Innovative Leadership: First, the Basics Redmond, Washington July 19, 2005 Dr. Yvonne Caamal Canul, Director Office of School Improvement Michigan Department

Innovative Leadership: Innovative Leadership: First, the BasicsFirst, the Basics

Redmond, WashingtonRedmond, WashingtonJuly 19, 2005July 19, 2005

Dr. Yvonne Caamal Canul, DirectorDr. Yvonne Caamal Canul, DirectorOffice of School ImprovementOffice of School Improvement

Michigan Department of EducationMichigan Department of Education

Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teacher’s Forum

AssumptionsAssumptions You are innovators, leadership is inherent You are innovators, leadership is inherent

in that rolein that role Innovare - to make new, renew – Innovare - to make new, renew – from from

withinwithin Innovation doesn’t need to be complicatedInnovation doesn’t need to be complicated Environments can foster innovationEnvironments can foster innovation Leaders influence their environments Leaders influence their environments Environments that foster innovation have Environments that foster innovation have

basic characteristicsbasic characteristics

Leadership Leadership Innovation: Innovation: The BasicsThe Basics RelationshipsRelationships RitualsRituals ResearchResearch

Rituals

Relationships

Research

RelationshipsRelationships Everyone is a potential ally, Everyone is a potential ally,

everything a potential everything a potential sparkspark

Relationships - Relationships - connecting connecting people, situations, ideaspeople, situations, ideas

Relationships -Relationships -Role of the SoulRole of the Soul

Find your authentic self, be Find your authentic self, be humanhuman let people know you, laughlet people know you, laugh

Lead from WithinLead from Within lead with lightlead with light

Organizational value formulaOrganizational value formula value = positivityvalue = positivity

Organizational Value Formula

The amount of work you contribute to the organization

- (minus)

The amount you complain about the amount of work you contribute

= (equals)

Your Value to the Organization

Relationships- Relationships- Influence and Influence and

ConnectionsConnections Sphere of influence is Sphere of influence is

symbioticsymbiotic you get what you giveyou get what you give

Understand the nature of Understand the nature of connectivityconnectivity nothing exists in isolation nothing exists in isolation

““Uno nunca sabe para quien Uno nunca sabe para quien trabajatrabaja”” - Power Shifts - Power Shifts

RelationshipsRelationships – – Responsibility to OthersResponsibility to Others

Relationships define area of Relationships define area of engagementengagement broader definition, greater capacity broader definition, greater capacity

New relationships increase New relationships increase responsibility to new agenda responsibility to new agenda – increases potential for new – increases potential for new ideasideas finding common ground, finding common ground,

giving/gettinggiving/getting

Relationships –Relationships – MentorshipMentorship

Everyone has a story, listen to itEveryone has a story, listen to it Empower othersEmpower others

identify your leaders within, mentor themidentify your leaders within, mentor them

Build an expansive constituency Build an expansive constituency basebase there are no enemies there are no enemies

RitualsRituals

Ritual as MetaphorRitual as Metaphor Routines, events, activities, and Routines, events, activities, and

products transforming ordinary products transforming ordinary meaning into extraordinary meaning into extraordinary beingbeing

Rituals Rituals – – Meaningful RoutinesMeaningful Routines

Set ExpectationsSet Expectations establish whole community routinesestablish whole community routines develop coherence, stabilitydevelop coherence, stability

Student FocusStudent Focus engage students in their identityengage students in their identity

Celebratory Celebratory – implant the – implant the positivepositive transformational thinkingtransformational thinking

Rituals –Rituals – EventsEvents

Expected and unexpectedExpected and unexpected benchmarking eventsbenchmarking events contextual needcontextual need

Support instructionSupport instruction focus on academicfocus on academic relevancerelevance

Attention to detailsAttention to details small things DO mattersmall things DO matter

Rituals – Rituals – ActivitiesActivities

Support the Mission –Support the Mission – be clear about what it isbe clear about what it is stay coherent and focusedstay coherent and focused

Congruent with stated Congruent with stated values –values – the “non-negotiables”the “non-negotiables” pedagogy vs. politics, weigh eachpedagogy vs. politics, weigh each

Enhance instructional goalsEnhance instructional goals support to academicssupport to academics

Rituals – Rituals – Product OrientedProduct Oriented

Concrete, tangibleConcrete, tangible make history, legacy-mindedmake history, legacy-minded

Physical evidence of Physical evidence of meaningmeaning visual “meaning-making”visual “meaning-making”

Standard of excellenceStandard of excellence – – let people know they’re worth itlet people know they’re worth it reward generouslyreward generously

ResearchResearch

What’s Going on Here What’s Going on Here and What Does it Mean?and What Does it Mean?

