Allan WalkerAllan WalkerThe Chinese University of Hong Kong

Footprints or FingerprintsFootprints or Fingerprints – –What marks a leader?What marks a leader?

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The work of education leadership should be work that is The work of education leadership should be work that is simultaneously intellectual and moralsimultaneously intellectual and moral: an activity characterised : an activity characterised by a blend of human, professional, and civic concerns; a work by a blend of human, professional, and civic concerns; a work of cultivating an environment for learning and that is humanely of cultivating an environment for learning and that is humanely fulfilling and socially responsible.fulfilling and socially responsible.

(Starratt, 2003)..

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What are you What are you known for as a known for as a leader?leader?

Your signatureYour signature

what marks what marks you?you?

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Signature - Signature - what what marks them?marks them?

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An internationally recognized Northern Californian chef and specializes in An internationally recognized Northern Californian chef and specializes in wine country cuisine. He has authored books like 'American Game Cooking: A wine country cuisine. He has authored books like 'American Game Cooking: A Contemporary Guide to preparing Farm-Raised Game Birds and Meats'. Contemporary Guide to preparing Farm-Raised Game Birds and Meats'. Cream Almond Fresh Oysters and Chocolate Truffle Trot are some of his Cream Almond Fresh Oysters and Chocolate Truffle Trot are some of his delicacies that enjoy international acclaim.delicacies that enjoy international acclaim.

What are you known for as a What are you known for as a leader?leader?

What would you like What would you like to be known for?to be known for?

What ‘mark’ do you What ‘mark’ do you want to leave as a want to leave as a leader?leader?

Your signatureYour signature

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WHY?

LEADERSHIP SIGNATURES

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LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS

WELLBEING

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Leader developmentLeader development FrameworkFramework

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FrameworkFramework

LEADERSHIP SIGNATURES

What marks you as a leader?

WHY?

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FrameworkFramework

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LEADERSHIP SIGNATURE

What marks you as a leader?

Leadership fingerprint and/or footprintLeadership fingerprint and/or footprint Pointing the fingerPointing the finger The fading footprintThe fading footprint Putting the foot down Putting the foot down (or embedding the (or embedding the

imprint)imprint)

OutlineOutline

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FingerprintsFingerprints We leave our

fingerprints in the heads and on the hands of students and our society

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FootprintsFootprints

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Leader FootprintsLeader Footprints On On mindsminds, , heartshearts, , conscienceconscience and and soulssouls

Encoded in authentic relationships, caring Encoded in authentic relationships, caring communities, social justice.communities, social justice.

As such that are about morals and ethics.As such that are about morals and ethics.

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LeaderLeader

FingerprintFingerprint Head Hand

ability, competence, skills

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FootprintFootprint Heart Mind Conscience Soul

relationships, beliefs, generativity

The work of education leadership should be work that is simultaneously The work of education leadership should be work that is simultaneously intellectual and moral: an activity characterised by a blend of human, intellectual and moral: an activity characterised by a blend of human,

professional, and civic concerns; a work of cultivating an environment for professional, and civic concerns; a work of cultivating an environment for learning and that is humanely fulfilling and socially responsible.learning and that is humanely fulfilling and socially responsible. (Starratt, 2003)

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•Why are we in the game?

•Why did we become school leaders?

•What do we want to achieve? (and WHY?)

•What does it all mean?

Pointing the fingerPointing the finger That teachers give greater attention to tested content and That teachers give greater attention to tested content and

decrease emphasis on non-tested content. This narrows the decrease emphasis on non-tested content. This narrows the content and skills taught and learned within a discipline. content and skills taught and learned within a discipline.

A high-stakes test pre-empts time and coverage from A high-stakes test pre-empts time and coverage from disciplines not tested. This narrows the curriculum across disciplines not tested. This narrows the curriculum across subject fields.subject fields.

There is a “trickle down” effect. The content and skills covered There is a “trickle down” effect. The content and skills covered on the high-stakes tests at the upper grades displaces the on the high-stakes tests at the upper grades displaces the content and skills of non-tested lower grades, altering the content and skills of non-tested lower grades, altering the curriculum across grades.curriculum across grades.

(Madaus, Russell & Higgins, 2009)

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Pointing the fingerPointing the fingero IS IT ETHICAL?

o What do you as a leader want to be know for?

o What do you want your ‘signature’ dish to be?

o Do you want to be marked only by an indelible academic fingerprint and a barely visible footprint. Or is your purpose as a leader more than this? Does leaving a fingerprint alone allow us to fulfill our purpose?

o What does it mean to be a leader?

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Putting the foot downPutting the foot down

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o Footprints don’t appear from nowhere.o Footprints can’t be manufactured from

boxes, books or bank accounts.o Footprints are not something we leave

when we retireo Footprints come from the day-to-day

and ‘big’ things we do – they are cumulative

o Footprints are about generativity.

