Successful leaders learn, practice, refine and develop their skills until they become second nature...
Mastery comes with practice, practice, practice.
Chris
Monday, February 25, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Simply a creative, talented and effective team!
Why is it that the negatives roll in constantly and we are challenged all the time to do better, faster and more effectively in our schools, our classrooms and our communities... and challenged by people whose track records are not of outstanding success and brilliant leadership. I want to put it on record that I currently work with the most creative, talented and effective team I have ever worked with and if anyone thinks that they can do better simply roll up your sleeves and step up to the plate.
Interestingly, I constantly visit schools here in Leeds. I don't dip in and clear off leaving a trail of negativity, disillusion and unhappiness for my colleagues to pick up. I am in here for the long haul and I know that we are making a real difference to young peoples lives and achieving better outcomes year on year. I know that we have the processes, we have the materials, we have the passion, we have the discipline, we have the intellectual rigour and more importantly we have the people to deliver real magic and achieve brilliant outcomes.
Like you, I am not in any way complacent about the challenges we face here in this wonderfully rich, diverse and incredibly challenging city. Like you, I am constantly looking for the answers and asking myself how much more we can do. I passionately believe that the real key lies with our leaders and our learning teams and how we convince them that the journey we are on is the right journey and that they are in control and trusted as the talented leaders, coaches, guides, mentors and teachers on the pathways to excellence for each and every one of our young people.
It is unfortunate that OFSTED, the National Strategies, the National College for School Leadership, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the plethora of consultants and experts that appear to know it all and fill meetings and consume so much of our time are not yet part of the solution. We are constantly asking ourselves about our effectiveness and how we can refine, develop and do better for our schools. I think that the time has come for us all to stand up and to ask the same questions of these organisations. We need to ask what real value they add to the mix and suggest how we could use the huge resources they consume more powerfully and more effectively!
Chris
Interestingly, I constantly visit schools here in Leeds. I don't dip in and clear off leaving a trail of negativity, disillusion and unhappiness for my colleagues to pick up. I am in here for the long haul and I know that we are making a real difference to young peoples lives and achieving better outcomes year on year. I know that we have the processes, we have the materials, we have the passion, we have the discipline, we have the intellectual rigour and more importantly we have the people to deliver real magic and achieve brilliant outcomes.
Like you, I am not in any way complacent about the challenges we face here in this wonderfully rich, diverse and incredibly challenging city. Like you, I am constantly looking for the answers and asking myself how much more we can do. I passionately believe that the real key lies with our leaders and our learning teams and how we convince them that the journey we are on is the right journey and that they are in control and trusted as the talented leaders, coaches, guides, mentors and teachers on the pathways to excellence for each and every one of our young people.
It is unfortunate that OFSTED, the National Strategies, the National College for School Leadership, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the plethora of consultants and experts that appear to know it all and fill meetings and consume so much of our time are not yet part of the solution. We are constantly asking ourselves about our effectiveness and how we can refine, develop and do better for our schools. I think that the time has come for us all to stand up and to ask the same questions of these organisations. We need to ask what real value they add to the mix and suggest how we could use the huge resources they consume more powerfully and more effectively!
Chris
Make it count!
I spend valuable time in schools every week and I meet some incredible colleagues from schools and Education Leeds. Colleagues whose passion, commitment, energy, enthusiasm and hard work are changing the world for so many of our young people. However, I often wonder why some people work in our schools and our services when they are so miserable and clearly don't enjoy what they do. There lives are not inspiring, their relationships are negative and destructive and they are not being engaged or used effectively. .. someone told me that it was just a job. Surely life is too short and too important to be working somewhere tht you don't find stimulating, rewarding and challenging... especially if like me you work out the percentage of your life that you spend at work.
By the way it's 25% if you are interested. We spend 20% at our leisure during the week, 28% taking weekends during the year, 12% of the time we are on holiday and we spend another 20% in bed! I know by the way that the sums don't add up to 100% but it simply makes you realise that we don't actually work very much at all!
