For the last 15 years, the author's firm has been helping organizations become healthier and maximize their human potential by using the model outlined in his latest book, "The Advantage," which is the culmination of his previous books and models. Schools and school districts have embraced the model and enjoyed the competitive advantage…

In the book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game," author Michael Lewis describes how the Oakland Athletics, one of the poorest teams in Major League Baseball, became one of the most successful teams by using simple analytical methods that had existed for years but had been largely ignored by the baseball executives. "Moneyball"…

Leaders complain that people agree with them too much and do not assert their true opinions and ideas. But then when they do so, leaders get upset and view their subordinates' assertive behavior as disrespectful. Many leaders, unfortunately, desire courage but reinforce subservience. A superintendent's most important job is to inspire courageous…

People live in two worlds. The first is the external world of competition, ego, ambition and power. Here they chase the brass ring of success through control and standardized procedures designed to stave off failure. In this context, leaders face politics, conflicting expectations and bottom-line metrics. But in quiet moments of solitude, these…

Lots of talk is taking place in organizations today about turnaround and transformation. Turnaround is not transformation. Turnaround is public statements; transformation is personal commitments. Turnaround focuses on cutting costs; transformation builds an emotional bond. Turnaround changes structures and reporting relationships; transformation…

The author spent years in central-office administration, most recently in an interim position. Some interim administrators simply see themselves as placeholders until the real deal is hired, giving the organization the opportunity to coast. There are others who see themselves as change agents and cannot wait to undo or redo what their predecessor…

Today's superintendents must play a critical role in building a district culture of integrity that maximizes students' ethical development. They must provide an educational environment that clearly supports the broadest aims of public education, which must include strong academic preparation. But it also includes providing students with an…

Turning around chronically low-performing schools is challenging work requiring fundamental rethinking of the change process, and a systemic rather than school-by-school approach. Without a doubt, high-impact school leaders are critical to turnaround success, and pockets of success around the country demonstrate this. However, transformational and…

Along with radically shifting priorities and practices to put better learning first, recent experiences and new research underscore a second, closely related imperative for districts--that principals get the high-quality training they need to be successful as frontline leaders of instructional change throughout their schools. In fact, no…

The author spent his two superintendencies perfecting a collaborative leadership concept known as "the superintendency." This concept recognized that significant change and positive, continuous improvement required long-term, concentrated attention rather than a few years of frantic activity. While the "superintendency"…

Value-added data provide a viable alternative for gauging school effectiveness--one virtually free of the confounding effects of student demographics and other factors relating to student learning. How is it different from other measuring methods? It concentrates on growth, rather than attainment. This strengthens the concept and measurement of…

America is at an important crossroad in education. With the pending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly referred to as NCLB, Americans need to examine with fierce honesty the impact it has had on schools, not just on the test scores, but the toll it has taken on the people: principals, teachers and students. For…

Who would bet that superintendents would sign up for another layer of accountability--creating portfolios of their best work, tracking their personal growth as superintendents, documenting systemic change initiatives and compiling evidence of impact? The Michigan Association of School Administrators (MASA) made that bet, and in 2006 the state…

Introduces nine essays on spirituality in educational leadership. (PKP)

Discusses the soul of leadership, including basic principles such as a leader is the symbolic soul of the group. Describes the essentials of leadership using the acronym LEADERS: Look and listen, Empowerment, Awareness, Doing, Emotional freedom and empathy, Responsibility, and Synchronicity. (PKP)