Monday Moanin Thoughts #168 Connectors For Planning Summit 2015

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Welcome to a warm, wonderful Michigan Monday Moanin to all of you. Later this week I will be hosting 95 educators from the Tri-county area of Detroit at the 4th Annual Hickey Leadership Group Planning Summit. The Summit is for leaders from individual schools and districts to work on their plans for the upcoming 2015-16 school year. As I was preparing for the opening activity I considered many strategies and options. I ended up with two openers listed below.  Consider giving them a try as you open your year. Read more

Monday Moanin Thoughts #167 Prepare For 2015-16 As If You Are Interviewing For A New Position

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Happy Summer July 2015 Monday Moanin to all of you.

For the past several weeks many of my mentees have been preparing for interviews. Through the process of conducting mock interviews and planning meetings I wondered, could I answer all of the questions and challenges of the interview process? My last interview was over thirteen years ago and you may share a similar time frame. It got me thinking, why not self assess and take inventory of your performance by preparing for an interview? When I reflect on my preparation for past interviews, many things come to mind. I think of the deep internal audit I conducted of my strengths and weaknesses. I reflected on my philosophy and vision. I defined the difference between a manager and an instructional leader. I focused on what was good instruction and the importance of building a culture of readiness among staff to handle the changes and challenges of educating learners in the 21st Century. Read more

Monday Moanin Thought #166 Preparing For 2015-16, Begin With Self-Reflection

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Happy Monday Moanin to all of you. Hopefully, many of you are enjoying a wonderful summer vacation filled with rest and relaxation. In the next few weeks you will be amping up in preparation of a new school year. As you begin, consider focusing on self-reflection. Here are a few questions for you to consider as you begin your planning for 2015-16. Read more

Monday Moanin Thoughts #165 Five Quotes From Habitudes To Guide Your Week

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Happy July 2015 to all of you. Recently I have started to read The Habitudes Series , by Tim Elmore. His vision is that there are images that form leadership habits and attitudes. I have just completed the first two books in the series. Below are five of my favorite quotes taken from them. Refer to them often this week and let them guide your practice.

  • “Leaders must make sure their emotional tank is full before they lead others. Never lead out of need.”
  • “Authentic leaders author their own life; they don’t pose as someone else.”
  • ” The iceberg represents your leadership. The 10% above the water is your skill. The 90% below the water is your character. It’s what below the surface that sinks the ship.”
  • “Good leaders don’t depend on their position to get the job done. They leverage personal power, not positional power, with people.”
  • Leadership is not about your power but your empowerment of others.”

Thanks to Tim Elmore for the Habitudes. I wish all of you a great week and keep finding the good stuff.