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Five Temptations of Leadership-And How to Avoid Them

Dr. Troyce Fisher, director of Cohesive Leadership Systems, School Administrators of Iowa

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Temptation # 1:Being Seduced by Power Remember the physics definition of power:

“The rate at which the work gets done” Remember “Power through, not power over”

Symptoms of Temptation # 1 Talking more than listening Ordering more than facilitating Standing more than sitting (literally and

metaphorically) Telling more than asking Spending more time being interesting than

interested

Better Behaviors Become an expert at group process skills Practice distributed leadership Listen, ask, thank, acknowledge Come with a learner’s mind, not a learned

mind

Suggested Readings Good to Great by Collins Servant Leadership by Greenleaf The Influencer by Patterson School Leadership That Works by Marzano Professional Learning Communities by the

DuFours Leading Change Step by Step by Spiro

Temptation # 2: Being Conflict Averse

Remember Glickman’s Irony of School Improvement: “The more a school improves, the more conflict there is”

Symptoms of Temptation # 2 Making nice Ignoring or squelching dissention Avoiding a decision Sacrificing what’s best for kids to maintain

political harmony Climbing the ladder of inference

Better Behaviors Learn how to balance advocacy and inquiry

skills Get good at “fierce conversations” Confront the elephants in the living room Argue about the right stuff Ask open-ended, not rhetorical questions

Suggested Readings Fierce Conversations by Scott Death By Meeting by Lencioni Leading Through Conflict by Gerson The Fifth Discipline by Senge The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by

Maxwell Fierce Leadership by Scott

Temptation # 3: Being Insensitive to the Prevailing Culture

The definition of culture: “The norms, beliefs, and traditions that define how we do things around here”

Symptoms of Temptation # 3 Bulldozing through decisions Blindness to patterns or push back Dissing your predecessor Forgetting about first and second order

change Failing to use data to make decisions

Better Behaviors Interview staff and ask:

What are the most important things about the building and district we should preserve and why?

What are the top three things we need to change and why?

What do you most hope I do? What are you most concerned I might do? What advice to you have for me?

(Source: You’re in Charge-Now What? By Neff)

Better Behaviors, continued Watch and listen for resistance Over-communicate Assess readiness for change Embrace the power of small wins Go slow to go fast

Suggested Readings You’re in Charge-Now What by Neff The First 90 Days by Watkins Who Said School Administration Would Be

Fun? by Sigford Blended Coaching by Moir The Six Secrets of Change by Fullan Change Leadership by Wagner

Temptation # 4: Thinking You Have to Have All of the Answers and Solve All of the Problems

This is a move from traditional images of administrator as “answer person” and manager to that of leader and someone who can empower others

Symptoms Quick decisions followed by back tracking

or mopping up later Not thinking systemically Enabling Blaming or being blamed Feeling isolated

Better Behaviors Slow down Admit you don’t know or need more time to

think things through “Give the monkey back” Ask, “What would you do if you were me in

this situation?”

Suggested Readings The Answer to How is Yes by Block The Learning Leader by Reeves The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by

Lencioni Learn Like a Leader by Goldsmith, et. al

Temptation # 5: Thinking You’re Still One of Them and Forgetting You’re Still One of Them

You’re making a huge transition from a teacher responsible for all students in your classroom to a leader responsible for all adults in your building.

Symptoms Favoritism and cronyism Perceived alliances Loose lips Double standards for your behavior and

theirs Unreasonable requests

Better Behaviors A strong set of values and beliefs that guide

your actions Personal resiliency skills A trusted network of support outside the

staff

Suggested Readings Primal Leadership by Goleman The 8th Habit by Covey The Speed of Trust by Covey School Leadership That Works by Marzano Leadership On the Line by Heifitz The Tao of Leadership by Heider

Concluding Thought

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

--K.A. Rothaus

Questions?

troyce@sai-iowa.org