Research – Research – Know ThyselfKnow Thyself

Expand your personal curriculumExpand your personal curriculum Know a lot about a lot, travel and read Know a lot about a lot, travel and read

Engage in self-discoveryEngage in self-discovery who am I? who are we?who am I? who are we?

Identify a group of colleagues and Identify a group of colleagues and TALK regularly about your craft TALK regularly about your craft until the conversation expiresuntil the conversation expires Take time to discuss deeply with safety Take time to discuss deeply with safety

Research –Research – Inquiry-based Inquiry-based

EnvironmentEnvironment Ask “why are we doing this?”Ask “why are we doing this?”

keep the mission/reason clear, constantkeep the mission/reason clear, constant Create opportunities and climate Create opportunities and climate

for discussionsfor discussions find ways to engage in deep inquiryfind ways to engage in deep inquiry

““Getting through” the agenda Getting through” the agenda doesn’t imply efficacydoesn’t imply efficacy use the “teachable moment”use the “teachable moment”

Research –Research – Inquiry + Data = Good Inquiry + Data = Good

DecisionsDecisions Broaden definition of information Broaden definition of information

gatheringgathering textual, verbal, non-verbaltextual, verbal, non-verbal gather data from everywhere, ask good ?’sgather data from everywhere, ask good ?’s

Look for, ask for evidence, patternsLook for, ask for evidence, patterns what does the data tell you? what does the data tell you? all information helps with decision-makingall information helps with decision-making

Match support with data-identified needsMatch support with data-identified needs the data will tell you what to do the data will tell you what to do

Innovative LeadershipInnovative LeadershipSimple thoughts on a complex ideaSimple thoughts on a complex idea

Be prepared to know yourself Be prepared to know yourself better than you may want tobetter than you may want to

Know a lot about a lotKnow a lot about a lot Travel as much as you canTravel as much as you can Believe and act as if there are no Believe and act as if there are no

enemiesenemies Dream, think, then do Dream, think, then do


Take some risks, redesign the conventionalTake some risks, redesign the conventional Every day tell the people you work with Every day tell the people you work with

that they are the greatest that they are the greatest Come to work earlier than anyone else, Come to work earlier than anyone else,

leave later than anyone else – be selflessleave later than anyone else – be selfless Set the expectation for excellence, then Set the expectation for excellence, then

practice it practice it Understand and believe that obstacles are Understand and believe that obstacles are

just simple reminders telling you to go back just simple reminders telling you to go back and change direction, design, goalsand change direction, design, goals


Negotiate – find common ground Negotiate – find common ground whenever and wherever possiblewhenever and wherever possible

Practice PRAXISPractice PRAXIS Anticipate whenever possible, trust your Anticipate whenever possible, trust your

intuitionintuition Gossip is a dangerous, be circumspectGossip is a dangerous, be circumspect No one is “golden” – power shiftsNo one is “golden” – power shifts


Don’t deprive anyone of their place, their Don’t deprive anyone of their place, their time, their storytime, their story

Everything happens for a reason – “cada Everything happens for a reason – “cada perro tiene su día”perro tiene su día”

Be empathetic, especially when you Be empathetic, especially when you don’t feel like itdon’t feel like it

Problems are opportunities for creating Problems are opportunities for creating innovative solutionsinnovative solutions


Build bridges, don’t burn them – but Build bridges, don’t burn them – but make sure you cross them!make sure you cross them!

Whenever you think you’ll never do Whenever you think you’ll never do that, you willthat, you will

What goes around, comes around – so What goes around, comes around – so beware of what you send aroundbeware of what you send around

Mentor people, work your way out of Mentor people, work your way out of leadershipleadership


Build professional equity and cash Build professional equity and cash it in sparinglyit in sparingly

Develop projects around people’s Develop projects around people’s strengthsstrengths

Say “please” and “thank you” a lot, Say “please” and “thank you” a lot, especially to waitressesespecially to waitresses

Smile, enjoy lifeSmile, enjoy life

““He who has a “why” He who has a “why” to live for can bear to live for can bear almost any “how.”almost any “how.”

Friedrich NietzscheFriedrich Nietzsche

Documents

Innovative Leadership: First, the Basics Redmond, Washington July 19, 2005 Dr. Yvonne Caamal Canul, Director Office of School Improvement Michigan Department