What are you going to do? A Leadership Recipe for Success

It doesn't matter where you work, what your title is, or what you do, you can lead. You can be one of the people that others look to for guidance, modelling, and/or answers. Whether others look to you or not, you'll have to make decisions, whether it's on your own or collaboratively. Improve yourself and your leadership by improving your leadership skills, understanding your locus of control, knowing what your core values are, and being authentic to yourself and others.

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Want to improve upon your leadership skills, check out the graphic below.

There are tons of resources on the internet that you can find and use to develop your leadership skills and mindset. Don't want to do this alone? Reach out to 2-3 leaders you respect/admire and ask them to mentor you. How do they lead? What do they do when decisions need to be made? A couple of questions for you to reflect on as you observe and learn.

Read, listen, watch, talk...do what you need to do to grow and develop. 

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When they look at you, what are you going to do? When something goes wrong, what are you going to do? When you see an injustice, what are you going to do?

Know what is in your control and start from there. 

You certainly don't want "...a lifetime of frustration and misery." so take advantage of what is in your control - how you treat others, how you treat yourself, and how you think and feel. Set yourself up so that you can push away the things you can't control (how others treat each other, how others treat you, how others feel) as you respond to a situation. 

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Know what you value, communicate that to others in your actions and your words. Make them a priority and know that when you honor them and live by them, it will reduce chaos in your mind and help you sleep better at night. 

Not sure what you value or struggle to name them? Check out this great list by Brene Brown. As you learn and unlearn on your journey, your values could change. So it's important that you revist and reflect on them often.

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Last but not least, if you if you don't know what to do, don't pretend like you know. Don't ignore the situation. Do something. Even it means declaring that you are unsure, you are doing something. 

I totally disagree with faking it until you make it. How about you acknowledge where you are and make a plan that will help you learn and/or understand something better. Here is a great article on alternatives to faking it until making it. 

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Take time to reflect on where you are at on your leadership journey and what you can do to boost yourself. It doesn't matter what your role is, improving your leadership skills, understanding your locus of control, knowing what your core values are, and being authentic to yourself and others is going to benefit you no matter where you are or what you do. What are you going to do? You are going to get better!

If you are an Ontario educator and interested in a formal leadership position, make sure to check out the Ontario Leadership Framework or the Ontario Catholic Leadership Framework. Become familiar with the framework, reflect on the work you do and whether it aligns with the framework, do the work and connect it to the framework!! 

Reach out if you have questions/comments.

Leadership Actions

Anyone can talk about being a leader. Talk is good - it's a step in the right direction - but action is needed. 

From my perspective, there are all kinds of things I can do to grow as a leader. 

First and foremost, I believe it is important that I do things that I am interested in. Learning how to lead is best accomplished when it is connected to something I am passionate about and willing to invest my time and energy in. 

My interests in leveraging technology, the use of social media, and diversity, equity, and inclusion have provided me with ample opportunities to learn and lead. Using my interests as a foundation, I have been developing my leadership skills by practicing discipline, taking on more at advanced levels, inspiring others, being open to learning and unlearning, and networking to build a variety of relationships and connections. 

The leadership work directly connected with my interests have allowed me to apply what I am learning to areas that I don't necessarily have interests in but are necessary in my line of work. As a formal leader, there are lots of areas that require leadership so picking and choosing where and when to lead isn't an option. When decisions need to be made, and action needs to be taken, there is no room to waiver. 

The more familiar I can be with the basics, the more automatic it will be for me to apply my knowledge and skills when I am faced with any opportunity to make decisions and take the lead in situations/activities. 

What matters most is that I am engaging in constant learning and reflection on the skills and practices that are needed to lead. There will always be time to talk about what it means to be a leader and what might need to be done to lead BUT without action, none of that stuff will matter. 

Interests --> learn ---> lead by talk and action ---> assess ---> shift, if needed ---> repeat!

My Learning and Leadership this School Year

It has been a great school year for me. In my role as a re-engagement teacher I got to visit and work at many different schools, meet lots of new people, and teach a lot of awesome kids. 

I collaborated my guts out - in a very different way that how I did it when I was a classroom teacher. 

I communicated with many people, in a variety of ways.

I had to think critically about many different and difficult situations which lead to innovative and creative solutions (some worked and some didn't).

I was constantly learning. Learning about policies and procedures, culture (big c and small c), how the "system" works (or at least how it is perceived to work), mental health, and about myself. 

