my version of transparent, collaborative leadership...with a Teamann twist

Swift Lessons in Leadership through Lyrics: The Fine Line Between Honesty and Cruelty”

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Listen. I fully appreciate the middle aged-ness of myself. Truly. However, this blog is about being TRANSPARENT as well, right? Not only am I a “seasoned” leader…I also might be have watched the “Eras” tour an OBNOXIOUS amount of times since it has come out.

It’s the perfect thing to have playing in the background while I cook, clean or… scroll. And if you know me, you know I’m not that great at cooking or cleaning. (I like to think it’s ok because at least I am cute and funny…but MT says I’m not that funny. Sigh.)

Anyhoo…I’ve noticed here lately that there are some powerful lyrics that keep getting stuck in my head from Ms. Swift. And the application from them to my leadership experiences just can’t be denied, even I wanted to pretend to not be all Swift’sessed. For those who associate her with pop sugar and bouncy are in for a treat.

First up…in “All Too Well”, we have this gem:

“And you call me up again just to break me like a promiseSo casually cruel in the name of being honestI’m a crumpled up piece of paper lying here..”

Causally cruel. In the name of being honest.

We hear, frequently, that honesty and transparency in leadership is crucial. A necessary trait. Sometimes though, that honesty can be wielded like a sword. The person swinging that sword has the force field of being right, regardless of how deep it cuts.

Not seeing how it could apply?

I’ve written a lot about #thefirstyear, and all the things as a principal I’d gotten wrong and the adjustments I made thanks to the team around me. How though, did I know, how tragically terrible it was going?

I was on my way out to a meeting when I was pulled aside by members of my “team”.  They asked me to sit in one of their offices, while the two of them broke the news. They had finally been compelled “in the name of being honest” to share information I needed to know.

The staff was unhappy. They were looking to leave. The scores and culture on the campus I’d been honored enough to be asked to lead was falling apart, because of me. Because of my leadership.

I was devastated.

But I was also confused. I managed to maintain composure and ask. Who? Who wanted to leave? What? What exactly had I done?

Well…they couldn’t tell me that. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

I vividly remember asking, “So what I am hearing is that I am a terrible principal…but you have nothing to offer in how I can get better? Or to change what I am doing?” They didn’t.

I can’t even articulate how devastating it is to not only hear that you’re a failure, but also that there wasn’t anything you could do about it. From people you thought were also on your “team”.

It was a pivotal moment in my principal’ing experience. If you’ve read this from ASCD, you know it didn’t get better right away. But, it did get better. It actually got a lot better before I left 6 years later.

I never forgot, however, how cutting that conversation was, even in all its rightness.

Telling someone they are terrible doesn’t help them get any better.

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What is the goal in “brutal honesty”? Does it set the receiver up to improve? Isn’t that the purpose of feedback? Surely it’s not just for the satisfaction of the person giving it?

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I used to tell my staff to always remember when talking to parents about a concern to always remember that the student you are so worked up over, for whatever reason, is most likely the most important thing in someone else’s world. If you go guns in blazing, no matter how right you are, you aren’t going to be heard.

You can be right all day long and lose every relationship you have.

So today’s lesson is this…worry less about being so honest, and care more about the relationship. YOu can, believe it or not, do both.

Swift singing &

Embracing Humility: Learning from Unexpected Sources

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When I talk about this space and what I share, I am always quick to mention that it is primarily a place where I share what I got wrong and my reflections on the experience in hopes that others could learn from it.

I’ve even blogged about my lack of experience in new professional settings…especially that first year, all the things I got wrong…or this gem from 2017 (lil’baby leader Amber!)

I was reminded this past week, even in all my glorious middle ageness that I STILL have so much to learn and how open I need to be to the possibility of just being…wrong. I had the opportunity to be the opening keynote for an Opal EdTech/EduAcademic event that was held in Orlando. Orlando…where I can get a DOLE WHIP? In.

Orlando is also where one George Couros lives. George often refers to himself as my big brother in this edtech/leadership space. 13 years ago we connected and it has been years of banter, fights, and political punches. I adore his family and he has been a huge cheerleader for my beast in her early education endeavors.

George is also the person (other than MT) whose feedback I am most sensitive/resistant to. I, of course, blame him because of his directness and lack of empathy when delivering any of his hot sports opinions on what I’ve shared or written.

So when he asked if he could come to hear me speak, I immediately said no.

