Leadership is hard… facing the facts & charting the course, it’s not all smooth sailing

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…and if your are only looking for smooth sailing, you’re probably not leading.

For our northern hemisphere colleagues about to take to the sun and enjoy some obviously well-deserved downtime, we in the southern hemisphere are in the ‘bleak midwinter’, well, as bleak as beautiful Sydney can get. It’s halfway through the year and there are sniffs, tiredness and exhaustion. There are reports to write, parent meetings and sometimes a mid-year adjustment to staffing arrangements to be made. This is probably the time when leadership is at it’s most difficult.

Do you remember when you were given your leadership responsibility? There was probably excitement as you felt your capacity, attributes and potential had been recognised. At some point soon after reality began to sink in. You faced your first big decision and needed to take action, and somehow the gloss started to fall away.

Leadership is hard.

Perhaps you think that all you need to do as a leader is keep a steady ship, but just staying in calm waters means you aren’t actually going anywhere, just circling the paddling pool. Leaders take people somewhere. I’m not a boatie kind of person, but I do know, that if you are on the move you will face unknown and unfavourable conditions, storms and other unanticipated challenges. When you are taking your crew through this there is only one person they are looking to get them safely to the other side, and that’s you. That’s the reason you are still there. Leaders lead people. Then, when you get safely to your destination there is a great sense of achievement and excitement, and the loyalty that great leadership has built is invaluable .

The journey was worth it.

This week I was chatting this with a colleague who is navigating through a range of issues with her team, to meet deadlines and generally rally the troops. It reminded me of a particular situation I was in a few years ago, when I had  the same sense of exhaustion and almost felt defeated by the decisions I had to make and conversations I needed to have.

At the time I heard Craig Groeschel at a conference talk about “the leader’s constant companion”. He had my attention as I contemplated what this companion may have been, and then he gave the answer, “is pain”.

The leader’s constant companion is pain.

It all made sense and I felt somewhat liberated. Why is there pain? Because leadership is about people, making decisions for their good and making decisions for the good of the cause. Either way it impacts people and people can be hurt. Great leaders feel pain when they are sold out to the cause, the mission and vision. They are prepared to make the tough decisions and have the difficult conversations. Deep down we know that if we just let it roll, it’s much harder to pull back, action is needed.

So I shared my revelation with my colleague and reassured her that this is exactly what leadership is about. We make decisions and people choose their reactions. She understood that the reason she is in the leadership position is because of the same capacity, attributes and potential she had shown earlier are exactly what’s required now.

There is much written about the attributes of a great leader, the laws of leadership and even the levels of leadership – but the reality is, that at the heart of it all, leadership requires:

1. Embracing the big picture, the destination, the cause

2. Knowing the way to go and taking people there

3. Being courageous to have the tough conversations and make the big decisions for the greater good.

So leaders, if from -time-to-time it’s not hard, messy, challenging and stretching then perhaps you may need to check and see if you are actually taking your people somewhere, or just circling the paddling pool.

@anneknock

PS… I will write about the cheery side of leadership, promise.

Leadership challenge: 4 ways to flip the ownership from the leader to the team

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One of the greatest compliments given to me during my rugby days was following a training session in England when a rather embarrassed Australian journalist approached me. He informed me that one of the Fringe Wallabies* had told him that it was in fact the players and the assistant coaches who did the most of the work and came up with the majority of ideas.

Little did the journalist realise that I had just been paid the greatest compliment possible. At that moment I knew it had all come together. As a leader my absolute aim was to have a business that was able to run itself. In rugby my aim was to reach the level where the players believed they were capable of coming up with their own ideas and running the show with the help of the assistant coaches. I had the opportunity to look at the bigger picture and plan for the future.

(*Wallabies is the name of Australia’s national Rugby Union team)

Rod Macqueen, Introducing the book:
Exploding Sports Myths, George Shirling (2010)

Leadership has changed. In the era of teamwork and collaboration the best leaders recognise that they don’t know everything about the business. Today’s leaders ask their team:

“How can I help you?”

I am one of those strange people who are energised by good meetings, with clear outcomes and action that bring change. I guess it’s because I enjoy mobilising people around ideas and helping the ideas become a reality. These meetings are active.The ones I find most frustrating are passive, where the people around the table are awaiting the directives from on high. This is a culture, one that needs to change.

The role of the leader today is to empower and equip the team to succeed. This transfers ownership and broadens responsibility for the task.