I grew in my Faith as I talked the talk and walked the walk. I made a point of being aware of my spirituality and made it a priority. Keeping my faith front and center helped ME and made me a better teacher for my students, consultant for the teachers I worked with, and a guide for parents.

I led. Using the Catholic School Level Leadership Framework as my guide, I took every opportunity to lead and learn more about leadership. 

In terms of setting directions, I was part of a small team (we called ourselves the Unicorn Sqaud) that created the framework for our Board's re-engagement initiative. We identified short and long term goals, created high expectations for ourselves, and communicated our vision and goals to those we worked with and served. Using Ministry expectations, we established processes that would maximize resources and help students out in the best possible ways.

With respect to building relationships and developing people, I provided support and demonstrated consideration for the staff members I worked with, modeled the values and practices that consider what is best for student learning and well being, and built trusting relationships with and among students, staff, and parents.

In terms of developing the organization to support desired practices, I helped build a collaborative culture with the staff I worked with, worked with people in a way that demonstrated the value I place on their thoughts and opinions to help build collaborative practice, established productive relationships with families and other stakeholder in the educational community, and maintained my presence and involvement as a safe and healthy one. 

With respect to improving the instructional program, I provided teachers and parents with instructional support, monitored progress of student learning and improvement, and communicated effective relevant information about effective programming to students, teachers, and parents. 

In terms of securing accountability, I continued to build a sense of internal accountability in myself with respect to how I managed my professional time and ensured that when I was not satisfied with my work I would consult with my co-workers, supervisor, and mentors in order to find satisfaction and pride. When it comes to meeting the demands for external accountability, I provided the appropriate reports to my Principal and Supervisory Officer when requested to do so. Also, I shared my plans and process with people connected to the students I was working with - the students themselves, classroom teachers, special education teachers, guidance counsellors, vice principals, principals, and parents. 

It was an amazing year of learning and leading. I worked with students in grades 7-12 this year and look forward to continuing to work as a re-engagement teacher next year working with students in grade 7-9.

A successful school year, in no small part due to the support of my wife and children, my mentors Principal Carla Santomero and Principal Paul Gladding, and Father Cruz, pastor at St. John's Catholic Church.

Becoming a Better Person for Others: Faith into Action

I've been thinking a lot about Social Justice and my work as a re-engagement teacher lately. In my travels this year, I feel like I a have been putting my faith into action more than ever before. My day to day interactions tend to involve working with people who are struggling, in more ways than one. For a variety of reasons (e.g. poverty, racism, identity, learning differences, family dynamics, social issues, mental health, etc) the experience of "school" is one that they are not fully invested in or have walked away from. As I work with each student and learn more about them, I am humbled to be part of their narrative, to do what I can to build them up and assist them in finding a pathway that works for who they are and/or who they want to become.  

I recently read an article that resonates with my current job and my reflections on how I am serving others. Written by Joe Paprocki, it is entitled Social Justice - Catholic Social Teaching. The article is short and sweet but power packed for me. Paprocki recalls hearing over and over again in school that he was to become a man for others - one who would translate his faith into action and tend to the needs of others, particularly those who are less fortunate. He refers to a document entitled "Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Direction" that was written by the bishops of the United States as a guide to help put faith into action. The document outlines seven principles of social justice in Catholic teaching that can be followed in order to discover how to live as people for others. For the purposes of this blog post, I would like to focus on the following four principles:

1. Dignity of the Human Person

2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation

3. Rights and Responsibilities

4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

As I consider the four principles listed above, I wonder how have I been translating my faith into action, how my thoughts and actions connect to the Catholic leadership framework, and what I need to work on to become a better man for others. I will explore the answers to my wonderings below. 

Dignity of the Human Person

Faith into action: How do I treat people? How do I show them respect? We are all God's children - no matter our position. I think that I generally treat people well. I give them the benefit of the doubt and I enter into situations with an open mind. I try and come from a place of wonder and compassion and I listen so I can understand and offer suggestions for support. 

Catholic leadership framework: Building Relationships and Developing People ~ Leaders listen to ideas, are open to them, and genuinely considering their value. Leaders demonstrate respect, care, and personal regard for one another. Treating people with dignity helps build trusting relationships.

Next steps: I need to continue to consider how I will deal with people who don't reciprocate an openness to me. I am learning not to take things personally and to remember that I am in a privileged position within a system and society that may not "see" the people that I am trying to help.