By the way it's 25% if you are interested. We spend 20% at our leisure during the week, 28% taking weekends during the year, 12% of the time we are on holiday and we spend another 20% in bed! I know by the way that the sums don't add up to 100% but it simply makes you realise that we don't actually work very much at all!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Be Extraordinary
I often wonder why our education system is so fragile, so prone to failure, so limited in its effectiveness and so poorly performing when compared to the best in Europe let alone the best in the world...
What is it about our teachers, our colleagues, our schools, our authorities? Colleagues elsewhere are no cleverer, no more skilful or talented and no more effective than our colleagues. Young people elsewhere appear to be very much the same as our young people. Parents and carers want the same for their children the world over. Authorities have team of incredibly talented and experienced colleagues who have already proved themselves in schools and classrooms.
We all know that we are the most inspected, assessed, moderated and tested education system in the world and we all know that you don't improve the pig by continually weighing it. They say that the Finnish system has cracked the code but I have my doubts...they do however have some elements which are worth considering. It comes down to the system and establishing a clear sense of what we are trying to achieve for our children and then getting out of the way and developing local accountabilities and allowing local solutions.
I have been to some incredible learning places recently; both here in Leeds and in Stockholm. And everywhere and wherever colleagues are releasing the magic they are trusted, talented, empowered and effective... brilliant colleagues working in schools and classrooms supported locally by focused and efficient teams releasing the magic and delivering world class outcomes.
We know what it takes to build brilliant... it's alive and well here in Leeds.
What is it about our teachers, our colleagues, our schools, our authorities? Colleagues elsewhere are no cleverer, no more skilful or talented and no more effective than our colleagues. Young people elsewhere appear to be very much the same as our young people. Parents and carers want the same for their children the world over. Authorities have team of incredibly talented and experienced colleagues who have already proved themselves in schools and classrooms.
We all know that we are the most inspected, assessed, moderated and tested education system in the world and we all know that you don't improve the pig by continually weighing it. They say that the Finnish system has cracked the code but I have my doubts...they do however have some elements which are worth considering. It comes down to the system and establishing a clear sense of what we are trying to achieve for our children and then getting out of the way and developing local accountabilities and allowing local solutions.
I have been to some incredible learning places recently; both here in Leeds and in Stockholm. And everywhere and wherever colleagues are releasing the magic they are trusted, talented, empowered and effective... brilliant colleagues working in schools and classrooms supported locally by focused and efficient teams releasing the magic and delivering world class outcomes.
We know what it takes to build brilliant... it's alive and well here in Leeds.
- leadership matters;
- enthusiasm is contagious;
- small is beautiful;
- relationships are key;
- whatever you do be passionate;
- coaching counts;
- persistence and determination go a long way; and
- you tend to get what you expect.
This job we do is too important for any of us to be ordinary. We must all strive. each and every day to be extrordinary, to be outstanding, to be brilliant.
Chris
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Be Outstanding!
Why settle for satisfactory when you can be outstanding...
OK, satisfactory is easy, predictable and anyone can do it... well almost anyone! I often wonder why we settle for things that just aren't good enough when with a bit of energy and effort we can be outstanding.
Chris
OK, satisfactory is easy, predictable and anyone can do it... well almost anyone! I often wonder why we settle for things that just aren't good enough when with a bit of energy and effort we can be outstanding.
Chris
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A Brilliant Book!
I read a brilliant book while I was travelling to Stockholm and back...
'Small is the new big' by Seth Godin who also wrote 'Purplr Cow' is a great read and contains eight years of his blog posts, magazine articles and e-books. It is changing the way I think about blogging and how I see the world!
Seth Godin says " I dare you to read any ten of these essays and still be comfortable with what you have got. You don't have to settle for the status quo, for being good enough, for getting by."
Brilliant book... read it!
Chris
'Small is the new big' by Seth Godin who also wrote 'Purplr Cow' is a great read and contains eight years of his blog posts, magazine articles and e-books. It is changing the way I think about blogging and how I see the world!