I was ADAMANT that any feedback he was going to give me would be hypercritical and it would make me so self-conscious…why would I want to invite that panic into my head? George speaks to massive audiences ALL the time, literally, weekly…I do it 4-5 times a year. I didn’t want to hear how…not George…+ I was. Of course, I caved, and “allowed” him to come.
Thankfully, the evening went well and I didn’t fall down. 🙂

Ya’ll. His feedback was sincere, purposeful, and beneficial. The suggestions he provided, which were about what I could have further emphasized or made more impactful, proved to be incredibly helpful. The way he recommended connecting with the audience at the end will genuinely change how I close moving forward.

All that to say…man, was I wrong…AGAIN.

(which is just so annoying! That makes George right…again.)

What is the resistance to being better? How big is my ego that I can’t accept hearing what could potentially be true and helpful, just b/c I am scared of it being critical? How often do I miss an opportunity to be better… just because?

Why do I resist having confidence not in my knowledge, but in my ability to learn? 

One of my purposes in education is to help others be more than they think they already are, and sometimes that means DIRECT FEEDBACK. And yet…am I willing? Do I come across as willing?

Such the hypocrite I can be…

George wrote a fantastic blog about the ability to soak up the greatness of those around you. Give it a read. Don’t be like me, be open to hearing how you could be better …even if it’s not delivered in a pretty complimentary package with a bow. 😉

I hope you have people in your life who challenge you, not for the sake of them being right, but for the sake of making you better. And may you always be willing to let them.

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Begrudgingly better &

Amber

Videos to support leadership learning…and why you shouldn’t stop!

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Hiya stranger friends!

I’m working to build a repository of “leadership” supports for my team that meets all the varied modalities of learning that they may have. I love to read but maybe a podcast floats their boat…or maybe they want a one-pager to reference in moments of “uh oh”. Whatever it is, I’m starting with videos. Whether you’re a new principal, a seasoned district administrator, or somewhere in between, there are always lessons to absorb!

Authentic leaders never stop growing.

For those starting as campus leaders, Yale’s “Connected Leadership” offers research on aligning your actions with your values. As an administrator, it’s crucial to embody the traits you aim to instill in students and staff. I’ve found that leading by example and practicing what I preach as an educator builds trust and buy-in across the school community. You can also register for a FREE course from IUBM on “Developing Interpersonal Skills” if you want to hang up a gold star once you ace it, 😉

Every one of us has those inner critics who ask for more, better, and always!

For my middle-of-the-pack people, Brené Brown’s “Daring Leadership” is a must-watch. With her signature blend of research and storytelling, Brown advocates for a paradigm shift from armored to daring leadership. Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of people. Her talk is a great reminder to stay grounded in authenticity and vulnerability even as our responsibilities grow. Want that gold star? You can pick up concrete engagement strategies from the University of Michigan’s “Leading People and Teams short course. Their segments on thoughtful feedback models have strengthened my ability to motivate faculty and tease out opportunities for talent development. Practicing active listening, asking coaching questions, and setting clear expectations with those around me have led to increased collaboration and job satisfaction. (on both our parts!)

It’s YOUR job to develop psychologically safe spaces for a foundation of efficient teamwork.

Finally, all the ones who have been doing this thing we call leadership for longer than we thought we ever could, the Open University’s talk on “Leadership: External Context and Culture” provides some hard-won wisdom. Having navigated major organizational changes, the speakers share how to drive complex initiatives by understanding your unique institutional history and landscape. Their advice has me reflecting on how to better frame change narratives (both within and without out of our control!) to unify stakeholders in our district. John Maxwell’s video “The 5 Levels of Leadership.” is another great one. Maxwell draws on his decades of leadership consulting to outline his framework moving from Position, to Permission, to Production, to People Development, and finally to Pinnacle. Regardless of your years of experience, his seasoned insights will have you reflecting on ways to guide your team to the next level.

 

As we know, trying to lead in the challenging educational system hasn’t gotten any easier. We’re also smart enough to know it never will. There are no silver bullets, and if it were simple, everyone would do it. In any given moment we can decide how to perceive our reality. And depending on our choice and attitude, we are more or less likely to overcome challenges and be successful. When you feel overwhelmed, remember we all struggle to get it all done. Keep leaning on your teams, focus on your “why,” and lead with the heart that made ya want to do it in the first place… Our students and schools need us now more than ever!

 

Learning while leading &

ChatGPT takes on Thanksgiving: Use AI for meals and more!

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I’ve told you before that I think ChatGPT cuts my anxiety thinking down…I use it every darn day, ya’ll! What are the ways I am going to use it for this Thanksgiving??