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Footprints

Putting the foot downPutting the foot down• Leaders are marked by and model moral purpose Leaders are marked by and model moral purpose

and alignmentand alignment• Leaders are marked by how they manage dilemmasLeaders are marked by how they manage dilemmas• Leaders are marked by and model moral literacyLeaders are marked by and model moral literacy• Leaders are marked through the relationships they Leaders are marked through the relationships they

build, mobilise and sustainbuild, mobilise and sustain• Leaders are marked by their passion, energy and Leaders are marked by their passion, energy and

integrityintegrity• Leaders are marked by the multiple tastes they Leaders are marked by the multiple tastes they

championchampion• Leaders are marked by the networks they inhabit, Leaders are marked by the networks they inhabit,

build and stimulatedbuild and stimulated• Leaders are marked by their authenticity.Leaders are marked by their authenticity.

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Putting the foot down – Putting the foot down – everything works togethereverything works together

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Putting the foot downPutting the foot down

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…effective (school) cultures establish more and more progressive interactions in which demanding processes produce both good ideas and social cohesion. A sense of moral purpose is fuelled by a focus on value-added high expectations for all, raising capability, pulling together, and an ongoing hunger for

improvement. (Fullan, 2005)

Moral Purpose

Ethical DilemmasPutting the foot downPutting the foot down

Individual

Care

Truth/justice

Long-term

Development

Common Good

Rules

Loyalty

Short-term

Status Quo

right right

Putting the foot downPutting the foot down

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Involves complex skills and abilities:Involves complex skills and abilities:

1.1. To recognize moral problems and to assess the To recognize moral problems and to assess the complex issues that they raise;complex issues that they raise;

2.2. To evaluate moral problems from many perspectives;To evaluate moral problems from many perspectives;

3.3. To assess disagreements on and proposed To assess disagreements on and proposed responses to these problems;responses to these problems;

4.4. To choose to act with wisdom and responsibilityTo choose to act with wisdom and responsibility. . (Tuana, (Tuana,

2007)2007)

Moral Literacy

Putting the foot downPutting the foot down

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Ethics SensitivityEthics Sensitivity The ability to recognize moral problems and appreciate The ability to recognize moral problems and appreciate

the full significance of an ethical situation.the full significance of an ethical situation.

Ethical Reasoning SkillsEthical Reasoning Skills The ability to evaluate moral problems through an The ability to evaluate moral problems through an

understanding of the major ethical frameworksunderstanding of the major ethical frameworks

Moral Imagination Moral Imagination The ability to understand and analyze a wide range of The ability to understand and analyze a wide range of

disagreements about and proposed responses to these disagreements about and proposed responses to these problems.problems.

Moral Literacy

(Tuana, 2007)(Tuana, 2007)

Putting the foot downPutting the foot down• The art of calling others to seek the truth as to what it means The art of calling others to seek the truth as to what it means

to be human; to explore the essence of being, to discover the to be human; to explore the essence of being, to discover the spiritual chemistry of relationships, to make judgments about spiritual chemistry of relationships, to make judgments about significance, rightness, wrongness. (significance, rightness, wrongness. (Duignan, 2007)Duignan, 2007)

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Relationships

• What relationships flourish in my school, my life?

• Do I trust those I work with? Do they trust me?

• Do I know those I work with, even if they are from a ‘different place’?

Openness, trust, affirmation, invitation,

freedom, consensual

Putting the foot downPutting the foot down• Leadership is passion. Without passion, a person will have Leadership is passion. Without passion, a person will have

very little influence as a leader. I believe passion provides an very little influence as a leader. I believe passion provides an individual with the light of leadership and creates an individual with the light of leadership and creates an undeniable drive to make a difference.undeniable drive to make a difference.

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What are you passionate about?What keeps you awake at night?What will you fight for?What do you bore people with?What will you argue with your boss about?Are you resilient and ‘fit to lead’?

Passion, energy

Integrity

Putting the foot downPutting the foot down

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What do you champion?

Are you seen as a champion?

Why do you champion ‘that’?

Champion

Putting the foot downPutting the foot down

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Inhabit, build

stimulate

What learning networks are you in?

Why are you in them?

What do you contribute to them?

Which networks should you be in?

Do you help others get into worthwhile networks?

Putting the foot downPutting the foot down

Respects others Respects others Serves othersServes others Shows justiceShows justice Manifests honestyManifests honesty Builds communityBuilds community

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Authenticity

We have found a strange footprint on the shores of the unknown. We have devised profound theories, one after another, to account for its origins. At last, we have succeeded in reconstructing the creature that made the footprint. And lo! It is our own. "

Arthur Eddington

Footprints or Fingerprints –Footprints or Fingerprints –What marks your leadership?What marks your leadership?

Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints

Allan WalkerAllan WalkerThe Chinese University of Hong Kong

Footprints or FingerprintsFootprints or Fingerprints – –What marks a leader?What marks a leader?

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