Take this pop quiz

1. Do you come to a meeting with the answers?

2. Does your team expect you to direct them?

3. Do you expect your team to bring ideas to a meeting?

4. Do you need to (individually) own the success?

The industrial-era model of leadership was based on the assumption that those in charge were also the ones who knew what to do – active leadership led to passive followers. After all, isn’t why they had the big chair in the corner office, the big boss knew it all.

Today, knowledge, experience and ideas are shared. I lead my team, but definitely know I don’t have the answers. My team look to me for the big picture direction, the filter through which all our ideas are run, but they have so much more to offer than I could possibly direct.

How can you change the culture of your team?

Maintain the clarity of your message: How can I help you? This simple question empowers your team and gives them responsibility for the team’s success.

Transfer ownership: Expect your team to come up with ideas and strategies. Clarity of vision, mission and values provide the framework for ideas to flourish.

Ask the question, shut up and let go: How can I help you? It is tempting to keep talking and control the discussion, but if the framework is clear, let the ideas flow.

Adopt the mirror/window* approach to success: When there is success, look out the window and give away responsibility, when things go awry, look in the mirror and accept responsibility – because life is tough at the top. (*characteristic of Jim Collins Level 5 Leaders)

As Rod Macqueen showed, when a leader releases control and broadens influence there is a greater buy-in from the team and greater success. He was one of Australia’s most successful coaches who filled the trophy cabinet for our nation. He brought his unique leadership culture from business to the sporting field.

Overcrowded schools an opportunity to disrupt not maintain the status quo. The current model is broken.

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Students in Sydney’s North Shore government schools are overcrowded. The solution seems to be a simple mathematical equation. If we need to accommodate 360 more students , we need to form 12 classes and then find 12 classrooms in which to house them:

360 ÷ 30 = 12. Simple.

Presumably, it also means that every student needs a desk and chair – usually two children to a desk. So 180 desks and 360 chairs will be needed. In all, a basic procurement formula will be applied. When you have the one of the largest education systems in the world, as we do in NSW, the formulas just seem to be universally applied.

It’s time to think differently. Maybe a different model would also have cost-saving advantages?

When facing a challenge like this one, we also face an opportunity:

Maintain the status quo

or

Disrupt the status quo

Governments seem less enamoured with disruption, so they seek to maintain, after all, there is a formula. This is an opportunity lost.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to meet up with Stephen Heppell. The question was asked about Interactive Whiteboards* – to which SH answered that he thought they were past their use-by-date, but if they are there “only if you have three of them in a space”. For the design of spaces he recommends the rule of three:

one: never more than three walls

two: no fewer than three focal points

three: always able to accommodate at least three teachers, three classes

(*for the record, IWBs, in my opinion, maintain the status quo, just a bit sparklier)

Let’s look at the maths again - 360 students in three classes would look like this:

360 ÷ 120 = 3

If I were the education minister, with 360 students and a blank slate, what I would do?

Put larger groups together – age based or multi-age

Fit out and resource a space for at least 120 students

Windows, natural light and wide doorway openings

Have three teachers working as a team

Create nooks within the open spaces

Have walls and windows to write on

Use carpet and soft furnishings and the floor

Have a no shoes inside school, or have ‘inside shoes’

Ensure robust wifi for mobile technology

Have devices on hand as a natural part of learning

Help parents and teachers to think differently

Equip teachers with tools for learning that are necessary today

Be resolute about the future

And what I wouldn’t have?

180 desks and 360 chairs, especially those that enable rows

Interactive whiteboards

An obvious front of the class

Bare brick walls

Limited natural light

One teacher: One class (1:30)

Anybody telling me “Well, in-my-day…”

I have the wonderful opportunity of visiting many schools around the world. I observe that when students are provided with:

Freedom to move, explore and be curious

Spaces for learning to support this

Teachers who inspire, facilitate and encourage (and like them)

Then they are capable of deep, quality learning.

Please disrupt. The current model is broken.

@anneknock

Cross-generational learning: Babyboomers #ReverseMentoring to learn from Gen Y teachers

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Reverse mentoring was an idea of Jack Welch, the legend CEO at GE, instigated 10 years ago. He established a program where the top-level executives were mentored by young people, initially to learn how to use the internet. Today, reversed mentoring helps baby boomers learn about social media, apps and workplace trends, but it has had the unexpected outcome of reducing turnover among younger employers.

