Leading for Learning, Learning for Leading Dr Julia Atkin Education & Learning Consultant...

Leading for Learning,Learning for Leading

Dr Julia AtkinEducation & Learning Consultant

“Bumgum”Harden-Murrumburrah NSW 2587

[email protected] http://www.learning-by-design.com

Christchurch, New Zealand October 2008LEARNING BY DESIGN

© Julia Atkin, 2008

Leading for Learning, Learning for Leading ﾊ Articulating the underpinning values and developing a clear conceptual model of leadership for learning is fundamental to transforming practice. ﾊ Leadership in the Knowledge Era implies leading for learning yet most of us grew up with leadership for ﾊmanagement ﾊ and control. ﾊ Leading for learning is based on ﾊ collaborative, distributed leadership. Why? What is the essence of collaborative, distributed leadership?

INTRODUCTION

LEADING?

LEADING FOR LEARNING?

LEARNING FOR LEADING?3 personal stories - woven with your stories

OVERVIEW

If you want to build a ship,don't drum up the people

to gather wood, divide the workand give orders.

Instead, teach them to yearnfor the vast and endless sea.

Antoine de Saint Exupery


What constitutes effective leadership?

Is there an easy answer?

Is it contextual?


Scan back over your life - child, young adult,professional….

In terms of your development and growth, who has been an effective leader for learning for you?

Reflect on that person or those persons….

Share your reflections or jot down/’blog’ some thoughts


VALUES:Trust Honesty Diversity Equal rightsAesthetics Mutual respect Excellence ResponsibilityProfessionalismPrinciple drivenValuing othersTolerance of fallibility

QUALITIES: Independent Cares to confrontEnergetic ConfidenceResilient Sense humourOptimistic Fair dinkumGrounded Authentic/sincereCourageousModels-is congruent‘Wholeness’ Self awareThinks & acts beyond self interest

LCM Principals Conference ‘04ASPECTS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

direction

structured articulated vision

purposeful knowledge

thoroughness achievement

challenge critical reflection effective process

openness flexibility shared vision creativity deep understandings see big picture risk taking exploration gets to the essence imaginative

security productivity competence

planning consistent

predictability organisation

implementation completion

accountability stability

care & support compassion/empathy inclusivity inspiration relational empowerment ownership cooperation/team community collaboration self worth

KEY PROCESSES:CommunicationIntegrationReflection

VALUES &

BELIEFS

PRINCIPLES

PRACTICES

WHY?

HOW?

WHAT?

VALUES & VISION DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT


What do you know/believe/value with regards to leading for learning?

Is what you are doing in practice congruent with what you value?

Values & Beliefs underpinning Values & Beliefs underpinning collaborative / transformative leadershipcollaborative / transformative leadership

• Leadership has multiple functions-the highest function of leadership is to release the creative energies of the people in the system and to manage the processes for giving that energy direction towards mutually beneficial goals. Malcolm Knowles

• People feel a commitment to a decision in proportion to the extent to which they feel they have participated in making it.

• Effective leadership values diverse perspectives and believes that the richest view is that which is built from the perspectives of all.


Liberation M.C. Escher © Julia Atkin, 2008

? ? ?

We are struggling to develop clarity and acceptance of the new era that is emerging.

Our ideas have been so strongly shaped by the ‘mental models of the industrial era it is difficult to conceptualise the ways of being, working and valuing that are appropriate for the knowledge era.

INDUSTRIAL ERA

KNOWLEDGE ERA

Liberation M.C. Escher © Julia Atkin, 2007

Times of transition and transformation are difficult and laced with tensions - tension between the opportunities and possibilities of the emerging era while simultaneously being hel dby the conventions of the past.

The more explicitly we can describe the emerging world, the easier it is to understand it and to envisage the ways of working and ways of being.

What do we know about the characteristics of the knowledge era?

Models of Leadership

LeaderHas answersPower to protectIssues commandControls

Hierarchical

Follow the leader

?


TRANSFORMATIONAL

LEADERSHIP

TRANSACTIONAL

managementoperationalfunctional

‘life-world’vitalitydevelopment


VALUES:Trust Honesty Diversity Equal rightsAesthetics Mutual respect Excellence ResponsibilityProfessionalismPrinciple drivenValuing othersTolerance of fallibility

QUALITIES: Independent Cares to confrontEnergetic ConfidenceResilient Sense humourOptimistic Fair dinkumGrounded Authentic/sincereCourageousModels-is congruent‘Wholeness’ Self awareThinks & acts beyond self interest

direction

structured articulated vision

purposeful knowledge

thoroughness achievement

challenge critical reflection effective process

security productivity competence

planning consistent

predictability organisation

implementation completion

accountability stability

care & support compassion/empathy inclusivity inspiration relational empowerment ownership cooperation/team community collaboration self worth

KEY PROCESSES:CommunicationIntegrationReflection

openness flexibility shared vision creativity deep understandings see big picture risk taking exploration gets to the essence imaginative