Call to Family, Community, and Participation

Faith into action: We are called to support the family so people can participate in society, build community, and promote well being. I spend most of my time with students but I actively communicate with their parents to provide academic updates, ask questions, and provide suggestions/support. If my support is not enough, I connect the family to the social worker that is part of the re-engagement team and together, we work to move in a positive direction. 

Catholic leadership framework: Building Relationships and Developing People ~ Leaders are easily accessible to students and parents and have frequent, meaningful interactions with students and parents in order to further the academic goals. Developing the Organization to Support Desired Practices ~ Leaders create an environment in which parents are welcomed, respected and valued as partners in their children’s learning, demonstrate the type of leadership that parents can trust - confident, systematic and attentive, work directly with families of diverse backgrounds to help them provide their children with support in the home that will contribute to their success at school, and help connect families to the wider network of social services as needed.

Next steps: I need to continue to hone my understanding of my role so that I can tend to the needs of the families I serve but not overstep in areas that require more specialized assistance. I want to make sure that I refer my student's and families to the people that are trained to provide them with what they need to be active participants in their communities. 

Rights and Responsibilities

Faith into action: we are called to protect the rights that people have to things that are required to have a decent life (food, clothing, shelter). I consider education to be one of those rights. I learn about each of my students and the situation that they are in. As I collaborate with schools to assist my students I inform them of what options are available to them and the responsibilities that come with each option. The students don't always know what their rights are so I ensure that they are informed so they can assist in making decisions about their education. 

Catholic leadership framework: Securing accountability ~ Leaders promote collective responsibility and accountability for student achievement and well-being. Improving the instructional program ~ Leaders give priority to identifying those students most in need of additional support. Developing the organization to support desired practices ~ Leaders  help connect families to the wider network of social services as needed.

Next steps: It is important for me to continue to work with school staff to learn about the intricacies of each student case that I am responsible for. The more I know the better I can inform. Being honest with my students will also build trusting relationships. It is important for students to be active participants in their education. 

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

Faith into action: we are called to pay attention to the needs of the poor. Some of the students/families I work with belong to low income households. The lack of finances adds another layer of stress and causes priorities to shift. In these situations, I take great care to be compassionate and as helpful as I can be while respecting the wishes of the students/families. The schools are always helpful in these situations and will provide for the families if they are ok with it. I can't "fix" this for people but I can certainly be supportive and connect the students/families with people who can help more than I can. 

Catholic leadership framework: Developing the Organization to Support Desired Practices ~ Leaders create an environment in which parents are welcomed, respected and valued as partners in their children’s learning, demonstrate the type of leadership that parents can trust - confident, systematic and attentive, work directly with families of diverse backgrounds to help them provide their children with support in the home that will contribute to their success at school, and help connect families to the wider network of social services as needed. Building relationships and developing people ~ Leaders create and sustain a caring Catholic school culture, model responsibility, integrity and thoroughness in carrying out tasks, act in ways that consistently reflect the school’s core values and priorities in order to establish trust, demonstrate respect for students and parents by listening to their ideas, being open to those ideas, and genuinely considering their value, and demonstrate respect, care and personal regard for students and parents.

Next steps: As I stated above, this is not something I can "fix" but building trusting relationships with people by being respectful and authentic is a constant goal that I work toward. Connecting students/families from low income households with the right community supports is a start. I can do my part by assisting with academics in a way that works for the student based on their particular life situation and needs. I can be a liaison between the family and the school and I can connect the student and family with the social worker on my team. These situations are not easy to navigate but tend to get better when they know my role and see that my actions and words are aligned. 

As a Catholic teacher/leader, it is important for me to continue to grow and serve the students, families, and staff that I work with. Actioning my faith provides alignment between what I believe and how I act. Checking in on the Catholic Leadership Framework guides me with respect to how I lead and what I need to work on in order to grow as a Catholic leader. 

Taking the time to reflect is key. It is what provides me with the data I need to stay on my current course or change direction. Minor adjustments are inevitable. They are made as I continue to learn how to be a better person and how to lead. 

Leadership Portfolio: Reflect, Connect, Learn

When I started my teaching career way back in 2000, my professional portfolio was a big binder full of artifacts of my learning. It was a bunch of "stuff" that I used to show others what my learning journey looked like. That binder also included "leadership" artifacts. I combined the two at that time. 