According to recent reports:

  • 3500 young teachers are leaving the profession each year in the Australian state of Victoria

  • Average age of teacher in Australia is 54 years of age

These numbers paint a grim picture – rapidly exiting young teachers and significant retirement of older teachers. Those of us of a “certain age” need to learn how to keep young teachers in the profession, because something is driving them away.

I belong to a multi-generational faith community – commonly known as ‘church’. The former better describes who we are. We work together every Sunday as a team, and I have the wonderful opportunity to connect across generations, with friends +/- 25 years from my age. As a volunteer I am led by people younger than me and I  also lead people older. Apart from the benefits of faith and spiritual connection, this gives me a valuable experience of working closely, for a cause, with a wide variety of people from many different backgrounds.

Just this last weekend I was struck by two conversations. One with my 91 year old father, the other with a 24 year old co-volunteer.

As I child, despite growing up in a relatively conservative denomination, my parents always embraced change and regularly challenged traditional thinking (this probably  explains me). From time-to-time I invite my father to join us for a service, which quite surprisingly, he accepts.

My father loves the warmth and friendliness he receives from our community, from all ages. But the loud music, smoke machines and exuberance displayed is not really his style, he recognises, however, that unless we engage young people in ways that are relevant and meaningful to them, then the future of the church is bleak. He gets it.

Earlier the same day I was having a conversations with a young friend, an educated and confident young woman on the career ladder for a leading international corporation. She has a great future – but true to her demographic the traditional career pathway isn’t appealing. She is prepared to leave her job next year and go to ministry training college – follow her passions and dreams.

I reflected on both – like my father, we may not feel comfortable with the choices and culture of youth and like my young friend, this generation are motivated by passion and altruistic causes.

Many of my generation bristle at being mentored or led by someone younger, but they are different, often with cause-driven motivations and we must learn from Gen Y, rather than criticise them. It is most effective when there is the mindset (and humility) of learning from each other. Reverse mentoring creates space to build enduring relationships, that transcend age and pay grades. Reverse mentoring is simply placing value on what the younger teachers bring to the profession. It could be the most beneficial thing you do – for yourself and your teachers.

How can a reverse mentoring relationship work?

Mutual trust

Clearly defined expectations

Agreed rules of engagement

Willingness to learn

Transparency

Stay open to new ideas

The definition of insanity is going about things the same way and expecting different results. If we are losing your bright-young-things, and continue to  lead them the same way, then they will keep walking out the door. Let’s swallow our pride and understand our younger teachers and appreciate them, even when just like my dad, their way isn’t necessarily comfortable for me.

@anneknock

Read more

Reverse Mentoring & Managing Generational Diversity in the Workplace

Reverse mentoring: How young leaders can transform your organization

We can’t stay in conference-land forever, now it’s time to get on with it after #edutech and #cefpinz13

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Over the last couple of weeks I have been at two conferences, well, kind of. Last week I was in Auckland for CEFPI Australasian Conference, and via the Twitter-feed at Edutech over the last couple of days.

Lots of similar messages across both…

  • recognition of the changing times

  • calls to action

  • challenging the status quo

  • engaging and inspiring students

  • equipping the educators

  • raising up leaders

  • changing pedagogy

  • redesigning spaces

  • role of technology

  • embracing change

As well as the use of the ubiquitous ‘21st Century’ descriptor – which, by now, after 13% behind us, we need to drop.

We’ve heard from the rock stars, the practitioners and thought-leaders. So what are you going to do about it?

Will you be a change agent, a learning activist, culture architect, idea-factory or will you gaze out of the window daydreaming about good times in conference-land and stay as you are?

So while it is fresh in your mind it’s time to make a new year resolution – this new year start June 2013, who says it has to be 1 Jan?

All around us there are circumstances and situations that need to change, but there is only so much you can do. So make a few motherhood statements of your own and stick to your guns.

Here are some to start you off:

Change starts with me. It will be hard, but it will be worth it.

I will work with my colleagues or I will find at least one other person to collaborate with

Leaders are readers – what will be on my reading list?

My students will work together

The furniture in my working/learning space will be conducive to collaboration and connection

I will encourage, embrace and support young educators

I will never say ‘back-in-my-day’

I will try new ideas/ways

What else can you think of?

Be the change, make a difference, take every opportunity.

Happy new year, kind of!

