Peter, what a wonderful summary of what it is to be a leader. The challenge of helping his organization define what is better and the empowerment and courage to deliver better.
This presentation makes me think of the many public servants and volunteers who work hard to improve our communities yet get very little positive feedback. Our tendency too often is to criticize what we don't like but avoid taking time to recognize and appreciate the things we do. Perhaps this talk will remind us to do more of the latter.
When did superintendents become leaders? When my dad, Ed McGuire, was superintendent of a small school district in South Dakota where I attended 1st-4th grades, he considered himself an administrator. His master's degree was in school administration (very few Ph.D.s worked in schools in the 50s.) I know because we talked about it 35 years later when I went to work in the district where your company acted as a superintendent.
Dad never thought he could lead Mrs. Peterson in anything having to do with 1st grade; he never considered leading Ms. Gaudy's direction of the music program; he had opinions about the sports program because he'd played in high school and college and had coached for several years before getting his master's degree, but he didn't think he was leading the athletic program at the school. He administered the business of the school. He spent his time mostly in the lunchroom, with the janitors, and with the bus drivers. And, he focused on record-keeping - of all aspects of the district. And, making reports to the board based on those records and all of the things he learned from the lunchroom staff, janitors, and bus drivers. Then the board talked about the business of the school. Nobody on the board ever considered making changes to how Mrs Peterson taught 1st grade, how Ms. Gaudy directed the music program, or how Mr. Scott ran the athletic department. That doesn't mean that Mrs. Peterson, Ms. Gaudy, or Mr. Scott never changed anything. They changed what they needed to change and Dad got them the supplies and materials to make those changes.
Peter, what a wonderful summary of what it is to be a leader. The challenge of helping his organization define what is better and the empowerment and courage to deliver better.
This presentation makes me think of the many public servants and volunteers who work hard to improve our communities yet get very little positive feedback. Our tendency too often is to criticize what we don't like but avoid taking time to recognize and appreciate the things we do. Perhaps this talk will remind us to do more of the latter.
When did superintendents become leaders? When my dad, Ed McGuire, was superintendent of a small school district in South Dakota where I attended 1st-4th grades, he considered himself an administrator. His master's degree was in school administration (very few Ph.D.s worked in schools in the 50s.) I know because we talked about it 35 years later when I went to work in the district where your company acted as a superintendent.
Dad never thought he could lead Mrs. Peterson in anything having to do with 1st grade; he never considered leading Ms. Gaudy's direction of the music program; he had opinions about the sports program because he'd played in high school and college and had coached for several years before getting his master's degree, but he didn't think he was leading the athletic program at the school. He administered the business of the school. He spent his time mostly in the lunchroom, with the janitors, and with the bus drivers. And, he focused on record-keeping - of all aspects of the district. And, making reports to the board based on those records and all of the things he learned from the lunchroom staff, janitors, and bus drivers. Then the board talked about the business of the school. Nobody on the board ever considered making changes to how Mrs Peterson taught 1st grade, how Ms. Gaudy directed the music program, or how Mr. Scott ran the athletic department. That doesn't mean that Mrs. Peterson, Ms. Gaudy, or Mr. Scott never changed anything. They changed what they needed to change and Dad got them the supplies and materials to make those changes.