices. But in addition to these “people” priorities, successful leaders and organizations also recognize the importance of “systems.” Leaders and organizations that struggle often do so because they lack in their attention to systems thinking. As a result, change …
The Culture Puzzle
I’ve been searching for the recipe for success for years. As a principal, I literally read, The Perfect School, believing it held the secrets to what it would take to have a high performing school. As a superintendent, I looked for ways to reimagine learning and found resources that enabled our district to implement new …
What is leadership?
We all have people in our lives--past and present--who we considered “leaders.” And if you’re like me, you have likely spent years striving to be like those people you have admired. But what IS leadership? And how do we know it when we see it? Better yet, what is GOOD leadership, and how can we …
Continuum
There’s been a movement in education over the last two or three decades that shifts the paradigm about student and teacher roles. In the 80s, when I was in school, the shift hadn’t begun, or at least I didn't recognize it. What I do remember recognizing throughout my school years was an emphasis on compliance. …
in-trin-sic, adj.
I remember the exact day that I learned the word “intrinsic.” I was in the 6th grade, and my teacher, Mr. Coords presented us with the week’s vocabulary list. Mr. Coords started every week with new vocabulary words that came straight from the Reader's Digest’s “Word Power” list. Even today, there are certain words that …
Just Start!
For as long as I can remember, the thought of retirement was as foreign to me as the notion I would someday fly into space. Ironically, both of those are within sight and it's a bit off-putting! I am not planning to retire anytime soon. But the truth is, there’s more of a traditional my …