@anneknock

Tracking the tweets: Leadership lessons from the Christchurch Earthquake at #CEFPINZ13

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‘All the kids are ok’. Humbled by narratives of Christchurch earthquake

We’ve just wrapped up the CEPFI Conference for 2013 in Auckland, it was a challenging, inspiring and, at times, an emotional few days.

So what is CEFPI? The acronym is for Council for Educational Facilities International, in short, t a dialogue between educators and architects. It’s a dialogue of which I am grateful to be part. We learn from each other.

Modern learning environments and design thinking – Get ready to be disrupted!

The regional conference for Australasia  in Auckland was titled ‘Disruption’. A term used to describe innovation and to allude to the significant disruption felt across the nation of New Zealand, but in particular, Christchurch, following the terrible earthquake more than two years ago.

The opening keynote cut through our tough exteriors and touched our hearts as  @terangikawhiti and @mikeachch shared their experiences as school leaders in the context of the earthquake of February 2011. Best summed up in the tweets:

2 Christchurch principles just presented their experience pre, during and post earthquake. Tears on stage.
Best keynote at a CEFPI conference eva from Mike Anderson and John Leonard. Disruption from chch EQ and opportunities moving fwd
Earthquake led Freeville School to redefine community. “Shared a playground but not relationship”  
“Because the staff demeanour and conduct was calm and positive the kids were great” the importance of creating tone & atmosphere
Opportunity from disruption “don’t want things repaired – want a transformation” payback time!

There were important and practical lessons for the future. Social media and offsite servers meant that the key message “all kids are OK” was quickly distributed to the community.

“All kids are Ok” the advantage of offsite server and linking FB ->Twitter -> Text Message during disaster.  
great tip for schools, Facebook and Twitter free and easy communication tools for schools in and out of disruption.
@terangikawhiti at #cefpinz13: redefining community went from ‘what can parents help us with’ to ‘what can we help them with’.

“Never underestimate the immense therapeutic power of the post-it notes” when redevelop & redesigning the schools

How do you bring the community back together after a disaster? FOOD! It gave permission to parents to hang around and talk

We were astounded by the leadership shown by the two school principals. They explained it using the airline cabin crew as a metaphor. No matter what might be happening in flight, the cabin crew remain calm and model the demeanour to the passengers. When parents rushed to the school a teacher was stationed on each gate and helped them to be calm before picking up their children. This demeanour was essential to helping the kids through the day.

Christchurch learning for leaders: look on face, demeanour, walk or run are very important. Keep calm and “cry out of site”

And to finish – there was great appreciation of the two real people who stood before us and their story of hope.

Disruption = opportunity.  Bravery, hope, transformation – inspiring messages shared at #cefpinz13
Not repair program for schools but transformation – let’s not just paint the old boring classrooms #Christchurch
You guys are champions. Thanks @terangikawhiti & @mikeachch representing the story of #Christchurch so beautiful & challenging

“Ka pu te ruha ka hao te rangatahi” Let’s hope the old way is done.

@anneknock

#QualityWork shows deep understanding, is critiqued, is revised, is aesthetically pleasing… and what else?

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What is your purpose and philosophy of displaying student work?

Is it just something teachers have always done?

What does the work you display show?

To confess, there were times during my teaching when displaying students’ work was more about decorating a space, than visually articulating learning. My epiphany came on a visit to an architect’s office, when I saw how their current projects that were a work-in-progress on display for comment with collaborative input from colleagues while past projects celebrated success. It made me think differently about displaying student work.

Taking the thought a little further, I was challenged by the aesthetics of visible learning over uniformity on a recent trip to USA visiting schools. Project based learning provides deep learning, engagement around passion and lends itself to the display of quality and diverse work.

In some cases the students’ work was variations on a common theme, in others, it was celebrating passion and curiosity in unique ways.

Then I stumbled on an unfinished display along a corridor at a school in the US, one with a strong focus on PBL. It read:

Slide1

“Quality work shows deep understanding of content, is critiqued and revised, is aesthetically pleasing,…”

…and then the display text remained unfinished. The comma indicated that there was more to come but the heading was blank. Underneath were projects of a mathematical/physics nature with compelling questions, such as:

How does Beckham “Bend it”?

What muscles do you use when throwing a pitch?

How does spin affect the velocity of a football?

So what was the final defining element of quality work? What were they going to write after the comma? Meaningful? Purposeful?

What do you think?

Tell me… @anneknock #qualitywork