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Calm in the Change Chaos

March 27, 2023 by Amber Leave a Comment

Change is a constant in any organization, and this is especially true in the world of education. One significant change that can occur in schools is a shift in district leadership…in particular in my world, a new superintendent. I’ve long been a fan of the statement that all change is hard, even good change. Adapting to change can be challenging, but there are steps that professionals can take to ensure a smooth transition.

Clear and consistent communication is where the calmness begins. Surveys, conversations, transparency… all strategies that will show a willingness to be collaborative.

Another key action for adapting to change is to remain flexible. Change can be unpredictable, and leaves all previously final plans more… fluid. By staying open to new ideas and approaches, educators can better navigate the transition and maintain a sense of continuity for students and the community.

Here are three of my favorite quotes when it comes to the importance of leadership… ones to keep in mind to help your people adapt to changes in district leadership:

  1. “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – Ronald Reagan

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This quote reminds us that leadership is not just about one person, but about the collective efforts of a team. When a new leader takes over a school district, they need to work with teachers, staff, and community members to set goals and create a shared vision for the future. Leaders should unleash employees’ potential, rather than trying to control or contain their ideas and they should inspire employees to explore solutions, rather than motivating them toward fixed ideas.

  1. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” – Sheryl Sandberg

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A change in district leadership can create uncertainty and anxiety for teachers and students. This quote reminds us that effective leaders leave a lasting impact that extends beyond their time in the role. By empowering teachers and providing a sense of stability, new leaders can create a positive legacy that endures long after they have moved on. Good leaders fight against a scarcity mindset, focusing instead on an abundance of things like respect, capacity, and trust.

  1. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams

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This quote highlights the importance of leadership as a catalyst for growth and change. When a new leader takes over a school district, they have the opportunity to inspire teachers and students to reach new heights. By setting high expectations and providing the support needed to achieve them, new leaders can create a culture of excellence that benefits everyone in the district.

If you’re in a season of change, whether at the campus or at the district level, remember that changes in leadership can be challenging, but they can also provide opportunities for growth and improvement. Relationships can’t be rushed but if you’re willing to embrace change, there can be calmness in the chaos.

 

 

Flexible and

Filed Under: Leadership in Chaos, Uncategorized Tagged With: #beintentional, AmberTeamann

Leadership is…

October 3, 2022 by Amber Leave a Comment

 

I am fascinated by strong leadership. Leadership that outlasts a position, a title, an opportunity. Leadership is a fluid term, one that can encourage despite a collegial relationship or a “title” driven subset. It’s one that allows someone to see past who you are, and instead, be who you can BE.

The leaders who said, “You’re a great teacher, would you even consider being a principal?”

I am thankful to have seen leadership in the form of a teacher who encourages me with a card that said, ” I see what you are trying to accomplish, and we’ll get here, don’t give up on us yet,”

The one who said, “I see your potential, come lead in my district”, and then gave me a chance.

The one that said, “You can do this, b/c leadership is more about…”

I am thankful for leaders who see past the immediateness and more about the possibilities of who you could be. The ones not limited by titles, experience, or past. The one who could see who you could be, because of a connection, a feeling, an opportunity.

What Are the Qualities of a Good Leader?

1. Honesty and Integrity: Leaders value virtuousness and honesty. They have people who believe in them and their vision.

2. Inspiration: Leaders are self-motivating, and this makes them great influencers. They are a good inspiration to their followers. They help others to understand their roles in a bigger context.

3. Communication skills: Leaders possess great communication skills. They are transparent with their team and share failures and successes with them.

4. Vision: Leaders are visionaries. They have a clear idea of what they want and how to achieve it. Being good communicators, leaders can share their vision with the team successfully.

5. Never give-up spirit: Leaders challenge the status quo. Hence, they never give up easily. They also have unique ways to solve a problem.