Seth Godin says " I dare you to read any ten of these essays and still be comfortable with what you have got. You don't have to settle for the status quo, for being good enough, for getting by."
Brilliant book... read it!
Chris
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
My Personal Philosophy!
- Help everyone understand that the job is easy;
- Show some enthusiasm;
- Praise everyone’s efforts;
- If it isn’t working... change it;
- Cut down on the paper;
- Break the rules;
- Get rid of the word “I”;
- Share what everyone does;
- Let them do it their way.
Superfoods
I was reading an article in the Times the other day and these are apparently the 'superfoods' we should all be eating.How many are you eating on a regular basis?
- Beans
- Blackcurrants
- Broccoli
- Oats
- Oranges
- Salmon
- Spinach
- Green Tea
- Tomatoes
- Turkey
- Walnuts
- Yogurt
Monday, February 11, 2008
7 Ways to Enjoy what you do
Over here in Stockholm you realise that people enjoy what they. Well they certainly do at the Nya Elementar School where I went this afternoon...
And thinking about it what makes schools in Stockholm such great places?
They are places where staff and students are:
And thinking about it what makes schools in Stockholm such great places?
They are places where staff and students are:
- comfortable and at ease;
- confident about their school and what they are doing;
- sociable and friendly;
- helpful and supportive;
- healthy and adventurous;
- flexible and adaptable;
- simply there for each other!
Thursday, February 07, 2008
7 Ways to Succeed
You need:
- vision;
- determination;
- fitness;
- mental health;
- flexibility;
- humour;
- generosity.
7 Ways to Delegate
- explain;
- coach;
- encourage;
- allow mistakes;
- allow routines;
- empower colleagues;
- don't interfere;
- share everything;
- explore new ideas;
- celebrate whenever and wherever you can.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
It's not just me who loves the Eee PC...
This article by Stephen Fry was in the Guardian. "In recent weeks I have banged on about Open Source, expending two articles on Firefox alone. Open Source applications make their code available to everyone. Disagreements and rabid balkanisation within the Open Source community aside, for our purposes the term might as well refer to free software whose licence allows you to share the source code, alter it, use it, do with it what you will. The two great pillars of Open Source are the GNU project and Linux. I shan’t burden you with too much detail, I’ll just make the outrageous claim that your computer will be running some descendant of those two within the next five years and that your life will be better and happier as a result.
I am writing this article on a kind of mini John the Baptist, a system that prepares the way of the software saviour whose coming will deliver the 90% of world computer users who suffer under Windows from the expensive, clumsy, costly, ugly, pricey toils of Microsoft. The Asus EEE PC perched on my knee combines GNU software with a Linux kernel powered by an Intel Celeron Mobile Processor to produce a very extraordinary little laptop. It weighs less than a kilogram, starts up from cold in about 12 seconds and shuts down in five. It has no internal hard disk and no CD drive. It offers 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and a seven-inch display; wireless, dial-out modem and ethernet adaptors are available for networking and internet connections, three USB ports, mini-jack sockets for headphones and microphone, a VGA out, an SD card slot and a built-in webcam. All for about £200 - less than the price of a show, dinner and taxi for two in London’s West End.
When you press the EEE’s power button, the lightning speed and quietness of boot-up tell you that you are in the hands of a solid state flash drive: no vulnerable moving parts and buzzing platters here. Within seconds a tabbed screen will appear on your display: the tabs are labelled Internet, Work, Learn, Play, Settings and Favourites. A click on each reveals a page containing bright, clear icons that relate to 40 separate applications and half a dozen or so selected web links. The applications include Skype, Firefox, Thunderbird (the Mozilla mail client) and OpenOffice.org, an Open Source suite of applications that allows you to create and edit Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents. One of the pre-installed web links is to Google Docs, which lets you do the same MS Office compatible work online. This combination of “server side” applications and Open Source software is, rightly, scaring the heck out of Microsoft which is in danger of relying, in a few years’ time, on its excellent Xbox games console for income and kudos, its domination of personal computing a rapidly diminishing memory. Well, I’m allowed to dream. The EEE is far from perfect: system software claims two-thirds of its meagre 4GB of storage, the keyboard is sub-par, the trackpad worse; it seems a shame to boast a built-in webcam and a full field of IM clients, yet be incapable of videochat; the OS, a customised version of Linux, part Debian, part Asus’s own creation, makes downloading outside the bundled software updater uncertain. But these defects are minor compared with the machine’s astounding value and functionality - and to the future trends in computing it heralds.
