Wednesday, December 12, 2012

My Take on “Model the Way ”_Part 2



Last week’s reflection on the first of the five practices of exemplary leadership: Model the Way provided some clarity on my personal principles and values that guided my actions in my leadership journey. To Model the way includes both clarifying of values by finding your voice and affirming shared values and setting the example by aligning personal actions with shared values (an important approach to personal development) and teach others to model the principles and values. Now that I have a clearer sense of my personal principles and values, this week’s reflection is to make sure that I set the example by aligning my personal words and deeds – on following through and demonstrating how I live my principles and values.

Below is a recap of the three principles which I am focusing on and the values I hold to achieve these principles (to gain trust, to develop potential and to achieve excellence).


The authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner highlighted some significant actions that I may undertake to enhance my own style of leadership, including how I spend my time and attention, the language I use, how I deal with critical incidents and my openness to feedback.

So, what does that mean to me? I too strongly believe that leadership practice starts with me – more specifically from within me! I need to have clearly articulated principles and values (my “why to do’s”) and be able to apply practices (my “what to do’s”) based on these principles and values. In this way, I will be able to earn and sustain personal credibility as acting head of department by having both character and competences. Of the four practices highlighted above, I will attempt to speak on two of them, namely on how I spend my time and attention and my openness to feedback.

The behavior and actions of leaders send a clear message to others about what is important and what is merely lip service. For example, as excellence is one of my key principles, I spend my own time and commitment to (academic and leadership) excellence in pursuit of continuous learning. In striving for academic excellence, learning might be through my own experiences in the classroom or it might be by participating in learning teams or workshops to support implementing, evaluating and expanding on my instructions that keeps my pupils engaged in learning. As for growth in leadership excellence, it might be through my own readings or it might be through practicing reflection on a weekly basis in the midst of my professional practice.
 

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Playing Rolling Ball



My previous reflection on Work and Family (2 November 2011) focuses on constant juggling between parenting, teaching and leadership in which each informs me of the other, and each also strengthens the other. My main challenge highlighted then is to maintain this attitude that each of the three facets (parenting, teaching and leadership) complements each other with my growing roles and responsibilities. Below is an example of how parenting informs me of how values can conflict with habits.

During school days, I will normally do my work during weekdays and always make it a point to go out with my family every weekend, often for a walk or bike ride in the park or to do some shopping or having a meal to build better relationship with them. This school holiday, having spent much time out-doors with my family during the weekdays, we decided to stay at home for the weekends. Inevitably, my younger child would try to get me to play ball with him. Habitually, I will respond, “Well, where do you want to go to play ball?”

On hearing that, he will respond, “nowhere!” and goes off to play “in-door” ball with his brother. He didn’t get to play rolling soft-ball and have fun rolling them with me at home.

After that incident, I decided to change my response. No matter when it is, whether it is outdoor or at home, there are many choices of play activities for the family. What was important is that these played activities choices are fun and enjoyable for the family. Otherwise, I will not having any good memories of “playing roll ball” with my younger kid!  

Thursday, December 6, 2012

My Take on “Model the Way”



My readings on The Leadership Challenge provides me as a basis for my learning to better lead and engage my teachers as I journey into my new leadership role as head of department.

The first of the five practices of exemplary leadership: Model the Way helps me reaffirm my beliefs to the question “Leadership Philosophy – Is it necessary?” blogged in my previous reflection (27 Sept 2011). That is to be able to express what my leadership philosophy is help me to connect what I say with what I do.

To Model the way is to clarify values by finding your voice and affirming shared values and set the example by aligning personal actions with shared values.

The authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner asserted that the first step to take along to become an exemplary leader is to discover your personal values and beliefs. Then, to define a set of principles that guides your decisions and actions and finds a way to express them in your own words, not in someone else’s. The leader must find his/her Voice.

Yet the leader doesn’t just speak for himself/herself. He/she also speak for his/her team and the school. Therefore, the leader must understand and appreciate the values of his/her team/school and find a way to affirm shared values. This way, the leader gives people a reason to care, not simply orders to follow.

Finally, the leader must be able to stand up for his/her beliefs. He /She practice what he/she preach. He /She show others by his/her actions that he/she lives by the values he/she profess. He /She also ensure that others adhere to the values that have been agreed upon. It is consistency between words and actions that build credibility.

So, what does that mean to me? Before I begin to examine the values and what principles I feel as most important that have guided my actions in my leadership journey, I will like to be clear and be able to distinguish between principles and values, mentioned many times in the book. I found that Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, provides a clear definition of principles and values. Principles, unlike values, are objectives and external. They operate in obedience to natural laws, regardless of conditions. Values are subjective and internal. Values are like maps while principles are like compass. Maps are not the territories but are only subjective attempts to describe or represent the territory. Principles are guidelines for human conduct that are proven to have an enduring, permanent value. They appear in many forms of values, ideas, norms and teachings that fulfill, empower and inspire others. The more closely our values are aligned with correct principles – with the realities of the territory, with things as they really are – the more accurate and useful they will be.

Through this exercise, I came to realize that while I finally centered on three main principles – of Trust, Potential and Excellence, I hold many values to achieve these principles (to gain trust, to develop potential and to achieve excellence) and at time some of these values will be in conflict with others. For example, if I am to focus on the principle of excellence, at the high end of the spectrum, I see teachers with discipline attaining high quality achievements for our pupils. But it may also lead to teachers with no real trust produced by such school climates. In my decision process, I need to weigh such values as achievement, discipline and quality against competences, integrity and teamwork for my teachers. This kind of conflict is indeed unavoidable. For now, it is more important for me to have a greater understanding of my priorities of my principles and values so that I can better resolve the inevitable conflicts.