coaching school leaders reflect this funda- mental assumption? 2. To what extent do we capitalize on the


exponential impact of empowering leaders using the “inside-out” approach? 3. If leaders can be “grown,” what types


of environments do we create that encourage leaders in our system to be made? 4. How do we intentionally engage lead-


ers in applying the discipline of thought and action in their daily practice?


Embracing the right mindsets Creating the conditions to build and nur-


ture a leader-based organization starts with a couple of considerations. First, the leader must embrace the right leadership mindsets: the mental attitudes or dispositions that de- termine a person’s responses to and inter- pretations of situations. Second, there must be an unrelenting


drive to execute strong leadership actions: what a leader does to be highly effective. A perfect balance of leadership mindsets and leadership actions will forge the forward movement of “leaders creating the culture” where the “culture in turn defines and cre- ates more leaders” (Schein, 2003). The five mindsets and actions that our


school found to be most effective in nurtur- ing the growth of 21st century leaders are: the principle-centered mindset; adding- value mindset (building capacity); personal and professional growth mindset; culture- building mindset (pay it forward); and the transformative mindset (sustainable change).


1.


Principle-centered mindset. I shared with my staff my deep passion for


golf, a game that builds and reveals charac- ter. Playing golf is synonymous with going through a leadership transformation. Every shot is an opportunity to be the best that I can become. It is all about principles; self- validating natural laws that apply at all times in all places. They surface in the form of values, norms and teachings that uplift, empower and inspire people. Based on the principle-centered ap-


proach to leadership by Stephen Covey, we must center our leadership on certain “true north” principles. When applied consis-


tently, these principles become behavioral habits that enable fundamental transforma- tion of individuals and organizations. Principle-centered leaders are men and


women of character who work with com- petence, embedding the “seeds and soil” of natural principles. These principles become the center of their lives, their relationships,


2.


Adding-value mindset (building capacity). How many people got


better as a result of your professional inter- actions with them today? What plan did you have to add value to someone or to your team today? These are essential questions that ground our work on a daily basis. One of the most fulfilling parts of leadership is simulta-


their management processes, and their mis- sion statements. Let’s take the “law of the farm” as a par-


allel example of coaching new leaders: One must prepare the ground, plant the seed, cultivate, weed, water, and then nurture growth to maturity and harvest. When school leaders assume new posi-


tions, they tend to go from 0 to 200 miles per hour, latching onto any formula available to solve problems, hoping to do it in the least amount of time . But as the laws of the farm and harvest suggest, there are no shortcuts or quick fixes. It takes time and disciplined action to reap the fruits that govern these principles. Coaching new leaders to lead people and invest in their talent and energy will take a full cycle to transform into the “law of harvest.” Helping new leaders develop a principle-


centered mindset creates the groundwork for leadership practice. It is based on proven principles of fairness, equity, integrity and trust, all of which are at the core of personal and organizational missions and the foun- dation of a strong, healthy school culture.


neously valuing oneself while subordinating the self to a higher purpose. Not only is it a mark of a highly effective leader, it is also the true essence of humanity (Covey, 1992). The day-to-day grind of administrative


and leadership work prompts new leaders to focus on tasks rather than people. The ten- dency is to apportion more of our time to “doing” rather than “being” (Pellicer, 2008). The reality is that we cannot masterfully do what we have not had a chance to become. Discipline of thought comes in when


leaders form a habit of devoting the very first part of their day to asking themselves a criti- cal question: What do I care about? What leaders truly care about defines to a large ex- tent what they will be passionate about and fight for (Pellicer, 2008). These sacrifices are fought not in the battlefield, but in every classroom, every day. This thought process keeps at the fore-


front the value of investing in people as the key purpose of our work. Coaching teachers, giving them daily doses of reflective feed- back, engaging them in ref lective inquiry and courageous conversations about teach-


January/February 2014 33


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