In Phenix City Schools (PCS), everyone is a leader.
Regardless of what you do, regardless of title or position, we are all
leaders. Everyone can make a
difference. What we do will have an
impact, even to point that our actions will be reflected in our collective
legacy.
On this third Monday morning of the school year, think about your
personal-best experiences; experiences that reflect your best
individual standards of excellence. What
did you do? What did you say? How did
you act?
In PCS, for us to make extraordinary things happen, and this is true
in any organization, we must:
- Model the Way
- Inspire a Shared Vision
- Challenge the Process
- Enable Others to Act
- Encourage the Heart
Model the Way
Leadership is not about who you are but it is about what you do. Titles are granted, but it is your behavior
that earns you respect. At all times, we
are expected to act like leaders; to model the way. We are expected to lead by example and not
command. The number one key to
successful leadership is credibility.
Make certain that your actions add to your stature and do not take away.
Inspire a Shared Vision
Every organization, every social movement, begins with a dreams. The dream, or vision, is the force that
creates the future. Leaders envision the
future by imagining exciting and enabling possibilities. As we STEM-form our system, just as an
architect draws a blueprint or an engineer builds a model, we all need to have
a clear vision of what the results should look like before starting the project. Do not worry if the vision is not clear. We are a work in progress and will continue
to build and reveal our vision. Also, know
that you cannot command commitment; you have to inspire it. Have the vision
(Schools of Inquiry, Innovation, and Impact) in mind and be clear about why it
is important to you. Be able to tell
others why it should matter to them, as well.
Clear goals, vision and a positive difference are necessary to get
others to buy in.
Challenge the Process
To achieve your personal-best, you must change from the status quo. No one claims such success by keeping things
the same. (We know that we must stop the trend – meat, poultry and fish cutters
and cashiers. We can and will STEM students out of poverty!) Our challenges
have been implementing innovative technologies (iPads grades 6-8), inquiry-based
pedagogy via Investigations math programs, cutting-edge curriculum per Carnegie
Learning, and unique progress monitoring and student tracking of standards by
means of MasteryConnect.
All successful leaders had to overcome uncertainty and fear to achieve
their best; so must an organization. Leaders
must venture out; not sit idly waiting for fate to smile on them. Be a trailblazer; a pioneer. Make something happen. Be STEM-tastic at what you do. Become the STEM boss of your hall. Take risk.
Do not be afraid of failure (FAIL – first attempt in learning). It is a given – if you try, you will fail. Proceed anyway. Stay the course. Generate small wins. Move methodically. Incrementally move tasks
and projects forward.
Digression of a methodical nature:
A colleague of ours wanted to know where the STEM-ology came from and in
to being. I took him back to Perdido
Beach and an informal, less than a quorum, inquiry of Board Members, summer
2015. From Perdido to Dr. Marcia Burke,
to Savanah’s STEM Academy, to Fort Payne, to Piedmont, then to Board in
December 2014, request to the City in the winter of 2015, formation of the STEM
Committee, consultation with architects which moved from wall-removal to new
10,000 square foot facility, visit with STEM vendors, creation of FOPCS to raise
$50,000 which ballooned to $1.1 million, to meetings of 30 on June 2 and 100 on
June 18, pasted with professional
development, new hires, mucho research and gift giving.
Know that the best leaders are the best learners and life is their laboratory. Be ye doers!
Enable Others to Act
We must lead by empowering those around us. Give power away. Show trust in others in order to build their
trust in you. Constituents will neither perform
at their best nor stick around if you make them feel weak, dependent or alienated
(teacher retention). If you are the one doing all of the talking and
demonstrating, learning is limited.
Encourage the Heart
The climb to the top is arduous and steep, but the views are
STEM-tacular! You will become tire,
frustrated, disenchanted and may be tempted to give up. Genuine acts of caring draw people forward. Recognition is the most powerful currency you
have and it cost you nothing. We must recognize others and celebrate victories and do so often.