A bunch of artifacts, but no reflections attached to them...until I participated in Part 2 of the Leadership development course in my school board. During this course, emphasis was placed on creating/revisiting/re-imagining a portfolio connected to our leadership journey. We were provided with ideas and emphasis was placed on engaging with an idea in a way that worked for each individual. That is when I decided to ditch the binder of artifacts and create what I have here today:

A blog where I reflect on leadership opportunities/experiences as they connect to the Catholic Leadership Framework and the goals of my school board. 

My participation in leading school/board/provincial initiatives is great and I can list all kinds of things I have done and been part of BUT thinking about what I learned from those experiences and how they help my leadership journey are the gold nuggets for me. 

Let me provide an example of  how I reflect on what I have done and how I learn more about my leadership style, capacity, and continued growth. 

Artifact of Leadership

After I completed the Part 2 leadership course, I was invited back to speak to Part 2 participants about my Leadership Portfolio - my blog and why I decided to use this format to track my leadership journey. The presentation I provided to the participants is a leadership artifact for me. I was invited to speak to a group of people about something I was doing - a great example of me stepping up to try something new, scaffold the process for others, to lead them to try something new, and a way to gain confidence in my leadership ability/skills. 

Connection to my Board's Goals and the Catholic Leadership Framework 

For me, it was pretty awesome to be invited to speak to participants of the Leadership course about my portfolio. Someone thought it would be great for me to do this and I did it!! I could now list this experience as an artifact of me "leading". Well, so what? 

"Leadership is the exercise of influence on organizational members and diverse stakeholders toward the identification and achievement of the organization’s vision and goals." - this is listed at the top of the Catholic Leadership Framework document. 

This is the part of my process where I reflect on what I did and how I was able to positively influence my colleagues towards my board's goals with respect to leadership development. Speaking to the course participants about my portfolio choice, my process, and the benefits to my leadership and learning provided them with "real life" application and one more option for them to consider as they journey toward leadership. My presentation to the participants of the course aligned with the goals of the district with respect to their leadership development strategy and provided me with an opportunity lead. 

I will get to my learning after I make a connection to the Catholic Leadership Framework.

With respect to the Leadership Framework, I could make a number of connections but for the purposes of this blog post, I am going to focus on the 'Building Relationships and Developing People' pillar. 

When I look at the leadership indicators under the 'building relationships' pillar, my presentation connects with the following:

• encourage staff to reflect on what they are trying to achieve and how they are doing it 
• lead discussion about the merits of current and alternative practices
• facilitate an opportunity for staff to learn from each other 
• suggest new ideas for learning 
• encourage staff to develop and review their own goals for professional growth and the relationship of those goals to board goals and priorities 
• encourage staff to try new practices that are consistent with both their interests and board goals
• demonstrate the importance of continuous learning through visible engagement in my own professional learning
• exemplify, through my actions, the board’s core values and its desired practices  

For me, making connections to the Framework provides an awareness of how my experiences align with the what is expected from Catholic leaders in Ontario. As I make connections to the Framework I also become more familiar with the indicators so I can consider incorporating them in the work that I do.  

The Learning

I've identified a leadership activity that I lead/engaged in and reflected on how it connects to Board goals and the Catholic Leadership Framework. So, what have I learned from reflecting on my experience??

• I can present my work to others and the more I do, the greater my confidence to speak to groups will grow. This is important for me because I believe it is an important skill as I work on positively influencing the people I work with to do great work.
• Leaders in my school board value my work and believe others can benefit from it. The relationships I establish with people in my district are important for my learning and hopefully for their learning as well. 
• I am in alignment with my Board's goals and the indicators listed in the Catholic Leadership Framework. It is important for me to innovate and take risks by trying new things but it is also important that I am working towards a collective goal to improve staff and student achievement. 
• I have things to work on. I need to continue to engage in leadership activities, reflect on what I did well and what I need to improve on. I speak about my lived experience but how can I improve on my communication skills to better deliver my message??

This is it, folks. This blog is how I process my leadership experiences. It's all about reflecting, connecting, and learning. The artifacts are just a small part for me. I mean, it is important to refer to the ACTIVITIES I engage in to demonstrate that I am putting in the work BUT the real work for me involves the REFLECTION on the ACTIVITIES and the LEARNING that comes from them.

Do you have a leadership portfolio? How are you learning more about you as a leader? I'd love to hear from you about your process!