Leading in a Time of Crisis Brad Balch, Indiana State University

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Leading in a Time of CrisisBrad Balch, Indiana
State University
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Wanted School Administrator

• Manage/lead a complex educational organization
• Renew mission, vision, and core values
• Create viable organizational structures and work
  environments
• Allocate wisely, human and fiscal resources
• Handle conflict via adept negotiations,
  compromising, and human relations practices
• Build new and more substantive school-community
  relations

Kimball Sirotnik, 2000
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Mission Impossible!
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Wanted School Administrator

• Lead major school improvement efforts
• Spend no more than 5 to 10 minutes on any given
  task
• Tolerate ambiguity and be comfortable trying to
  control the uncontrollable
• Understand and implement safe schools
  initiatives
• Respect student, faculty and staff rights and be
  familiar with due process and applicable laws

Kimball Sirotnik, 2000
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The Vision!
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Wanted School Administrator

• Understand issues of diversity and deal
  effectively with interest groups and coalitions
• Steward effective instructional supervision
• Do what is necessary with poor teachers
• Help capable teachers become even better
• Demonstrate skill in working with teachers
  unions
• Develop curriculum that is aligned with state
  standards
• Ensure all children learn
• Secure grants and other creative funding
  resources
• Willing to work 15-hour days, six days per week

Kimball Sirotnik, 2000
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Educational Leadership for Dummies?
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Crisis or Renewal???

• Crisis 1) An emergency. 2) A turning point. 3)
  A crucial situation whose outcome decides whether
  possible bad consequences will follow. 4) An
  imperative.
• Renewal 1) To make new or strong again. 2) To
  cause to exist again. 3) To go over again, begin
  again, or repeat. 4) To replace with something
  new. 5) To transform.

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Crisis vs. Renewal

• Shared Mission
• Core Values
• Change Agent
• Collaborator
• Think Inclusively
• Connect Theory and Practice
• Collegiality
• High Professional Standards

• Assertive
• Chain-of-Command
• Coordinated Planning
• Prevention
• Intervention
• Rehearsed Reaction
• Commitment to Restoration
• Lightening Rod

Cambro-McCabe Cunningham, 2002 Hutzler, 2003
Rundle, 2003 Lambert, 1998
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9 Leadership Steps to the Transformational
Imperative

• Create Continuous Learning Opportunities Whats
  working and whats not?
• Promote Inquiry and Dialogue Do we discuss
  difficult issues and remain open to
  giving/receiving feedback?
• Encourage Collaboration and Team Learning Do we
  support the effective functioning of teams that
  cross levels and groups? Do I enable success?
• Create Systems to Capture and Share Learning How
  do we co-create ideas and knowledge?

Watkins Marsick, 1999
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9 Leadership Steps to the Transformational
Imperative

• Empower People Toward a Collective Vision Do we
  have a shared and aligned vision? Do I lead from
  the center?
• Connect the Organization to Its Environment Do
  we operate in isolation?
• Provide Strategic Leadership for Learning Do I
  use learning to move the organization in new
  directions?
• Establish High Expectations for Students Do we
  really believe all kids can learn?

Murphy, 1994 Jones, 1998
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9 Leadership Steps to the Transformational
Imperative

• Balance Personal Well-Being and Work Priorities
• Determine whats important to you.
• Communicate politely yet firmly.
• Learn to say no.
• Do not permit interference.
• Exercise regularly.
• Ensure you and your superiors are aligned.
• Build quiet time into your daily schedule.
• Recognize the limits to efficiency.
• Pay attention to the present.
• Consider time as a tool.

Weber, 1999
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The Lighter Side.