Governors Conference

The Art of Leadership Liz Cross

21 April 2009

Outcomes from workshop

• To grow skills and knowledge of tools to help Governors improve the impact of their leadership

• To benefit from the experiences of one another and of the facilitator to solve real issues (or gain insight into how to solve them

• To consider how, as leaders, Governors can impact parents and the community

Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.”

Dwight David Eisenhower

What leadership challenges are on your agenda?

Business Vision / Strategy

EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

SCHOOL VISION, GOALS

& VALUES

BOARDSTRUCTURE

BOARDPROCESSES

BOARDLEADERSHIP

BOARDCAPABILITIES

CLIMATE & CULTURE

DELIVERING HIGH PERFORMANCE

All four areas need to be aligned to achieve best results 60% of climate is driven by leadership actions

Operating in one zone won’t produce results

You can’t optimise

performance without

delivering climate

The Four Elements of Trust

RELIABILITY

OPENNESS

ACCEPTANCE

CONGRUENCE

People you relate to want to know if you do what you say you will do. It’s hard to have confidence in a person who makes promises they don’t keep!

People tend to want to co-operate best with people who will “level” with them, not hide anything and give them the whole story (even though it may not all be good news).

All people want to be accepted for who they are. Not judged criticised or made to feel inferior.

The final element of trust is congruence – the knowledge that what you are is reflects what you believe, what you know to be true and what you do.

Creating a shared agenda

Yours

Mine Ours

Levels of Governance

• Corrective - Monitoring • Guardians• What’s wrong

• Co-ordinate - Strategic• Strategists• What’s the plan

• Co-create - Generative• Sense makers• What’s the question

Influence

The art of getting into the head of another and determining what you say and how you say it to have the desired outcome

Influences on their Views

• Previous Experience• Pressure of Work/community life• Priorities and Personal

Characteristics• Interests and Affiliations• Perceived Benefits• Vested Interests• Turf Issues

Influencing Styles Task

People

Safety

Risk

Banker Logical Persuasion

Driver Rewards &PressuresBuilder

ParticipationAnd Trust

Expressive CommonVision

Bankers – Logical Persuasion• BANKERS are likely to be influenced by such

words and phrases as:- 

Right, correct, systematic, detailed, logical thorough, considered, caution etc.

 – 'this will guarantee consistency' – 'this will prevent errors' – 'it provides a structured and cost-effective option’

Drivers – Rewards and Pressures

• DRIVERS are likely to be influenced by such words as:-

 dynamic, high profile, bonus, target achievement, get results, risk, high pressure, quick etc

 – 'this will get fast results' – ‘exceeding targets' – ‘meeting deadlines' – ‘get people into action'

Builders – Participation and Trust • BUILDERS are likely to be influenced by such

words and phrases as:- 

Supportive, developing, helpful, caring, HRD, people centred, working together, harmony etc

 – ‘I need your help' – ‘working it out together' – ‘providing people with opportunities'

Expressives – Common Vision• EXPRESSIVES are likely to be influenced by such

words and phrases as:-  

exciting, exploring, entrepreneurial, visionary, stretching, novel etc

 – 'the future scenario could look like...’– 'this is a real opportunity to capture...’– 'In a couple of years it could ...'

Choosing your priorities

• Totally – in our control • Partially – in our control • Not at all – in our control

1.Which agendas should you tackle on your own?

2.Which partners do you need if you have less control ?

Management and Leadership

HIGH

HIGH

LOW

LOW

Amountof

Change

Complexity of Operation

SignificantLeadership

LittleManagement

LimitedLeadershipandManagement

SignificantLeadership

SignificantManagement

SignificantManagement

LittleLeadership

Contact details

liz@theconnectives.com07973 721815

www.theconnectives.com