Beyond School Improvement: The Journey to Innovative Leadership Book

Foreword Rick Stiggins, Phd ix

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

About the Authors xix

Part I Leading Beyond Improvement 1

1 Schools in a Changing World 3

In This Chapter 3

The Need for Improvement 4

Are Our Schools Broken? 8

Trends in the External Environment 10

Two Trends: Getting Better and Becoming Different 17

Summary 19

Team Conversation Starters 20

Self-Assessment: Schools in a Changing World 21

2 Improvement Is Not Enough 23

In This Chapter 23

Awakening to the Difference Between Improvement and Innovation 24

Improvement Is Not Enough 27

Lorie's Story 32

Schools Working Toward Innovation 34

Vignette 1 Michelle's Story 34

Vignette 2 A Midwestern School District 36

Vignette 3 The Story of SBK High School 37

Summary 39

Team Conversation Starters 40

Self-Assessment: Improvement is not Enough 41

3 Attributes of Innovation 43

In This Chapter 43

Starting the Journey to Improvement and Innovation 44

Randy's Story: Looking Beyond Current Practice 45

Key Attributes for Innovation 46

Unwelcome in Command and Control 51

Envisioning Leading Adaptive Systems 52

Self-Organizing Systems 55

Starting the Journey 59

Summary 61

Team Conversation Starters 63

Self-Assessment: Attributes of Innovation 64

4 Develop the Courage to Leap 65

In This Chapter 65

Innovation Life Cycles 66

The Hero's Journey 71

Developing the Courage to Innovate 72

Summary 77

Team Conversation Starters 78

Self-Assessment: Develop the Courage to Leap 79

5 Hold Courageous Conversations 81

In This Chapter 81

Personal Orientation to Change 82

Sue's Story 86

John's Story 86

The Power of Paradoxes 89

Summary92

Team Conversation Starters 94

Self-Assessment: Hold Courageous Conversations 95

Part II Essential Leadership Practices 97

6 Embrace Dissonance 99

In This Chapter 99

Dissonance in the Natural World 100

Essential Leadership Practice-Embrace Dissonance 103

What Embracing Dissonance Looks Like in Practice 110

Action Tips-Embrace Dissonance 111

Paradoxical Leaders 113

Summary 115

Team Conversation Starters 116

Self-Assessment: Embrace Dissonance 117

7 Create Context 119

In This Chapter 119

The Importance of Identity 120

Essential Leadership Practice-Create Context 124

What Creating Context Looks Like in Practice 128

Action Tips-Create Context 130

Paradoxical Leaders 133

Summary 134

Team Conversation Starters 135

Self-Assessment: Create Context 136

8 Change Your Field of Perception 137

In This Chapter 137

The Importance of Information 138

Essential Leadership Practice-Change Your Field of Perception 141

What Changing Your Field of Perception Looks Like in Practice 146

Action Tips-Change Your Field of Perception 149

Paradoxical Leaders 151

Summary 152

Team Conversation Starters 154

Self-Assessment: Change Your Field of Perception 155

9 Let Ideas Collide 157

In This Chapter 157

The Importance of Order 157

Essential Leadership Practice-Let Ideas Collide 161

What Letting Ideas Collide Looks Like in Practice 166

Action Tips-Let Ideas Collide 168

Paradoxical Leaders 171

Summary 172

Team Conversation Starters 173

Self-Assessment: Let Ideas Collide 174

10 Innovate the Way You Lead 175

In This Chapter 175

The Journey Starts With Unlearning 176

The Inner Journey 180

Action Plan for Innovating the Way You Lead 186

Summary 196

Resource A Glossary 197

Resource B Essential Leadership Actions 201

Resource C Continuum of Leadership Behavior 203

References 207

Index 211