6. Intuitive: Leadership coach Hortense le Gentil believes that leaders should rely on intuition for making hard decisions. Especially because intuition heavily relies on a person’s existing knowledge and life learning, which proves to be more useful in complex situations.

7. Empathy: A leader should be an emotional and empathetic fellow because it will help them in developing a strong bond with their team. Furthermore, these qualities will help a leader in addressing the problems, complaints, and aspirations of his team members.

8. Objective: Although empathy is an important quality a leader must imbibe, getting clouded by emotions while making an important business decision is not advisable. Hence, a good leader should be objective.

9. Intelligence: A good leader must be intelligent enough to arrive at business solutions to difficult problems. Furthermore, a leader should be analytical and should weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. This quality can be polished with an all-inclusive leadership training program.

10. Open-mindedness and creativity: A good leader is someone who is open to new ideas, possibilities, and perspectives. Being a good leader means understanding that there is no right way to do things. Therefore, a good leader is always ready to listen, observe, and be willing to change. They are also out-of-the-box thinkers and encourage their teams to do so. If you enrol for a leadership course, all these things will be a part of the curriculum.

11. Patient: A good leader understands that a business strategy takes time to develop and bear results. Additionally, they also believe that ‘continuous improvement and patience’ leads to success.

12. Flexible: Since leaders understand the concept of continuous improvement, they also know that being adaptable will lead them to success. Nothing goes as per plan. Hence, being flexible and intuitive helps a manager to hold his ground during complex situations.

The one who two years after leaving you could meet you for lunch for leadership input, and bring you a cupcake, because that’s just how they lead.

That’s who I want to be.

 

Leadership thankful,

Amber

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Leadership in Chaos, Uncategorized

Leadership book tasting…any book, any role! Build capacity with a book study…

June 13, 2022 by Amber 1 Comment

Educators are tired. Our plates are full and our brains are fried. Providing a book study for professional development doesn’t have to be boring. What if you engage and built leadership capacity via a book study…one that doesn’t look like it usually does?

Knowing this, I still wanted to offer/facilitate an opportunity for leaders in our district to grow, even if it doesn’t look like it has in the past.  A book study is typically an effective form of professional learning because new learning can be immediately applied.  Educators are involved in multiple sessions where there is continuous discussion around a relevant topic that has arisen from school data. Remember, the goal of any professional learning is to have a positive impact on student learning. But finding a book that makes everyone happy? Paying for hardcover books that I may never see again? Ugh. The central office role I serve in now makes it even more important to recognize that one book choice isn’t going to meet all the needs of all our learners.

As a principal, we hosted several out-of-the-box growth opportunities. One year we partnered with Greenwood Elementary in Minnesota and scheduled virtual talks with Brad Gustafson and his team. Then there was the year we did a private Facebook group with George Couros on “Innovators Mindset”. Twitter also was a tool of choice when we read “Teach Like a Pirate”. All that to say…I’m a big believer in professional growth.

Staying still is no longer an option. But growing because “I told you so” is a terrible leadership strategy.

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Enter the CISD Leadership Book Tasting of 2022!

  • open to all leaders in CISD
  • five choices, a leadership variety
  • made available digitally, on a district-provided iPad
  • slow, asynchronous style
  • designed to meet the needs of any role, and can apply to any book

 

Here’s our initial flyer.

Here are our activities.

 

Here’s to a summer of self-paced, self-driven professional development!

 

Readingly yours,

Amber

Filed Under: Leadership, Leadership in Chaos Tagged With: #beintentional, AmberTeamann, freebie

Being an asset vs just being an…

March 28, 2022 by Amber Leave a Comment

I had the opportunity recently to connect with a few like-minded, position-similar, folks. Finding and building new connections in this role has reminded me again in life how many things can be different when you change roles and responsibilities. The goal, always, is to be an asset to your district.