  1. Recipe Ideas: Ask ChatGPT for unique Thanksgiving recipes to impress your family with a twist on the traditional turkey, stuffing, or pumpkin pie.
  2. Thanksgiving Trivia: Challenge your friends with Thanksgiving-themed trivia questions generated by ChatGPT and see who knows the most about the holiday’s history and fun facts.
  3. Gratitude Prompts: Use ChatGPT to come up with creative prompts for your family to share what they’re thankful for this year.
  4. Table Games: Get ChatGPT to create a Thanksgiving-themed word search or crossword puzzle that you can print out for everyone to play together.
  5. Turkey Talk: Have ChatGPT write a funny monologue from the turkey’s point of view about Thanksgiving to share a laugh with everyone.
  6. Decoration DIYs: Ask ChatGPT for easy DIY Thanksgiving decoration ideas that you can make with simple items around the house.
  7. Thanksgiving Jokes: Lighten up the mood by sharing Thanksgiving jokes or puns from ChatGPT with your dinner guests.
  8. Personalized Stories: Create a custom Thanksgiving story featuring your family members as characters with the help of ChatGPT, and read it aloud for some holiday entertainment.

What about meal prep and meal planning?

  1. Meal Planning Assistant: ChatGPT can help you plan your Thanksgiving menu, taking into account different dietary preferences and restrictions to ensure everyone at your table has something delicious to enjoy.
  2. Grocery List Generator: Share with ChatGPT the dishes you plan to prepare, and it can generate a detailed shopping list, helping you get organized before heading to the grocery store.

  3. Cooking Timeline Scheduler: Tell ChatGPT what dishes you’re preparing, and it can create a cooking schedule for you. This way, you’ll know exactly when to start each dish so that everything is ready to be served hot at the same time.

  4. Leftover Magic: Ask ChatGPT for creative recipes to reinvent your Thanksgiving leftovers, turning them into exciting new meals for the weekend.
  5. Dish Pairing: If you’re considering wine or beverage pairings, ChatGPT can suggest which drinks would complement the flavors of your Thanksgiving dishes perfectly.

And if you’re going to be the hostess with the mostest?

  1. Family Favorites Poll: Use ChatGPT to create a poll of potential dishes and let your family vote on what they’d like to see on the Thanksgiving table. It’s a great way to make everyone feel included in the meal planning.
  2. Task Delegator: Ask ChatGPT to help you delegate tasks by creating a list of “Who’s Doing What” for Thanksgiving prep, so every family member can contribute according to their abilities and preferences.
  3. Peacekeeper Tips: ChatGPT can offer advice on how to manage any family tensions that might arise. From conversation starters to steer away from sensitive topics, to fun group activities that can lighten the mood. (Politics Panic Prevention!!)
  4. Thanksgiving Playlists: Let ChatGPT help you put together a family-friendly playlist to set the mood for cooking, eating, and enjoying each other’s company. You can ask it to take into account ages, popular songs, or certain genres!

Telling ya…the uses are ENDLESS!! Have you dove into the AI waters?? Tell me how!

 

Gobble gobbleN &

Amber

 

Seen my other ChatGPT posts?

ChatGPT resources for educators- a round up!

Chat GPT for the, ahem, middle aged, professional…

 

ChatGPT resources for educators- a round up!

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I had the opportunity to chat with Leslie Kapuchuck yesterday for her podcast, The Leadership Podium, and we talked leadership, ChatGPT and so much more! She mentioned several of the posts I’ve shared on FB, and I realized that since my FB page isn’t public, I should share here as well! (Turns out it was more than I thought!)

I have LOVED diving into the AI waters and think there is much to be gained in education if we harness its generative power in the right way. We don’t have a problem when Netflix recommends what we should watch next, and that’s a form of AI…why can’t we use it to grow and learn? If you’re not sure how to even get started, let me help, 🙂

