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Trailblazing Leadership
Trailblazing Leadership Today, Trailblazers are the people that innovate or pioneer. Historically, trailblazing was the practice of cutting marks in trees to define routes and paths. Trailblazers are often seen as heroes, but the act of blazing a trail wasn’t about the person making the mark, it was about leaving
A Modern Leadership Fable
Micah was CEO. On a cold Thursday afternoon, she had an idea. She knew that it was a great idea, the sort of idea that could change her life and the life of everyone in the company she ran. Micah was pumped. Micah spent Friday and the weekend thinking about
The Three Biggest Problems With Your People
They don’t listen They don’t remember Nothing changes Those problems are your problems because: Your message isn’t getting across You can’t move forward with change You’re ineffective in your role Those all relate back to the influence you have on the people around you. Your lack of influence isn’t the
Building a Cultural Narrative
“Some schools have the vision on the wall, few have it in their heart and soul.” Edwards and Martin, 2016. What makes your school unique? What are your values, what is your vision and how do you embed it in your culture? Is it engaging, meaningful and attractive to staff,
We Learn Best Socially
Miley Harris uses the story of Pete the Cat to teach her Year 2 class about resilience. Matiu Cross uses learning buddies to tutor other Year 5 students on how to find lines of symmetry in an object. The reason both strategies are effective is because they rely on the social
Don’t Make Friends with Students Make Connections
At the start of the school year do you look for common links with your students? Do you find similarities where you have a shared interest such as swimming or you live in the same part of town, or you’ve taught their older brother or sister? Finding common ground with
What we Tell our Children is What they Become
Do you remember the teacher that told you that you were capable of amazing things? The one that painted a picture of a capable, talented, inspiring individual. Or are your memories of a teacher that slammed your art project, knocked your writing piece or shattered your dreams of becoming a
Your Ability to Connect is Fluid
In my teens I remember my Dad being a very quiet, grumpy sort of a man. He didn’t say a lot, he had few close friends and he wasn’t very social or outgoing. When I look back I know that he was under a lot of financial and work pressure,
Connection before Curriculum
In a remote school in Northland a principal was doing things very differently. In this school, te reo Māori was used in interactions with pupils, kaumātua were regularly invited to address the students and ākonga worked on real problems drawn from their local community. The community and the natural environment