This is a computer designed as an introductory machine for children or adults, as well as a simple cheap do-it-all machine along the “One Laptop Per Child” model but which is also absolutely ideal as a truly cheap, portable, resilient device to slam into a backpack or briefcase. Everything you could want is there in free, Open Source form. It does not pretend to cater for the power user but, while file management is basic for the average person, tuxheads (Linux experts) can go straight to terminal mode and do their stuff. Meanwhile, for the rest of us, this is a wonderful little friend who does all we need straight out of the box. And it is only the beginning…
© Stephen Fry 2008
This article by Stephen Fry was in the Guardian. "In recent weeks I have banged on about Open Source, expending two articles on Firefox alone. Open Source applications make their code available to everyone. Disagreements and rabid balkanisation within the Open Source community aside, for our purposes the term might as well refer to free software whose licence allows you to share the source code, alter it, use it, do with it what you will. The two great pillars of Open Source are the GNU project and Linux. I shan’t burden you with too much detail, I’ll just make the outrageous claim that your computer will be running some descendant of those two within the next five years and that your life will be better and happier as a result.
I am writing this article on a kind of mini John the Baptist, a system that prepares the way of the software saviour whose coming will deliver the 90% of world computer users who suffer under Windows from the expensive, clumsy, costly, ugly, pricey toils of Microsoft. The Asus EEE PC perched on my knee combines GNU software with a Linux kernel powered by an Intel Celeron Mobile Processor to produce a very extraordinary little laptop. It weighs less than a kilogram, starts up from cold in about 12 seconds and shuts down in five. It has no internal hard disk and no CD drive. It offers 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and a seven-inch display; wireless, dial-out modem and ethernet adaptors are available for networking and internet connections, three USB ports, mini-jack sockets for headphones and microphone, a VGA out, an SD card slot and a built-in webcam. All for about £200 - less than the price of a show, dinner and taxi for two in London’s West End.
When you press the EEE’s power button, the lightning speed and quietness of boot-up tell you that you are in the hands of a solid state flash drive: no vulnerable moving parts and buzzing platters here. Within seconds a tabbed screen will appear on your display: the tabs are labelled Internet, Work, Learn, Play, Settings and Favourites. A click on each reveals a page containing bright, clear icons that relate to 40 separate applications and half a dozen or so selected web links. The applications include Skype, Firefox, Thunderbird (the Mozilla mail client) and OpenOffice.org, an Open Source suite of applications that allows you to create and edit Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents. One of the pre-installed web links is to Google Docs, which lets you do the same MS Office compatible work online. This combination of “server side” applications and Open Source software is, rightly, scaring the heck out of Microsoft which is in danger of relying, in a few years’ time, on its excellent Xbox games console for income and kudos, its domination of personal computing a rapidly diminishing memory. Well, I’m allowed to dream. The EEE is far from perfect: system software claims two-thirds of its meagre 4GB of storage, the keyboard is sub-par, the trackpad worse; it seems a shame to boast a built-in webcam and a full field of IM clients, yet be incapable of videochat; the OS, a customised version of Linux, part Debian, part Asus’s own creation, makes downloading outside the bundled software updater uncertain. But these defects are minor compared with the machine’s astounding value and functionality - and to the future trends in computing it heralds.