Essential for Transformational

Essential for Transactional

Transmissive vs TransformativeInstructive vs ConstructiveInstrumental Instrumental/intrinsicTraining EducationTeaching LearningCommunication of message Construction of MeaningBehavioural change Mutual transformationOne size fits all Local - global ‘Glocal ‘Control from the centre Local ownershipProduct oriented Process & product oriented‘Problem-solving’ ‘Problem reframing’Rigid Responsive and dynamicFactual knowledge & skills Conceptual understanding

- capacity building

Imposed ParticipativeTop down Bottom-up & top-downHierarchy HeterarchyExpert-led Everyone may be an expertPre-determined outcomes Open-ended enquiryExternally inspected & evaluated Internally evaluated plus

external supportLanguage - deficit, managerialism Langauge of appreciation &

co-operation

Leading is defined as the process of influencing others to achieve mutually agreed upon purposes for the organisation.Jerry Paterson (1993:3) Leadership for Tomorrow’s Schools

Managing is the act of coordinating people and resources to efficiently produce goods or services in an organisation.

Managing is critical to the success of an organisation and is performed at all levels of the organisation.

Managing is even part of what leaders do.

But managing is not the same as leading.




Hierarchical

Follow the leader

?


hiero - holy, sacred ----------> high priests

No antonym for hierarchy!

Need a term for ‘interdependence’ as found in thenature of living systems!

‘Heterarchy’

Term used in relation to:

Networking, self organising, complex, adaptive systems

Hetero – different kinds of atoms

SHIFTS IN UNDERSTANDING - EVIDENCE OF PARADIGMATIC CHANGE

simple ---------> complex

mechanical ---------> organic

dualistic ---------> pluralisitc

exclusive ---------> inclusive

determinate ---------> indeterminate

linear ---------> multi-causal

static ---------> dynamic

objective ---------> perspective

centre ---------> periphery

assembly ---------> morphogenesis

absolute ---------> relative

hierarchy ---------> heterarchy

Ogilve & Schwartz - Stanford Research Institute

How do we conceptualise a way of leadingthat is not hierarchical, that is not autocratic?

What are the key concepts and processes for leadership for learning?



Leader

Hierarchical

Follow the leader

Shared wisdomCollective understanding

Open, transparent decision making

Team

Journeyingtogether



LeaderHierarchical

Follow the leader

Shared wisdomCollective understanding

Open, transparent decision making

Team

Journeyingtogether

Keep control!Safety!Keep control!Safety!


MODELS OF LEADERSHIP


Hierarchical Collaborative/Transformative

Follow the leader

PeopleValues & Beliefs

Purposes


The centre determines the direction …the anointed leader, eg Principal, has the ultimate accountability to ensure direction from the centre is enacted. • framing and coordinating• developing sense of partnership through shared vision, understanding• engaging in co-creating• inviting ideas & feedback from the field• gaining & giving considered response• keeping the vision - ensuring the values and beliefs are realised

Collaborative, distributed Leadership - how? when? and what then?

Dr Julia AtkinEducation & Learning Consultant

“Bumgum”Harden-Murrumburrah NSW 2587

[email protected] http://www.learning-by-design.com

Christchurch, New Zealand October 2008LEARNING BY DESIGN


Collaborative, distributed Leadership - how? when? and what then?

'Between the idea and the reality falls the shadow' TS Eliot - The Hollow Men

Transforming leadership requires a new set of processes and skills. This breakout will continue from the ideas developed in the Spotlight Leading for Learning, Learning for Leading. We will explore and experiment with processes and approaches that are true to collaborative, distributed leadership.


KEY APPROACHES & PROCESSES:

Surface values, beliefs, inner knowing through story, metaphor, image.

Develop shared understanding through listening and dialogue.

TIME!

Meet people where they are ready.

Be discerning re whether consultation or collaboration is appropriate.

Critical reflection - prepared to evaluate, critique carefully in the spirit of improvement.

ConsensusReaching general agreement on a particular issue

ConsultationGaining the perspective or opinions of other people

CollaborationWorking jointly with others on a particular project or

matter


KEY STEPS - not necessarily in the order shown

• Establish shared beliefs, values, purposes‘shared’ does not mean stuck on a wall where all can see - you can’t tick it off a la “We’ve ‘done values’ “.

• Reference decisions against beliefs, values, purposes.If we do ‘x’ how will that help us achieve what we say we value?

• Seek feedback to help determine congruence between values, beliefs, purposes and actions.

• Work to co-create understandings and reference against considered thinking of others - ‘experts’.

Eg with NZ Curriculum - don’t start by reading the document, rather engage in thinking out for your selves what are the key attributes, skills, dispositions needed to be a ‘confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learner’? Reference your own thinking against the Key Competencies.

° School community constructed

Expert referenced

Co-construction


If you want to build a ship,don't drum up the peopleto gather wood, divide the workand give orders.

Instead, teach them to yearnfor the vast and endless sea.

Antoine de Saint Exupery

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