Leadership Lenses
Prepared by Nancy Stanford-BlairCardinal Stritch University
© 2005 NSB
Our assumptions You are here because you care about student
achievement
You are a leader and you work with leaders
Most of your teacher and positional leaders want to improve student achievement
Many of your leadership challenges related to improving student achievement involve change of the current state
Your Experience with Change
Think of a change that is underway in our district, your school or your personal life
What is the change? What is driving the change? What are the obstacles?
Share the change with a colleague
Reflecting on Change
So, what do your experiences about change tell us about the nature of change? Hard or easy to accommodate to change? What determines whether it’s hard or easy to
adjust to change? What can we conclude about the nature of
change?
© 2005 NSB
Current Research on Change
McREL (Mid-Continent Research on Education & Learning) has completed a Meta-Analysis on the impact of leadership on student achievement.
A key finding focuses on what McREL calls: The Magnitude of Change.
Change has personal and organizational implications.
© 2005 NSB
McREL’s Definition of Change
A change is defined by
the implications it has for the people expected to implement it and/or those who
will be impacted by it.
The same change can be perceived
differently by different stakeholders.
Source: Balanced Leadership Participant’s Manual, McREL, 2005
© 2005 NSB
Magnitude of Change
Incremental, Linear
Extension of Past
Consistent with prevailing norms and paradigms
Marginal/limited impact
Focused, bounded
Complex, non-linear
A break with the past
Outside of norms and beyond paradigms
System disturbance
Emergent, unboundedSource: Balanced Leadership Participant’s Manual, McREL, 2005
© 2005 NSB
First Order Second Order
Order of Change
Definition: Order of Change
Order of change is the magnitude & implications of change for the people
expected to implement them or those who will be impacted by them.
Source: Balanced Leadership Participant’s Manual, McREL, 2005
© 2005 NSB
First-order Change
Definition: First-order Change
First-order change implies a logical extension of past & current practices
intended to make incremental improvements in the current situation. First-order changes
can be implemented with current knowledge and skills.
Source: Balanced Leadership Participant’s Manual, McREL, 2005
© 2005 NSB
Heifetz calls this technical change
Technical change is the application of current knowledge, skills and / or tools to resolve a situation.
Second-order Change
Definition: Second-order Change
Second-order change implies a fundamental or significant break with past & current
practices intended to make dramatic differences in the current situation. Second-order changes require new knowledge and
skills for successful implementation.
Source: Balanced Leadership Participant’s Manual, McREL, 2005
© 2005 NSB
Heifetz calls this adaptive change
Adaptive change is called for when the problem cannot be solved with one's existing knowledge and skills, requiring people to make a shift in their values, expectations, attitudes, or habits of behavior.
Change in Your School
Think about something in your school/district that you would identify as 1st order change: What characteristics made it 1st order
change? Now, think about something in your
school/district that you would identify as 2nd order change? What characteristics made it 2nd order?
© 2005 NSB
If we desire second order change, we
require highly skilled leadership behavior.
Leadership
A process of influence to achieve a goal
More importantly….
a goal of compelling moral value
Research About Leadership
Michael Fullan: Researcher from University of Toronto, wrote Leading in a Culture of Change
Mid Continent Regional Education Laboratory (MCREL): Marzano and others conducted a meta-analysis of school leadership correlated with student achievement, wrote School Leadership That Works
Leadership Lenses
Lenses are ways we see the world. As leaders we act on the world in various ways. The leadership lenses offer the perspective of five important ways that leaders lead second order change to reach high levels of student achievement.
Five Leadership LensesThe Leader As…..
Facilitator of Shared Moral
Purpose
Leadership for Learning Change
AgentTechnical /Adaptive
Relationship/Culture Promoter
Governance
Coherence MakerSystems
Capacity Builder
Talent Management
Fullan- Moral PurposeMcRel- Culture of Shared
Purpose (.29)• Focuses on making a positive difference• Holds strong, personal beliefs about
schools, teaching, and learning• Creates a shared vision of what a good
school looks likeAdministrator Standards 2,3,6
© 2005 NSB
Leadership Lens One: Leader as Facilitator of Shared Moral Purpose
Vision is the power of dreams in action and one of the most powerful
human motivators. Vision allows leaders to create a compelling future for themselves and others, inspiring
transformational results.