This is a computer designed as an introductory machine for children or adults, as well as a simple cheap do-it-all machine along the “One Laptop Per Child” model but which is also absolutely ideal as a truly cheap, portable, resilient device to slam into a backpack or briefcase. Everything you could want is there in free, Open Source form. It does not pretend to cater for the power user but, while file management is basic for the average person, tuxheads (Linux experts) can go straight to terminal mode and do their stuff. Meanwhile, for the rest of us, this is a wonderful little friend who does all we need straight out of the box. And it is only the beginning…
© Stephen Fry 2008
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Elements of GREAT Teams
We have so many great teams in Leeds; in our schools and in Education Leeds...
What are the characteristics across those great teams? It seems to me that they all have the following in common:
1. They have a clear shared vision as a learning organisation;
2. They have a 'can do' attitude which permeates the team;
3. Colleagues in these teams and schools are hopeful,positive and optimistic;
4. They nurture innovation, creativity and are constantly curious;
5. They are focused but take the long-term view;
6. They recognise, celebrate and develop talent;
7. They enjoy what they are doing and wherever possible they have fun;
8. They are passionate and energetic.
How does your team match up?
Chris
What are the characteristics across those great teams? It seems to me that they all have the following in common:
1. They have a clear shared vision as a learning organisation;
2. They have a 'can do' attitude which permeates the team;
3. Colleagues in these teams and schools are hopeful,positive and optimistic;
4. They nurture innovation, creativity and are constantly curious;
5. They are focused but take the long-term view;
6. They recognise, celebrate and develop talent;
7. They enjoy what they are doing and wherever possible they have fun;
8. They are passionate and energetic.
How does your team match up?
Chris
Skills needed by GREAT Leaders
1. Be positive at all times
2. Be aware and courageous
3. Think team
4. Motivate and reward colleagues
5. Manage stress and conflict
6. Communicate constantly
7. Coach, coach, coach.
2. Be aware and courageous
3. Think team
4. Motivate and reward colleagues
5. Manage stress and conflict
6. Communicate constantly
7. Coach, coach, coach.
The Ingredients of GREAT Teams
Research suggests that great teams have the following characteristics...
1. A clear and shared sense of purpose;
2. Acceptance and understanding of each others strengths and weaknesses;
3. Perception and understanding of the issues the team faces;
4. Total commitment to each other;
5. Pride in each others work and achievements;
6. Focus and clarity of purpose;
7. Resilience in the face of difficulties and setbacks.
Do you work in a great team?
Chris
1. A clear and shared sense of purpose;
2. Acceptance and understanding of each others strengths and weaknesses;
3. Perception and understanding of the issues the team faces;
4. Total commitment to each other;
5. Pride in each others work and achievements;
6. Focus and clarity of purpose;
7. Resilience in the face of difficulties and setbacks.
Do you work in a great team?
Chris
Saturday, February 02, 2008
7 things that might help you build BRILLIANT
- have an open door;
- have sensitive ears to help you listen;
- develop a clear shared vision;
- get in there and get your hands dirty;
- have a firm grip and be totally confident in yourself;
- have good teeth so that you can smile a lot;
- have strong legs so that you can walk the talk;
- show and tell people that you love your job;
- control your tongue and be careful what you say.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
I was re-reading Stephen Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”...
If you haven’t read it the 7 Habits are:
If you haven’t read it the 7 Habits are:
- Habit 1 Be proactive;
- Habit 2 Begin with the end in mind;
- Habit 3 Put first things first;
- Habit 4 Think win/win;
- Habit 5 Seek first to understand, then to be understood;
- Habit 6 Syngergise;
- Habit 7 Sharpen the saw
The last two might need some more explanation...
Habit 6 is about creative cooperation, teamwork and principle-centre leadership which unifies and unleashes the magic within individuals.
Habit 7 is about preserving and enhancing the great asset you have … you. It’s about your physical, mental, spiritual, social and emotional well-being.
Well worth reading.
Chris
How to Win Friends and Influence People
I was reading Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” …
It’s a great book, first published in 1937, which outlines how to handle people, how to make people like you, how to win people over and how to be a leader. Things don’t get any clearer than this …
How to handle people:
It’s a great book, first published in 1937, which outlines how to handle people, how to make people like you, how to win people over and how to be a leader. Things don’t get any clearer than this …
How to handle people:
- Don’t citicise, condemn or complain;
- Give honest and sincere appreciation;
- Arouse in the other person an eager want.