Complacency at times can hinder forward-moving progress, without it even being something you are cognizant of happening. As I listened in last night, it reminded me that as I use this space as a reflective professional journey, I should make note of the ways I am actually being an asset currently…versus being something else, 😉

Asset focuses:

  • Conversations. When you’re new you have to meet a lot of people. When you meet new people you get to ask A LOT of questions. Given that I am not the creator of just about anything around here, I can ask questions without feeling as if the answers are about “my choices”. My 30,000-foot view isn’t concerned with anything other than finding solutions.
  • Added value. Do you know your strengths? How can you leverage those within your new space? Seeking out new vendors, creative problem solving, and being inclusive in solution-oriented decisions allows for a different approach to how it’s been done before.
  • Leverage your team. We all know I’m a fan of hiring people with different skill sets than me, and this technology role is no different. Our additions have all had experiences and strengths that benefit both me and our district.
  • Adaptive leadership is almost required as each situation is so unique and requires layers of input. Connecting involved departments allows for more comprehensive solutions, which I am a huge fan of.
  • Listen more than you talk.

 

It’s amazing to look back 18 months ago and realize how much we’ve accomplished since then. Building schools, creating systems, learning from some of the best…I can’t wait to see what the next 18 months hold.

Pirate proud &

 

 

Filed Under: Leadership in Chaos

How do you choose what gets done? Reviewing leadership priorities…

January 17, 2022 by Amber 1 Comment

Trying to keep a firm grip on a to-do list that never ends, I took advantage this weekend to remind myself that every yes means a no somewhere else. Looking at my phone for a work text means you miss your girl taking a shot on the basketball court. Committing to a conference means creating presentations and tweets to share, vs naps. Choosing to read school books mean your new advance copy of a murder mystery sits lonely on your nightstand. How do you choose what gets done?

As a principal, I was very guilty of regularly providing self-indulgent treats. Jeans pass. Snacks. Rewards that felt good at the moment but ones that didn’t necessarily have a long-term impact. Think fast food over a nutritious meal…which one leaves you feeling full longer? Given my love language is “gifts”, this shouldn’t come as surprise to anyone who knows me!

The pandemic helped me see how we could provide actual self-care, something that intentionally nourished the physical, mental, or emotional well-being of our staff. Providing a safe space where our team could share honestly how they felt (think tears) to looking at what we could cross off their plate, even temporarily, was helpful. Helping establish boundaries where teachers were given permission to focus on their families was important.

Defining what I measured helped me see what mattered most.

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This season is different and yet, still kind of the same.

Our teachers are overwhelmed. Our leaders are overwhelmed. Principals…you’re in such a no-win position right now. You’re still carrying the weight of academic expectations while balancing the well-being of your people…all your people. People are out, sick, or taking care of the sick, but you still have a building to run. Looking at the typical strategies I normally share these, hopefully, are less of a cupcake, and more of a protein bar. 😉

How can you help?

  • Help your teachers identity what HAS to be graded: how many grades are your teachers taking? Could that number be lessened?
  • Make your meetings meaningful. How did they help your staff be better tomorrow?
  • Lesson plans: reevaluate your expense.
  • Let your people set boundaries: no emails after a certain time or on weekends. Model what it looks like.
  • Remember that nobody dies on our watch. Our to-do list CAN rollover. My husband is a fireman, and trust me, that ISN’T true in his profession.
  • Everyone on your staff is different. Breaking points vary…keep an eye on your people!
  • Learning is most important.  That requires knowing how to figure out what’s most important, do it well, and let go of the rest.
  • Snacks. I don’t care what you say…SNACKS ARE SELF CARE TOO!!

 

Above all, recognize that you can’t do it all, and everything is not equally important.

 

I hope this three-day weekend found you doing something that was self-indulgent but also…some self-care. Something that fills your bucket or reminded you of your why. And especially to my principal peeps, you can do anything,

but even you can’t do everything!

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HUGS!

 

Cheering for you &

 

Filed Under: Leadership in Chaos

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