The Purpose of VisionThe Purpose of Vision
Vision sees what must be tomorrow, beyond what is today
Vision inspires
Vision is clarity
Vision is a worthy commitment
Vision generates supportive actions
How Vision WorksHow Vision Works The right vision attracts commitment
and energizes people. The right vision creates meaning in
workers’ lives. The right vision establishes a standard
of excellence. The right vision bridges the present
and the future.
How You Know You Need a VisionHow You Know You Need a Vision
Is there evidence of confusion about purpose?Is there evidence of confusion about purpose? Do employees complain about insufficient Do employees complain about insufficient
challenge?challenge? Do employees say they are not having fun any Do employees say they are not having fun any
more?more? Is the organization losing market share or Is the organization losing market share or
reputation for innovation?reputation for innovation? Are there signs of declines of pride in your Are there signs of declines of pride in your
organization?organization? Is there excessive risk avoidance?Is there excessive risk avoidance? Is there an absence of sharing?Is there an absence of sharing? Is there a strong rumor mill?Is there a strong rumor mill?
Vision: A Place to Start
What are you core values and how were they formed?
How do your core values translate into your purpose as an educational leader?
What are your non-negotiables? What is your aligned vision for yourself as a
leader within your district? What is your aligned vision for your district?
Organizational Vision
Conventional leader conceives the vision and convinces followers to adopt the vision.
Exceptional leaders cultivate the emergence of a vision- an organizational vision must have a life of its own. Leaders may originate a vision but there is power in group discovering the vision
A vision has to have accuracy, and not just appeal and imagination. Articulating a vision for an organization or community has to start with an awful lot of listening, a lot of stimulating of debate and conversation, and then listening - to distill, to capture, the values. It has to start, as well, with carefully diagnosing the current problematic environment to which one needs to adapt.
Ronald Heifetz
Critical Actions to Promote a Shared Collective Vision
Facilitate and encourage dialogue that lets the vision Emerge
Write down the shared vision Articulate the vision on behalf of the group convert
the shared vision into actionable tasks Encourage and showcase champions of the vision Empower and support Action that Moves the Vision
Forward Influence the culture to embrace and align with the
vision
Fullan:Understanding ChangeMcRel: Change Agent (.30)• Challenges the Status Quo• Systematically considers new and better ways• Respects resistance and the implementation
dip• Creates a culture of change• Understands change as complex and uncertain and is comfortable with ambiguity
© 2005 NSB
Leadership Lens Two: Leader as Change Agent
Fullan: Building RelationshipsMcRel: Culture, Relationships,
Affirmation (.29,.19,.25)• Understands/promotes collaboration in an alliance of external & internal partners• Creates positive relationships; a sense of well-being and cohesion• Appreciates diverse partners• Systematically acknowledges and affirms
Accomplishments…Standard 3,5© 2005 NSB
Leadership Lens Three: Leader as Relationship and Culture Promoter
Fullan: Creating & Sharing KnowledgeMcRel: Intellectual Stimulation (.32)• Generates & increases knowledge both inside & outside your school• Creates a collaborative culture that encourages knowledge sharing• Systematically engages staff in dialogue about current research and theoryStandard 3
© 2005 NSB
Leadership Lens Four: Leader as Capacity Builder
Fullan: Making CoherenceMcRel: Flexibility, Focus, Input (.22,.24,.30)
• Works through and is comfortable with ambiguity that is present in the change process
• Recognizes that creativity results at the edge of chaos and encourages others to express unconventional or contrary opinions• Creates coherence through the collaborative alignment of
policies, assessments & professional development• Keeps the focus on concrete goals and high expectations
that all students meet themStandard 3,4,5
© 2005 NSB
Leadership Lens Five: Leader as Coherence Maker
Coaching
Coach the coach is a guide the coach listens for
the problem, helps to separate fact from interpretation, identifies barriers, and leaves the client committed to action
Mentor the mentor has a
difference in expertise the mentor listens, but
often takes the lead in suggestions and solutions
leaves the client committed to action
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