  • A TCEA share:
Take a look at #ChatGPT prompts for educators! Learn how to craft your best prompt to maximize your results and get what you’re looking for.
  • 15 strategies to utilize AI:
    1. Use the 80/20 principle to learn faster:
    “I want to learn about [insert topic]. Identify and share the most important 20% of learnings from this topic that will help me understand 80% of it.”
    ________
    2. Improve your writing by getting feedback:
    [paste your writing]
    “Proofread my writing above. Fix grammar and spelling mistakes. And make suggestions that will improve the clarity of my writing”
    ________
    3. Turn ChatGPT into your intern:
    “I am creating a report about [insert topic]. Research and create an in-depth report with a step-by-step guide that will help readers understand how to [insert outcome].”
    ________
    4. Learn any new skill:
    “I want to learn [insert desired skill]. Create a 30 day learning plan that will help a beginner like me learn and improve this skill.”
    ________
    5. Strengthen your learning by testing yourself:
    “I am currently learning about [insert topic]. Ask me a series of questions that will test my knowledge. Identify knowledge gaps in my answers and give me better answers to fill those gaps.”
    ________
    6. Train ChatGPT to generate prompts for you:
    “You are an AI designed to help [insert profession]. Generate a list of the 10 best prompts for yourself.”
    ________
    7. Get ChatGPT to write in your style:
    “Analyze the writing style from the text below and write a 200 word piece guide on [insert topic]”
    [insert your text]
    ________
    8. Learn any complex topic in only a few minutes:
    “Explain [insert topic] in simple and easy terms that any beginner can understand.”
    ________
    9. Generate new ideas:
    “I want to [insert task or goal]. Generate [insert desired outcome] for [insert task or goal].”
    ________
    10. Summarize long documents and articles:
    “Summarize the text below and give me a list of bullet points with key insights and the most important facts.”
    [insert text]
    ________
    11. Solve problems faster:
    [insert problem]
    “Give me a step by step solution to the problem above with clear instructions on how to execute each step.”
    ________
    12. Make better decisions faster:
    “I am trying to decide if I should [insert decision]. Give me a list of pros and cons that will help me decide why I should or shouldn’t make this decision.”
    ________
    13. Get short and insight-packed book summaries:
    “Summarize the book [insert book] by the author [insert author] and give me a list of the most important learnings and insights.”
    ________
    14. Understand things faster by simplifying complex texts.
    “Rewrite the text below and make it easy for a beginner to understand”.
    [insert text]
    ________
    15. Eliminate writer’s block:
    “I’m writing a blog post about [insert topic]. I can’t come up with a catchy title. Give me a list of 5 suggestions for the blog title for this piece.”
    ________
  • ChatGPT Prompts for Educators:
“Create a rubric to grade an eighth-grade informational report on the history and culture of the Cherokee tribal nation.”
“Suggest 10 Chrome extensions for high school students designed to improve productivity while studying.”
“Create a set of eight practice problems for third-grade students learning beginner algebra. Have the problems start out easy and get harder.”
“What promotes student engagement? Identify and summarize articles from trusted sources over the past three years that deal with this subject. The summaries should be 200 words or less each.”
“Create a quiz with five multiple-choice questions that assess [grade four] students’ understanding of [concept being taught].”
“Create a step-by-step guide to instruct [audience] how to [topic]. Include important tips and tricks.”
“Brainstorm 10 content ideas related to [topic] that [your audience like ninth grade students] would find interesting and beneficial.”
“Pretend you are a sixth-grade student. Explain the concept of [insert concept or idea] in simple terms and provide relevant examples of how it can be applied in a real-world situation. Simplify complex terms or concepts.”
“Give me five fun ways to introduce a lesson on the properties of water to fourth grade students.”
  • ChatGPT prompts for Administrators:
“I am interviewing candidates for the role of [insert role]. Create an interview with three rounds that test for the following traits: culture fit, growth mindset, learning ability, and adaptability. Also, create one technical assignment to test their technical ability. Also, add in the answer key for each question so I can evaluate and grade their answers.”
“Act as an expert career coach. I [explain problem]. Give me a list of five solutions that could potentially fix this problem.”
“I need some tips on developing an effective cybersecurity strategy that will address the needs of my [school district or organization]. We have a limited budget of [give amount].”
“Write an email to parents letting them know about the school open house event that is happening on [date] at [time]. Write it to be inviting so that they will want to attend.”
  • ChatGPT Plugins to increase EduProductivity:
1. AskYourPDF
Share a link to a PDF of your choice and ask ChatGPT any questions about that PDF.
It can do everything from summarizing the PDF to answering specific questions about dates, numbers, and facts.
________
2. Wolfram Alpha
Make ChatGPT smarter by giving it access to powerful computation, accurate math, curated knowledge, real-time data and visualization.
________
3. Ambition
Stop spending hours searching for jobs online.
Tell the Ambition plugin what kind of roles you’re looking for, and it will sort through millions of job openings online and share the best ones with you instantly.