How to make people like you:
- Become genuinely interested in other people;
- Smile;
- Remember people’s names;
- Be a good listener;
- Make people feel important.
How to win people over:
- Avoid arguments;
- Respect other people’s opinions;
- Admit when you are wrong;
- Be friendly;
- Get people to agree with you;
- Let others do the talking;
- Let others feel that ideas are theirs;
- See things from other people’s perspectives;
- Be sympathetic to other ideas;
- Appeal to the nobler motives;
- Dramatise your ideas;
- Throw down a challenge.
How to be a leader:
- Begin with praise and appreciation;
- Identify mistakes indirectly;
- Talk about your own mistakes;
- Ask questions;
- Help people save face;
- Praise every little thing;
- Talk people up;
- Use encouragement;
- Encourage people to be happy at work
It's a great book. You should read it!
Chris
7 Ways to Survive
These are the things we need to do…
- Manage your diary to create space to think and recharge;
- Find allies and friends to give you support and positive strokes;
- Be the Jack and Jill of all trades and the master of none;
- Give jobs away to colleagues to build capacity;
- Be an expert driller to stay in touch with the real world of the classroom;
- Be a lepidopterist to find the little things that make a big difference;
- Collect hyacinths to keep the soul alive!
But whatever you do… do something!
Chris
It is a difficult, yet exciting, time to be in education
The challenges remain driving up secondary standards, improving the very low secondary contextual value added, addressing the needs of young people achieving very little after eleven years of statutory education and tackling those not in education, employment and training. The real challenge is how do we bring our collective energies and efforts to bear on the task of improving learning for all our students? And how do we create the conditions that prompt and enable our provision to deliver significantly better learning outcomes?
Everyone expects so much... of headteachers, of governors, of teachers and of colleagues who are assuming formal or informal leadership responsibilities; of Education Leeds colleagues who are operating at some distance from the classroom... but all of us facing the same relentless pressure, the same high expectations, along with the increased and increasing demands of driving and guiding the school system in Leeds towards improved performance and better outcomes for every child and very young person... whatever it takes!
This climate of higher and higher accountability increases the weight of the expectations facing all of us and as always the stakes are high. The biggest challenge lies in how we build learning leadership; connecting leadership practice with student learning, and then mobilizing the energy and commitment of all relevant partners and stakeholders. This challenge involves not only us as individual leaders, operating from our respective vantage points in a highly complex system, but all of us together... the power of TEAM!
We must re-imagine our systems, processes and provision and be brave enough to ask ourselves the difficult questions about why things are currently not working and what we can do to ensure that there is step change in outcomes for all young people here in Leeds.Whatever you do do something and have a great time… be happy, keep healthy and stay safe.
As always, I'd welcome your views and comments.
Chris
Everyone expects so much... of headteachers, of governors, of teachers and of colleagues who are assuming formal or informal leadership responsibilities; of Education Leeds colleagues who are operating at some distance from the classroom... but all of us facing the same relentless pressure, the same high expectations, along with the increased and increasing demands of driving and guiding the school system in Leeds towards improved performance and better outcomes for every child and very young person... whatever it takes!
This climate of higher and higher accountability increases the weight of the expectations facing all of us and as always the stakes are high. The biggest challenge lies in how we build learning leadership; connecting leadership practice with student learning, and then mobilizing the energy and commitment of all relevant partners and stakeholders. This challenge involves not only us as individual leaders, operating from our respective vantage points in a highly complex system, but all of us together... the power of TEAM!
We must re-imagine our systems, processes and provision and be brave enough to ask ourselves the difficult questions about why things are currently not working and what we can do to ensure that there is step change in outcomes for all young people here in Leeds.Whatever you do do something and have a great time… be happy, keep healthy and stay safe.
As always, I'd welcome your views and comments.
Chris
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