________
4. Zapier
Save hours every week by delegating and automating tasks right within ChatGPT.
Do everything from email automation to updating databases with a few short lines of instruction.
________
5. Prompt Perfect
Want to get something from ChatGPT but not sure what prompt to use?
The Prompt Perfect plugin crafts the perfect prompt to help you get the answer you’re looking for.
________
6. Link Reader
This plugin reads the content from all sorts of links – like websites, news articles, Word documents – and answers any questions you have about the content from that link.
________
7. edX
Level up your knowledge by getting content and courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT instantly in ChatGPT.
________
8. Video Insights
Share a link to online videos from websites like YouTube and get insights summarized and delivered in seconds.
________
9. ScholarAI
Unlock powerful scientific knowledge with fast, reliable, and peer-reviewed data at your fingertips.
________
10. Tutory
Access affordable, on-demand tutoring and education right at your fingertips.
________
  • Go past the beginner level on ChatGPT:
1. Improve your decision-making
Prompt:
“I am trying to decide if I should [insert decision]. Give me a list of pros and cons that will help me decide why I should or shouldn’t make this decision.”
________
2. Learn from the best
Prompt:
“Analyze the top performers in [insert your field of work]. Give me a list of the most important lessons I can learn from these top performers to boost my productivity.”
________
3. Create a personalized tutor to accelerate your learning
Prompt:
“I am currently learning about [insert topic]. Ask me a series of questions that will test my knowledge. Identify knowledge gaps in my answers and give me better answers to fill those gaps.”
________
4. Turn ChatGPT into your intern
Sample prompt:
“I am creating a report about [insert topic]. Research and create an in-depth report with a step-by-step guide that will help readers understand how to [insert outcome].”
________
5. Learn any new skill
Prompt:
“I want to learn [insert skill]. Generate a 30 day plan that will help a beginner like me learn the skill from scratch.”
________
6. Create any form of text or content
Sample prompt:
“Topic: How to write persuasively
Audience: Business executives
Format: Speech
Tone: Educational and inspiring
Goal: Inspire the audience to write effectively
Additional instructions: The speech should be under 15 minutes”
________
7. Learn faster than ever with the 80/20 technique
Prompt:
“I want to learn about [insert topic]. Identify and share the most important 20% of learnings from this topic that will help me understand 80% of it.”
________
8. Rewrite and simplify complex texts
“Rewrite the text below in simple and easy to understand words. Simple and easy enough for anyone who doesn’t know the subject to understand what I’m trying to say.”
[insert text]
________
9. Learn faster with insight-packed summaries
Prompt:
“Summarize the text below in no more than 500 words. Create a list of bullet points of the most important learnings, along with brief summaries explaining each point.”
[insert text]
________
10. Get ChatGPT to write prompts for you
Prompt:
“I am a [insert your profession]. Generate a list of the most powerful prompts that will help someone in my profession get more done and save time.”
  • Accelerate your learning by:
1. Improve your writing by getting feedback.
Use this prompt:
[paste your writing]
“Proofread my writing above. Fix grammar and spelling mistakes. And make suggestions that will improve the clarity of my writing”
________
2. Use the 80/20 principle to learn faster than ever.
Prompt:
“I want to learn about [insert topic]. Identify and share the most important 20% of learnings from this topic that will help me understand 80% of it.”
________
3. Learn and develop any new skill.
Prompt:
“I want to learn / get better at [insert desired skill]. I am a complete beginner. Create a 30 day learning plan that will help a beginner like me learn and improve this skill.”
________
4. Get short and insight-packed book summaries.
Prompt:
“Summarize the book [insert book] by the author [insert author] and give me a list of the most important learnings and insights.”
________
5. Get feedback from history’s greatest minds.
Prompt:
“Assume you are [insert famous person e.g. Steve Jobs]. Read my argument below and give me feedback as if you were [insert person again]”
[insert your argument]
________
6. Enhance your problem solving skills.
Prompt:
“Your role is that of a problem solver. Give me a step-by-step guide to solving [insert your problem].”
________
7. Generate new ideas and overcome writers block:
Sample prompt:
“I am writing a blog post about [insert topic]. Give me an outline for this blog post with 10 bullet points. Also give me 5 options for a catchy headline.”
You can adapt this prompt for whatever you’re writing.
________
8. Summarize long texts and accelerate your learning:
Prompt:
“Summarize the text below into 500 words or less. Create sections for each important point with a brief summary of that point.”
[insert text]
________
9. Use stories and metaphors to aid your memory.
Prompt:
“I am currently learning about [insert topic]. Convert the key lessons from this topic into engaging stories and metaphors to aid my memorization.”
________
10. Strengthen your learning by testing yourself.
Prompt:
“I am currently learning about [insert topic]. Ask me a series of questions that will test my knowledge. Identify knowledge gaps in my answers and give me better answers to fill those gaps.”
  • 🤖 POWERFUL classroom ChatGPT prompt:
    “I’m teaching a lesson about <<topic>>. What are common struggles or misconceptions might my students have about that topic?”